Should kids under the age of 12 have phones? This has been a widely controversial topic for years and many people have varying opinions. Scientists have been researching this topic for many years and there are some positive aspects, as well as some negative ones. According to childmind.org over 71% of children have a phone by age 12. In this article, I will be describing the benefits and setbacks of giving a child access to a cell phone of their own.

                There are many setbacks to allowing a child to have a cell phone before they are fully matured. Cell phones are known to alter brain development which can lead to trouble in the future. The majority of children spend about 4 hours and 44 minutes on a screen a day. This can limit the amount of real-life interaction that they have and can overall cause them to miss out on many opportunities. An opinion of mine is that it can prevent children from experiencing the life around them and can cause them to miss key aspects of life as a child like playing with toys and playing outside. Having a cell phone can promote bad habits. An example of this is laziness. Cell phone use does not promote physical activity and can cause health problems later in life. Young children are easily influenced by what they see others doing. So, social media, one of the most used things on a phone can be dangerous. Social media can create insecurities and bad behaviors in children and adults of all ages. Beauty standards on social media and bullying are growing issues. So why let a child that isn’t even old enough to make their own decisions and be exposed to something like that?

                There can also be some positive effects though. Giving a child a cell phone can give them some aspects of responsibility. Remembering to charge it every night and preventing it from breaking can teach them some good skills that they will need later on in life. Cell phones can also offer safety. This allows the parents to be able to call their child in an emergency, or vice versa. Having a cell phone can also help children stay in contact with friends and family that they don’t get to see on a day-to-day basis. Communication is extremely useful in adulthood and even childhood. Allowing your child to play online games with other kids their age can increase their social skills and can ultimately help their confidence when communicating in certain situations. Giving children a phone can also promote the use of critical thinking and problem-solving.

                While some things on cell phones cannot be trusted, cell phones can teach children lots of skills such as independence, critical thinking, problem-solving, confidence, and more. Many parents don’t let their children have cell phones because of other people on the internet and exposure to bad things is a risk. I feel as if children should not have cell phones until they are old enough to be responsible and trusted with their own belongings