For better or for worse, children today are exposed to cell phones at a very young age. But along with some obvious advantages, cell phones come with certain dangers such as energy emission and inappropriate Internet usage. Smart devices and phones may be entertaining, but it doesn’t mean little kids can actually make sense of them. So, how early is too early for parents to consider cell phones for kids?
Energy emission
A 4-year-old playing on mom’s phone is not an unusual sight, but in fact, children are exposed to cell phones even before birth. U.S. researchers found that pregnant women who used a cell phone had children with a higher risk for behavioral problems by age 7. Moreover, the risk increased when the kids used phones themselves. The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, looked at the link between cell phones’ electromagnetic energy, also called radiofrequency energy, and kids’ behavior. Previous papers have suggested that this energy emission poses a risk to the human health, namely cancer and brain tumors. But these findings have never been conclusively proved.
The latest study was investigating on the effect of radiofrequency energy on the behavior and the results are raising concern – in comparison with kids who had no exposure to cell phones, children who were exposed before and after birth, were 50 percent more likely to have behavioral issues. These kids displayed inattention and hyperactivity, communication problems, emotional and behavioral conditions. This means that parents should limit not only kids’ exposure to cell phones, but also their own use of the necessary devices. But phones’ energy emission is just a part of the equation – do kids really need cell phones?
Safety
Given the widespread use of technology and cell phones, the fact that children have their own devices is considered normal by most parents. Usually, little kids, in elementary school for instance, receive their phone simply for safety concerns. The cell phone means direct connection between the parent and the child, so all kinds of emergencies can be avoided or at least dealt with the best way possible. But the question remains – is this really necessary? Weren’t kids back in the 1980’s safe?
Psychologists say that this parenting type described by overprotection is becoming more common than ever before. Today’s children are less independent, less responsible and less attentive than kids three decades ago. We all want to be connected, but it leads to children’s poor ability to solve problems on their own, which is crucial for their development and is a normal stage of growing up. Cell phone use isn’t allowed in some schools, but more and more schools are lifting the ban, although texting in class will still bring you to the principal’s office. So, parents should restrain from buying their children cell phones, especially trendy, but expensive smart phones. If kids are supervised after school, their personal cell phones may not be needed.
The social role of the cell phone
Having a cell phone has become a norm nowadays – more than 60 percent of tweens (kids between the ages of 10 and 12) and 84 percent of teens use cell phones, according to a the YouthBeat: The Syndicated Report by C&R Research. The study also says that around 22 percent of children under the age of 10 also use cell phones. The social role of the cell phone gets bigger with age and by 16, the phone has become the most important device in teens’ lives. However, socializing via technology more or less alienates people and in this case, it deprives the developing child of the chance to learn new and important real-life communication and relationship skills.
According to the Cellular Telecommunication and Internet Association, more than 285 million people in the U.S. use cell phones. The picture isn’t much different in the rest of the world. Scientists say that cell phones are dangerous to adults’ health, so why risking kids’ well-being by exposing them to technology in early age? Experts are certain – the less kids use their cell phones, the better.
