One of Britain’s biggest mobile network operators said on Sunday it would warn parents not to give smartphones to children under the age of 11.
This new guideline comes following growing concerns among parents about the potential harm of access to smartphones for young people.
A recent study by the UK communications regulator found that almost a quarter of British children aged five to seven now own a smartphone.
In the new guidelines, the EE will say that children should only be given phones with “limited capability devices,” allowing them only to send text messages and make calls.
It will also recommend enabling parental control features for teens under the age of 16 and restricting social media for children under the age of 13.
Parents in the UK have begun to speak out against the trend of giving their children a device when they move from primary school to secondary school at the age of 11.
This is widely justified on grounds of safety in case of an emergency while travelling to and from school, but parents fear that the phones may expose children to online criminals, bullying, social pressure and harmful content.
“While technology and connectivity have the power to transform lives, we recognise the increasing complexity of smartphones can be challenging for parents and carers,” said Matt Sears, EE’s director of corporate affairs.
“They need support, which is why we’re releasing new guidelines on smartphone use for children under 11, 11 to 13 and 13 to 16, to help them make the best choices for their children in these formative years.”
American author Jonathan Haidt – whose recent book “The Anxious Generation” argues that smartphones have rewired children’s brains – has urged parents to work together on the issue of smartphone access, so that it becomes the norm for children to have no smartphones.
He said earlier this year that a child “breaks our hearts” by saying he is isolated from his peer group because he is the only one without a phone.
Mr. Haidt believes that one should not use a smart phone before the age of 14 or social media before the age of 16.
“These things are hard to do as a parent. But if we all do it together – if even half of us do it together – it makes it a lot easier for our kids,” he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)