3 Good Reasons Not To Give Children A Cell Phone

Technology is part of modern life and children are getting better and better at using it. The enormous learning capacity they have at this age, their curiosity and the infinite possibilities that modern devices offer make cell phones irresistible to children. Technology finds its way to childhood and it would be wrong not to make it accessible to them at all. But it is not uncommon for modern children to have tantrums when their parents do not give them their cell phones. And even then a limit has been crossed.

Are you thinking about getting a cell phone for your child? Would that be a good decision or a bad one? We understand why you have these doubts. If you want to make an informed decision, check out three good reasons why you shouldn’t give kids a cell phone in this post. Or why they should at least only use the devices under your supervision and for a limited time.

1. Effects on neural development: Cell phones teach the brain to function only with constant stimulation

Functioning in an environment where we are always stimulated may seem positive to us. In fact, many experts in child development emphasize the need to stimulate the child from an early age. In this way, they can realize their potential for intellectual development, they explain. But the stimulation from cell phones is not healthy.

Why is that? Mobile devices overstimulate the brain and create a volatile, vibrating, and ever-changing environment. This overstimulation is also not healthy because it is not the type of stimulation that a child will encounter later in life. It is artificial.

This creates a lot of frustration when the child is faced with real life because they will feel boring and under- stimulated. In fact, studies have linked mobile device use by children under the age of 10, an age when brain white matter production is at its peak.

These stimuli are not healthy because they do not prepare the child for real life. They lead to frustration, boredom and restlessness.

2. Cell phones expose children to the dangers of the internet and social media

Cell phones for children mean giving them the key to a world that parents cannot control: the Internet. Here’s a rhetorical question: If you wouldn’t leave your child alone in a mall without knowing who they’re talking to, playing with, and otherwise interacting with, why would you want to give them your cell phone?

If you take the time, you will be checking what your child is doing on the phone for the first few days. But then you will likely begin to trust your child and your vigilance will decrease. But it doesn’t matter how confident you are that your child is using the device responsibly – that’s not a very realistic idea. Over time, you will expose it to stimuli and situations that you did not anticipate.

Giving your child a cell phone will make it easier for them to make online relationships. Then it can happen that it has less real relationships that need to be nurtured face-to-face and in real time. That will create a bigger problem when it comes to learning social skills. Ultimately, a lack of skills in this area could become an obstacle for them in adulthood at work and in the social environment.

3. It prevents good habits and necessary skills from developing

Using a cell phone in early childhood inhibits the ability to concentrate. This happens because mobile devices plan to switch from one situation to another in no time. But concentration requires the exact opposite: Concentration means focusing our attention on a single stimulus for an extended period of time.

It is true that children seem to be very focused in front of the screen. However, this is a very simple form of concentration. It is sustained through constant change. For this reason, the cell phone does the real concentration work for them.

Fortunately, the brains of children and adults are flexible. It can learn to focus even after time has passed. But it is easier for him when they are still young.

Hence , giving children a cell phone means preventing them from facing boredom. Cell phones for children will entertain them and relieve them of the need to resolve this situation on their own. Being able to get bored is very important. The included patience test will do the child good.

If you give your child a cell phone, you will keep them from learning, getting bored, finding something to do. But this is one of the most basic skills that we need to use in everyday life.

After all, in this post we only focused on why children shouldn’t be given a cell phone. But there are also counter-arguments that we must also take into account. In either case, it is important that we are in control of what is happening. So if we give them our cell phones, we should be careful. And if their grandparents or other people allow them to use cell phones in our absence, we have to show them beforehand how we think they can use the devices.

We shouldn’t use children’s cell phones to take a break or to reduce our vigilance. Above all, this means that we have to structure the use of cell phones. And if they call us “mean”, we have to stay strong.