LIKE most parents, we have to constantly monitor the time our children spend on devices.
That is particularly the case over the school holidays, where left unchecked, kids will quietly disappear into their own electronical space for hours on end.
We all know too much screen time is no good for any of us, but particularly young, developing minds.
And while it is tempting for parents to enjoy those few hours of peace, moderation has to be the key.
Our kids are still in primary school, and we are in no rush for them to have their own phones.
But what is the right age? And by denying them a phone, are we doing them a service or a disservice as they grow up in the modern world?
So I went to my phone for some answers.
The Child Mind Institute claims that by the age of 10 or 12, most kids want a phone, but the question needs to be about their mental readiness.
For instance, an immature 15-year-old may not be able to handle the responsibilities that go with a phone. That includes understanding everything from how charges can add up to how access to social media will affect them. Will they know how to handle cyberbullying? Will they follow the limits you put on phone use? Is your kid the type that loses stuff or are they good at keeping track of things?
There is a lot to consider.
But if COVID lockdowns taught my wife and I anything, it was the importance of connection for kids, and time spent on devices was not wasted.
Our kids played games with their friends, laughing and talking and just feeling a part of each other’s lives, even if through a screen.
That’s a healthy thing, but as the Child Mind Institute says, it is important for everyone to understand it is still the parents in charge.
“Kids need to know that they’ll lose phone privileges if they don’t follow phone rules and limits,” the Institute writes. “Kids and parents need to agree on and understand what the rules are and what will happen if kids don’t follow them.”
That is an important message, because we shouldn’t underestimate how children respond to the examples we set, and by rules that are applied consistently.
The NSW Opposition just last week said that Labor, if elected, would ban smartphones between 9am and 3pm at high schools. Note that smartphones were already banned in primary schools by the former education minister Rob Stokes in 2020.
The Victorian Government did the same in 2020 for all government schools.
Under the policy, all mobile phones at both government primary and secondary campuses have to be turned off and kept in pupils’ lockers.
Exemptions only apply for children who use phones to monitor health conditions, or when teachers instruct students to bring their phones to class for an activity.
The drivers of this policy were to reduce bullying and increase student engagement.
While it was tipped the policy would be hard to police back in 2020, the feedback from schools has been that most children adjusted almost immediately.
It turned out that, when monitored, their lives didn’t revolve around their phones.
Perhaps there is a lesson in that for many adults, too.
So, this weekend, lead by example and put your own phone away for a bit, for your own mental health.
