Why Your Child Doesn’t Need a Smartphone
Depending on how old your kid is, you’ve probably had them ask if they can get a smartphone more times than you’d care to count. Sometimes it feels like it would be easier to give up the argument and just buy them one. While that’s tempting, we urge you to stand strong.
While we don’t hate technology and think that indoctrinating your kids with electronics at a young age is beneficial, we still believe there is such a thing as being too young for a smartphone. Because of this belief, we decided to let our reasons as to why your child doesn’t need a smartphone.
They’ll Probably Break It
It’s no secret that young children are clumsy; it’s also not a secret that phones are insanely expensive. So why would you want to put those two attributes together? No matter how well-protected their smartphone is, your kid will probably find some way to break it.
On top of that, due to the fact that they have no concept of money or how much things cost, they’ll expect you to buy them a new one since you bought them the first one. Until your child has a better idea of how money works, they’re not going to be able to appreciate the gift that you have given them fully and will likely treat it like any other toy.
They Won’t Want To Go Outside
The more fun electronics a kid has inside, the less likely they will want to go outside and play. This is a common problem, but smartphones undoubtedly make it worse. When you have a device that can do nearly anything you want it to, why would you need to go outside?
Well, the simple answer is that there’s a whole world out there that they’re missing out on by staying inside on their phone. If you’re having trouble convincing your child of that, go outside with them and show them all of the things that they can do. If you’re looking for more of a reason that they should go out there, many arguments can be made that playing outside can help your child’s development.
They Can Get Addicted To It
Addiction is a tricky topic, which is why we saved it for last in our list of reasons why your child doesn’t need a smartphone just yet. We’re definitely no authority on the subject, but there’s always been a link between cellphones and addiction, no matter the age. If that addiction has a possibility of affecting your child, that can be detrimental to their development at such a young age.
You don’t want your kid to become dependent on their phone as they grow up. You’ll want them to grow on their own without that attachment guiding them. Once they have reached an age that you believe that they can understand how to not let their phone become an addiction, then that should be the time you buy a smartphone for them. It will help them become better people once they get older, which they will eventually thank you for.
