Is it possible today to prevent your child from using a smartphone?

Thinking about this decision has become very difficult for many, as mobile phones are the first means that parents resort to to win minutes of silence and calm from their children, and perhaps we should give the mother who prevents her child from screens for as long as possible the award of the ideal mother, amid societal pressures that impose Screens - whether it's a smartphone, tablet, or TV - are for everyone.

On the other hand, we have to ask ourselves when will the smartphone become a necessity for the child?

How do we regulate and monitor its use?

By the time your son or daughter reaches the age of 10 or 12, they may ask to have a mobile phone to communicate with friends, and you may then realize that you need a direct way to communicate with your children at any time, but you have some concerns, such as:

  • Cost:

    Should I spend the money (sometimes over $200) on something that a child could lose or break easily?

  • Monthly bills:

    Children consume monthly Internet packages without realizing, as children's games require a high-speed Internet, and of course, traditional packages do not meet the needs of these games and video applications such as Tik Tok and Instagram.


    Not only that, kids may use phone credit cards to buy and renew their online games, and we've all read stories about kids naively spending huge amounts of their parents' credit cards on games and other apps.

  • Exposure to danger:

    Your child may be exposed to sexual exploitation or scenes of violence from more than one way, and you may have to monitor him on an ongoing basis to control this potential risk.

  • Exposure to bullying: the

    greater the presence of the mobile device, the greater the risk of electronic bullying, and it is also possible - through social media - that children painfully realize what they lack.

  • Attachment:

    One of the things that irritates parents most is their children's attachment to virtual life, which requires a grueling psychological treatment plan.

Owning a smartphone is associated with challenges that impose themselves on parents (Getty Images)

Given the risks, should children have cell phones?

How do you decide when to do it?

This is a question often asked by parents with 10- to 12-year-olds, says Jerry Bobrick, a clinical psychologist and anxiety expert at the Child Mind Institute.

"Tell parents it's not so much about a certain age as it's about a child's social awareness and understanding of what technology means, you can have a 15-year-old who's really immature, but you give him the phone because he's 15, whereas A 12-year-old who is socially mature can handle it better."

Owning a smartphone is not so much about a specific age as it is about a child's social awareness and understanding of what technology means (Pixabe)

Dr. Bobrick recommends the following to find out if your child can own a mobile phone now:

  • You have to ask yourself: How often does your child lose things, especially expensive ones?

  • How well does your child handle money?

    Will you be in the middle of a game and impulsively buying more Lives without thinking about their cost?

  • Also consider how easy it is for your child to pick up on social cues. Does he understand texting and social media posting controls?

    Does she respond to strangers' messages?

    Does he initiate contact with strangers?

    Has his mood changed an annoying message from a person on social media platforms?

  • How smart is your child in regards to technology?

    Does he really realize that college admissions staff, future employers, and colleagues can see, even years later, whatever you post now?

  • How well do you understand your child's performance with screen time limitation?

    If your child is computer dependent, he will likely have a hard time leaving the phone as well.

Cell phones and ADHD

Cell phones contribute to the distraction of children with ADHD in particular.

“Phones are designed to be as up-to-date as possible, so you might get email, social media push notifications, or check your news feed and sports scores,” says David Anderson, a clinical psychologist who specializes in ADHD and behavioral disorders at the Child Mind Institute. Motivational attachment to a mobile phone, while children do not find the same incentive to engage in activities such as homework or dinner-table conversation, Anderson says.

Cell phones are also risky, especially for children, including those with ADHD, who tend to act impulsively. Their impulsiveness makes them more likely to post or send something they might later regret, and in a world where everything you create is recorded. In cyberspace, they are prone to making long-term mistakes.

Cell phones are especially dangerous for children (Getty Images)

Non-smart phone

If you don't feel that your child is quite ready to own a smartphone, one of your options is to give him a phone that only allows calling and texting, but not anything else connected to the Internet.

However, smartphones have become inevitable, we just have to prepare our children well to control their behavior through the cyberspace available through those devices.