When to Give Your Child a Smartphone

It may be top of your child’s Christmas wish list this year, and it’s a question every parent will struggle with at some point: when should I get my child a smartphone?

There’s no clear advice or research which provides a definitive age, but Families will endeavour to provide some useful guidance.

Mobiles can be helpful to keep in touch with your child, and give you the peace of mind which comes with knowing they can reach you in an emergency. And, of course, children can also do all sorts of amazing things online using devices; the internet can be creative, fun and educational.

But, by giving your child an internet-connected phone, you are handing them an incredibly powerful communication tool for which they may not be ready. Having unfettered access to the internet exposes children to many risks including cyberbullying, online grooming and inappropriate content.

Many believe devices are also quickly changing the nature of childhood. Playing outdoors, spending time with friends, reading books and hanging out with family is being overtaken by hours of snap chatting, instagramming, and catching up on YouTube.

According to internet safety experts the real question is not about the “right” age, but about whether your child is developmentally ready and whether you have laid the groundwork to prepare them for healthy and responsible device use.

Carolyn Bunting, CEO of e-safety organisation Internet Matters said: "Every child is different and whether it be a sign of maturity or peace of mind; parents know intuitively what the right age is for their child to be given a smartphone."

However, it’s vital that you take steps to ensure you child is able to navigate the internet safely before they are given a smartphone. These include:

• Having open and honest conversations with your child about their online world. Finding out what they like doing and getting involved.

• Setting boundaries for their internet use, which include where and when they can use their devices and for how long.

• Setting up parental controls on your home broadband as well their devices. Using a child-friendly search engine and setting their user account to only follow sites which you've deemed safe.

• Checking age-limits on games, websites and apps, especially ones that have a social media element.

• Checking that online accounts are password protected and ensuring that your children are not putting out personal information online. If they have a social media profile ensure they are only accepting requests from friends and request that you or someone you both trust follows them to keep abreast of their online activity.

In considering the move to a smartphone for your child it may help to consider the following options:

• If you believe your child needs to be able to get in touch with you, Ofcom advises using a basic handset. These are still readily available.

• If you are keen to keep your child’s internet access contained to the supervised home environment, then tablet-usage can be easier to monitor.

• If you think your kids are ready for their own smartphone, pick up a child-friendly model. For example, devices like the monqi allow parents to set limits on data, calls, screen time and disapprove a game or app, all remotely via a parental app.

For more reviews of child friendly smart phones visit www.internetmatters.org and for information on internet safety for children visit www.net-aware.org.uk