Do Children need mobile phones?

I was shell-shocked when my 5 years old daughter asked me to get a mobile phone for her. My husband and I  are using mobile phone for quiet sometime now and  she got used to it. Whenever we go out for a shopping and if she is privileged to get a toy, she prefers to buy a toy phone rather than a soft toy or else. I asked why she wants a phone and the reply was so quick that she can call her dad, since he is working abroad.

Now my million dollar question is “do our children really need  mobile phones?”.

Five-year-old kid with a mobile phone might sound like a crazy idea but I have seen kids using mobile phone even when they are below 5 years. You might have noticed that some parents very proudly present their kids using mobile phones in their friends circle and talks high about the skill of their kid in using a gadget. 

Is there anything wrong in kids using mobile phones?

Of course.  Children do not use mobile phones for prolonged periods of time since mobile phone radiation is harmful to them. Now there are companies who have developed kids mobile phones and some of them take the shape of Mickey mouse.

What are the benefits of giving a mobile phone to your kid?

• There is no doubt that mobile phone provides instant contact with your kid and vice versa
• Can be used in emergencies
• Develop some kind of independence at an early age
• Child can learn about the gadget and become more gadget friendly
• It provides some sense of privacy to the kids
• It gives peace of mind

What are the difficulties of giving a mobile phone to your kid?

• Mobile phone radiation is harmful to the kids
• It is not advisable to give your kid so expensive gadgets since they don’t know the value for money
• They get the access to the porno sites through their phones
• Chances for receiving filthy text messages as well as pictures

We have to remember one thing that cell phones aren’t just for adults any more. So what can we do?

Monitoring is very crucial since we are living in a dangerous world and that children are overwhelmingly important, but so is learning to deal with life’s hardships. Have a deal with your kid regarding the usage of the mobile phone beforehand. Better provide the kid with a post paid mobile connection since we can check the cell phone bill when it arrives, encourage the child to switch off the mobile phone after some hours in night before bed, have a check and not spying on the text messages the child receives,  so that you can determine if the cell phone is being used as you wanted and whether you need to make adjustments in the cell phone ground rules you have established with your child. Remind your kid about the increasing number of mobile phone crimes.

Remember nothing works with a matured kid.