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At what age can children be allowed to use a smartphone?
At what age can children be allowed to use a smartphone?
Anonim

Children adapt to new technologies faster than their parents. At the age of one and a half, they know perfectly well which icon to click to watch "Peppa Pig" on Youtube. A logical question arises: at what age should a baby be allowed to use a smartphone? A lot of research has been done over the past few years trying to find the right answer. And, of course, the opinions of the experts were divided.

Suitable age for smartphone

Some believe that this is an inevitable stage in the development of a child and that a smartphone can be allowed as early as a year and a half. It is at this age that the child begins to clearly understand which buttons to press in order to turn down or turn up the volume, how to turn on a game or a movie.

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Others claim that the gadget is valid only upon reaching the age of 8-9. At this age, the child begins to understand the value of the gadget and uses it more carefully. And still others argue that a smartphone should be bought only at the age of 13, when the child's psyche becomes less vulnerable to external influences.

Most experts believe that a child's acquaintance with the world of technology should not be hindered. You need to give gadgets on time and closely monitor the whole process. You should think about buying a personal smartphone for your child closer to school. For example, by the first of September it can be a wonderful gift and motivation. In any case, experts can only share their opinions, and what to do in practice is up to the parents to decide.

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What to do if the baby requires

Even the most severe parents sometimes succumb to the tearful persuasions of their child. Children are constantly asked to play with their smartphones. As soon as adults give a gadget to the inquisitive hands of kids, anything can happen to it: from the deletion of important information to significant breakdown (remember how some children like to destroy sand figures built by their own labor). In this regard, it is reasonable to purchase a budget gadget and give a preschooler strictly limited access to it. The first smartphone of the kid can be inexpensive gadgets equipped with all the necessary functions.

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Looking for the best budget smartphone isn't limited to classic brands like Samsung, Sony or LG. Very interesting offers in terms of price and quality can be found among young players: for example, the Indian company Micromax has a Canvas Juice 4 smartphone with a 3900 mAh battery - the manufacturer promises that it can work up to two days. A little longer, a new product from Huawei is available - Honor 5A. It supports LTE networks, has an excellent camera and a power-hungry battery. The smartphone is especially good for preschoolers - it is water and drop resistant. A bonus for parents will be the parental control option - it is one of the most convenient among Android devices. By the way, it is better for a child to purchase a device from companies with a developed service infrastructure, so that they can quickly and efficiently repair the device if something happens to it.

Remember safety

If your child asked you for a personal smartphone, first think about what his motivation is. Perhaps he is bored or he just wants to be like "Misha from the sports section", because his parents have already bought it.

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Before the first class, it is not recommended to give a smartphone for permanent personal use. However, according to research, even in the 3rd grade it is undesirable to do this. The thing is that, according to statistics, at this age children spend a lot of time in front of the screens, which means that instead of lessons, your child will go through the next level of their favorite game. Of course, this can affect your studies.

But, again, if a classmate or half of the class already has a gadget, it will be difficult to cope with the child's desire to have a personal smartphone.

In this case, it is important to remember about safety. It is necessary to explain to the child that a gadget is an expensive thing, explain the rules of netiquette, talk about the possible consequences of exchanging information with strangers via sms or online. And finally, set up parental controls to keep your child from unwanted sites, information and communication.

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