haddeylium:

A growing number of children have a smartphone, and many of them use their phone to access the Internet in the privacy of their bedroom. What are the risks of letting your child have a smartphone? What are the benefits? How much screen time is too much?

What you should know

What you should ask

Ask yourself if you are ready


What you should know
The Benefits

SAFETY FOR CHILDREN, peace of mind for parents. “We live in a dangerous world,” says Bethany, a mother of two teenagers. “It’s vital for children to be able to contact their parents.”

A mother named Catherine takes it further. “With some apps,” she says, “you can connect to your child’s phone to see where he is. If he’s driving, you can even see how fast he’s going.”

HELP FOR HOMEWORK. “Children get homework via e-mail or text message, and they can communicate with their teachers the same way,” says a mother named Marie.

The Risks

TOO MUCH SCREEN TIME. Young people typically spend several hours a day on their phone. In fact, parents spend about as much time interacting with their devices as they spend in meaningful interaction with their children. Some households have become, as one counselor describes it, “a daily gathering of strangers fixated on a bunch of machines.”

PORNOGRAPHY. According to one estimate, more than half of all teenagers seek out pornography on a monthly basis—hardly surprising, considering the ease with which it can be accessed on a mobile device. “By letting their child have a smartphone,” says William, a father of two teenagers, “parents could be unwittingly opening up a pornography shop that goes wherever the child goes.”

DEPENDENCY. Many people are emotionally attached to their phone. If it is misplaced, they report feeling panicky, desperate, and even sick. Some parents note that their children become rude when using their device. “Sometimes when I want to talk to my son,” says Carmen, “he rolls his eyes or makes a snarky remark because he doesn’t like being interrupted.”

Additional risks. Smartphone use brings with it the risk of cyberbullying and sexting, and can lead to a number of health problems that result from poor posture and a lack of sleep. Some young people use a “ghost app”—an app that appears to be innocent, such as a calculator—to hide content that they do not want their parents to see.

Daniel, the father of a teenage girl, sums it up this way: “A smartphone opens a window to everything the Internet has to offer—both good and bad.”

No smartphones for my kids till they in secondary school..........

The word is CHILD

4get restriction or not, dea shuld b an age wich som1 can allow his child use devices, if u see wot i hav seen u go no wetin i de yarn, smal girls don turn 2 domestic ashawo everywea now ooo, because of fones chek am u self go understand

wwwtortoise:
I will surround my offsprings with tech gadgets at a tender age. It doesn’t stop there because it’s also my responsibility to guide them through the pros as well as shelter them from the cons.

Nothing can be hidden forever from teenagers in this 21st century. So the earlier you give them a balanced exposure the better.

Let me ask you OP -

Would you rather trek a long distance to your destination and not use a car simply because there’s a possibility of road accident using a car?

I hope you get my point

I Stan

African people and thier mentality, op your child isn't ready ooo. You should be planning how to get your child at his early age how to code through a private teacher, you should be teaching your child how to be productive from a smartphone but you re here discussing how to slow your child development down, as early as age ten you should be ready to explain sessual attivites between men and women and the consequences in all ways...

Your child can have access to a smart phone, but he should not own one. You can avail him yours for an hour or there (also be there to supervise what he or she is doing with the device) about if needs.

Someone is talking about restrictions, in this era that younger generations are more knowledgeable than their parents in technology, they know how to disable the restrictions.

My suggestion
Fixed mobile set at home
Get them a desktop computer system for anything online
They can use parent's phone at home
But use of their personal smart phone is as soon as their admission to tertiary institution is confirmed

haddeylium:
Review: Should my child have a smartphone?
Ask yourself these questions:

Does my child really need a smartphone? Have I weighed the benefits and the risks? Would a basic phone suffice?

Is my child ready for the responsibility? Does he or she show self-restraint with other devices, such as the TV or a tablet?

Am I ready for the responsibility? Can I train my child to show good judgment in using a smartphone?


Source: Jw.org
Visit for more parenting tips that could help to determine your usage of smartphone

No. They shouldn't. Unless it's a dummy phone with just one number on it —yours.

Hollawayn05:
Am still thinking if I will allow my young daughter to own a fone at an early stage

Major challenge isnt owing but knowing how to use it to one's best advantage.

The question should be which smart phone should I child be allowed to use. Stop using your generation mentality to train this generation of children, we are in the IT internet of things generation if you child is not allowed to flow with his generation he or she will be obsolete when in the mist of their mates,

Every smart phone has parental controls and your children smart phone can be monitored through parents or guardian phone. You can control which site they are allowed to go and know when they attemt to access unauthorized sites.

You can't allow your children get information from the outside because you are trying to protect them is a dangerous way to go.

Is better you do the control at home than allow other children influence them,

I have three boys 12, 10 and 8.years old They all have an iPhone linked with my wife iPhone to allow her know what they are doing with their phone at every time. Social media is not The only thing phone can do, my kids weekly assignment are done using their phones with the school link.

Control is more fruitful than denials.
The world has changed change your mentality.

Do well by buying your child a smart phone.
The child wet go spoil go spoil.
Some children spoiled even before the emergence of smart phones.

Just buy it advise the child about the safety part and give it to the child. Lastly pray to God and keep an eye on the child to know when things starts going out of hand.

Just expecting him to cash out when he started doing yahoo (cyber fraud)

falcon01:
your child shouldn't Because 90% of website deal with Pirated contents you child will Innocently access this websites and be exposed to Tons of Pornographic Content!

You've a point but that is where the phone usage should be strictly monitored. I.e. reviewing browsing histories, blocking/setting limits to what sites could be accessed & lastly been very accessible for them to seek any advise, questions, etc. Let them feel very comfortable asking you any questions and provide necessary answers.

haddeylium:

A growing number of children have a smartphone, and many of them use their phone to access the Internet in the privacy of their bedroom. What are the risks of letting your child have a smartphone? What are the benefits? How much screen time is too much?

What you should know

What you should ask

Ask yourself if you are ready


What you should know
The Benefits

SAFETY FOR CHILDREN, peace of mind for parents. “We live in a dangerous world,” says Bethany, a mother of two teenagers. “It’s vital for children to be able to contact their parents.”

A mother named Catherine takes it further. “With some apps,” she says, “you can connect to your child’s phone to see where he is. If he’s driving, you can even see how fast he’s going.”

HELP FOR HOMEWORK. “Children get homework via e-mail or text message, and they can communicate with their teachers the same way,” says a mother named Marie.

The Risks

TOO MUCH SCREEN TIME. Young people typically spend several hours a day on their phone. In fact, parents spend about as much time interacting with their devices as they spend in meaningful interaction with their children. Some households have become, as one counselor describes it, “a daily gathering of strangers fixated on a bunch of machines.”

PORNOGRAPHY. According to one estimate, more than half of all teenagers seek out pornography on a monthly basis—hardly surprising, considering the ease with which it can be accessed on a mobile device. “By letting their child have a smartphone,” says William, a father of two teenagers, “parents could be unwittingly opening up a pornography shop that goes wherever the child goes.”

DEPENDENCY. Many people are emotionally attached to their phone. If it is misplaced, they report feeling panicky, desperate, and even sick. Some parents note that their children become rude when using their device. “Sometimes when I want to talk to my son,” says Carmen, “he rolls his eyes or makes a snarky remark because he doesn’t like being interrupted.”

Additional risks. Smartphone use brings with it the risk of cyberbullying and sexting, and can lead to a number of health problems that result from poor posture and a lack of sleep. Some young people use a “ghost app”—an app that appears to be innocent, such as a calculator—to hide content that they do not want their parents to see.

Daniel, the father of a teenage girl, sums it up this way: “A smartphone opens a window to everything the Internet has to offer—both good and bad.”

I'm 90 percent sure this is lifted from a JW publications.

falcon01:
your child shouldn't Because 90% of website deal with Pirated contents you child will Innocently access this websites and be exposed to Tons of Pornographic Content!

exactly

Nokia 105. Simply for communication

I was initially against this, but my husband bought our daughter a smartphone for her 11th birthday. We have Locategy installed on it. It's an app that links a parent's phone with a child's phone and allows the parent monitor and control the child's device remotely. In addition to this, I also regulate her use of it. A portion of her school work is done online, hence the need for the phone.

If it's necessary for your child to have a smartphone, please install Locategy on it to allow you monitor what he/she does online real-time.

haddeylium:
Review: Should my child have a smartphone?
Ask yourself these questions:

Does my child really need a smartphone? Have I weighed the benefits and the risks? Would a basic phone suffice?

Is my child ready for the responsibility? Does he or she show self-restraint with other devices, such as the TV or a tablet?

Am I ready for the responsibility? Can I train my child to show good judgment in using a smartphone?


Source: Jw.org
Visit for more parenting tips that could help to determine your usage of smartphone

Just buy it for them because all the things you're trying to keep them away from will still be exposed to them in school by their friends who have phones. Better to educate them about pornography yourself from a young age so that way it irritates them even if they come across it accidentally. Teach them computer programming because in every profession now it is a good knowledge to have. Engage them in the positives of technology. Cheers

sirwhyteB:
Do well by buying your child a smart phone.
The child wey go spoil go spoil.
Some children spoiled even before the emergence of smart phones.

Just buy it advise the child about the safety part and give it to the child. Lastly pray to God and keep an eye on the child to know when things starts going out of hand.

Chop knuckle jare!

Ur child needs, a phone to call, a laptop and children's tab. All must have Google parental control and guest accounts

It depends on which type of lifestyle you want that child to get used to, and exibit...
if the child is less than 18, get him/her a small nokia torch light...
Buh if the child is up to 18, yes, a smartphone is okay, buh you have to strategically configure the phone, away from some sites that re unGodly.... Eg porn, gay sites etc....

CandyOps:
E be like na old people full this Nairaland. Shey una never hear of child lock or parental control before?

. Na d oyinbo wey do exam do eraser... If u understand

Hollawayn05:
Am still thinking if I will allow my young daughter to own a fone at an early stage

You can get her a tablet but it should be parented.

Its tricky especially if they get addicted to it, but for educational purposes you can get them tablets or even smartphones.

Having smartphones doesn't mean they have to use internet, you can pre load lots of things for them.

Control is the key word.

My daughter is 11 years to the glory of God. I have made up my mind to buy her a small Touch light level NOKIA phone. And when she's in SS2 or SS3 I'd buy an Android phone for her. This is to prepare her mind for the future in University life or challenges, but before all of this I must train her mind to be mature enough for any of these gifts making her aware of the advantages and core disadvantages which can ruin life if allowed.

HALF BAKED POST
if my parents heads are geared to fight each other on trivial matters and they are already yelling at each other.And the children Already Know that no amount of begging will stop daddy from cursing too-submissive mummy.so they use their phones abi?

My view... a child under 12 does not need a smartphone if a computer/laptop is in the home. This is the 21st century... and since COVID-19 remote learning is now part of the education system. Children need to be online. Most important is for parents to guide their children and monitor their children's activity online.... and how much time they spend instead of going about boasting that their child has an iphone12 and can use it very well.... soooo smart.

OP SOME OF US WATCHED PORN BEFORE 18.

My children will not not own a smartphone till they are 13 or so as I was trained.

the disadvantage is too much but it still doesn't change anything pikin wey wan spoil go spoil I no lie you.