What is the ideal age for your children to have a mobile?

In the debate that exists about when is the age at which a minor should start having technological devices such as a mobile phone or a tablet, he has two positions that are opposed by the distance of his ideas.

There are those who understand that a child should express himself technologically as soon as possible, since it is the future that awaits him, since technology, as it is seen at the present time, will end up taking over everything everyday.

But, on the other hand, there are those who do not consider that technology should be within the reach of the little ones and understand that they must already be at least two digits old to be considered suitable for having a tablet and something older if they want a mobile. They attribute to these devices the loss of sociability of the smallest.

Both theories are easily refuted, due to the complexity of this issue.

What is the best age?

One problem is that the industry itself rarely speaks out on the matterso we do not know very clearly what his opinion is, obviously subject to sales.

There are scientific studies that support both theoriesthat is, those who establish that the sooner the better so that they get used to the life that awaits them and those who consider that they should first see life as it is and then watch it on a screen.

There are famous examples such as Bill Gates who more than once declared that he did not let his children have a smartphone until they were 14 years old. These types of statements always have another aspect, since he never commented on when they had their first Windows computer, in addition to the fact that these statements were made when Microsoft no longer sold smartphones.

If it is generalized, the truth is that it seems that the age range 10 to 12 years it is the one most chosen by parents to buy their children’s first smartphone, something that seems logical since these are ages where the level of independence is already beginning to be exacerbated in children.

Even the sales data seems to corroborate this fact, since there are several studies such as Common Sense Media which ensure that 2019 almost 70% of 12-year-olds had a smartphone for just one 36% of those who were 10 years old.

The problem is that the pandemic came later and the indicators seem to have changed since the pandemic crisis caused by COVID-19, since the age to buy a mobile phone dropped considerably, although, yes, it is true, that it multiplied in almost all the age ranges.

Having property, does it mean that you do not have a mobile?

We continue to highlight the complexity of this whole issue when we analyze another aspect, which can derail the theory that the age for a child to have a mobile phone can be from 10 to 12 years.

The fact that a child does not have a mobile phone does not mean that they do not use it or spend time in front of one, since it often happens that take the one of the mother, the father or one of the many that remain in the house without anyone using them.

In none of these cases does the child own a mobile phone, but they do use it, so the data we saw in the previous section is at least slightly diluted.

Do children need a smartphone?

If we start from the age and under normal circumstances, it is true that, from the age of 10, they already begin to socialize and it may be convenient for them to have a system to talk with friends, especially on weekends, which is when they least they are going to see.

Furthermore, we can assert that a smartphone is a good ally in studiesjust like a computer, as long as it is used responsibly, as is evident.

If we talk about children under 10 years old, then the smartphone makes less sense for studies and relationships, since they are not appreciated as in older ages.

The problem is that the pandemic changed everything and at those early ages it became essential, not only because many children had to give classes by video call, but also because, to have contact with their friends or family, they had no choice but to use this type of image calls.

This meant that habits changed and many parents realized the importance of this type of device for long-distance relationships that, although it seems incredible, many people only contemplated the phone call as a way of communicating with their loved ones.

So what is the answer?

There is no irrefutable answer in this regard, since both the theory of waiting until an age closer to adolescence or buying it before having two digits in its age, are perfectly assumable and at the same time perfectly revocable.

Maybe the answer lies not so much in the theory of age, but rather in each childin his way of being, in his way of acting and in his needs.

Starting from the fact that we should always be the parents who set the tone and that no cell phone should be left to free will, that is, without any type of control on our part, It should be the child who makes us parents see if he really needs it.

In my case, as a father, I see it as a good thing for my daughter to have her mobile, controlled in certain aspects such as the apps to install and the websites to visit, for example, because it is a way for her to keep in touch with her grandparents who unfortunately live far away. At least this way you can see them and talk to them in the most “face-to-face” way possible.

But it is also true that removing those moments and some YouTube videos, we are not talking about a girl who urgently needs her mobile, who does not stop having it in her hands or who is playing all day and forgetting the world around her, it is more, many times it turns off from not using it.

I tell you about my personal case, why did you see that in this case it can be justified to have a smartphone, but that it is totally understandable that, in other cases, the mobile is restricted or even prohibited.

The conclusion we must reach is that it is not so much the device or the theory, but the child who is going to show us the way to allow it or wait for it to be ready.