3 Good Reasons Not To Give Children A Phone

Are you thinking of giving your child a phone call? Would that be a good or bad idea? We understand why it will be a difficult choice.

Technology is a part of life now, and children are constantly getting better at using it. Their capacity to learn, their curiosity and all the incredible possibilities on our mobiles make them irresistible to children.

New technology finds its way into childhood. Now it does not take long before children get a tantrum because they want your phone.

If you want to make a well-informed choice, read this article. We will give you 3 good reasons not to give children a phone call. Or, if you must, it should be under supervision and for a short period of time.

1. The effect on neuronal development: telephones and other devices teach the brain to function with constant stimulation

Working in a state of constant stimulation can seem like a good thing. The experts in child development even say that it is important to stimulate children early in development. In this way, they can reach the maximum potential of intellectual development. 

But the phones provide unhealthy stimulation.

Why is it like that? The mobile phones overstimulate the brain, and the result is an environment where the child is anxious and restless.

Therefore, there are several different studies on whether children under the age of 10 (the age when  white matter  is formed in the brain) who use mobile phones have an increased chance of developing ADHD.

2. It exposes the child to the dangers of the internet and social media

Giving children a telephone means giving the child access to a reality that parents cannot control: the Internet. If we were to use a metaphor here it would be: if you would not leave your child alone in the mall without checking who they are talking to, playing with or who they are hanging out with, why would you give them your phone?

No matter how confident you are that your child will use the device responsibly, it is not a very realistic mindset. If you try, you may be able to monitor what your child is doing on the phone for the first few days. But after that, you will most likely start to trust them. As time goes on, you will expose your child to stimuli and situations over which you have no control.

On the other hand, giving children a phone makes it easier for them to choose “electronic” relationships instead of real ones. 

It will develop into a bigger problem when the child is to learn normal social skills. It can end up being a challenge in everyday work and their social life when they are adults.

A telephone prevents the development of good habits and important skills

Using a telephone in early childhood prevents the development of an important skill: concentration. It happens when the mobile phone is designed to go from one stimulus to another. But concentration is the opposite. It is when you give all your attention to one stimulus at a time and you manage to keep that concentration for a long time.

It is true that it seems that children concentrate very much on the screen, but it is a simple form of concentration. It is controlled by constant change, so the phone do a lot of concentration for them.

Fortunately for both children and parents, our brains are flexible and can learn to concentrate when we are adults. But, if possible, it is better for them to learn it when they are children.

Giving children a phone call prevents them from learning to deal with boredom. Getting bored is very important. But if you give them a phone call, you’ll be making fun of them. They never have to experience boredom.

It will also create a lot of arguing because the child will become more restless and “active”. However, this ordeal of your own patience will also be good for the child.

Finally, we have only focused on the reasons why you should not give children a phone call in this article. But there are several positive and neutral reasons we must consider as well.

Regardless, it is important that we have control over what happens. So if we give them our phone, we should keep a close eye on what they do.

We should not use it as a way to take a break. It also means being strict about how much time they can spend on the phone. If grandparents or someone else lets them use a device, we need to show and explain how we want the child to use the phone.

If this is the case then maybe your best bet is not to give them a call. Even though they call us “naughty”, this is our way of not doubling the time they are exposed to technology.