Bill Gates explains the best age to give children a cell phone

Bill Gatesfounder of ecosystem, is very strict regarding his children's use of technology, something that he himself helped to popularize. He recently mentioned that his children were not allowed to have their own smartphones until they turned 14 years.

Gates explained that the use of phones at the table is prohibited at home, although it is permitted to use them for schoolwork or studying. Cell phones for children are definitely a very important topic. And do you think 14 is a good age for them to start using a smartphone? Check out more information on this subject.

Bill Gates' children got cell phones at 14

Bill Gates' children currently have 27, 24 and 21 years, everyone has already passed the minimum age (according to their ideology) to have their own telephone. The philanthropist, who established the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000, states that among many of the reasons why there is this restriction with their children is mental and physical health, especially when using it before bed.

Still, Gates' children are subject to a ban on having any Apple product at home, which is due to the long-running rivalry between Gates and Apple founder Steve Jobs. Even though it is a reference name in the world of technology, and however contradictory it may sound, there really needs to be a limit for children and teenagers to have their first smartphone, or who use the device moderately.

Expert assessment of mobile phones for children

When teenagers reach high school, peer pressure can become intense and parents worry that their children will feel isolated if other peers have cell phones and they do not. According to the Common Sense Media, 42% of children have a phone by age 10. At 12 years old, it is 71%. At 14 years old, they exceed 90%.

Max Stossel, founder and CEO of Social Awakening, a group that promotes the healthy use of technology and social media, recommends that parents maintain the rule of giving smartphones to children until at least the eighth grade or the adopted Brazilian ninth grade.

One strategy to avoid smartphone dangers and addiction, Stossel notes, is to put it on a phone that can't be used for social media, gaming or web browsing. One Gabb Phone, for example, can only be used for calls and text messages. It also has a camera, calendar, FM radio and GPS, allowing parents to monitor where their children are. There is no app store, multimedia messaging or group texts on the device.

Awareness groups also exist to draw attention to this scenario. The call Wait Until 8th aims to help other parents in a school community come together by committing not to give their children smartphones until they reach ninth grade. Parents who adhere to this pledge are brought into contact with each other for mutual support, a help both for their children and for the parents themselves.

A Brazilian Society of Pediatrics (SBP) recommends that babies avoid using screens and also highlights that, according to experts, the time allowed for children to interact with these devices should be adjusted to their age, always with supervision. These are the recommendations for screen exposure and cell phone use by children and adolescents:

• For children under 2 years old: avoid any contact with screens or video games;
• For children aged 2 to 5: limit screen time to a maximum of one hour per day;
• For children aged 6 to 10: allow between one and two hours of screen time per day;
• For teenagers aged 11 to 18: allow between two and three hours of screen time per day.

Importance of parental controls

Smartphones themselves also allow parents to use the phone's controls to set limits. Dave Anderson, PhD and clinical psychologist at Child Mind Institute, notes that cell phone companies have made significant progress in this area in the last two years. This means parents can set restrictions on which apps can be downloaded to phones.

Cell phones allow you to not only limit the apps children have access to, but also control the types of movies and TV shows they can watch. You can also set time limits for games, entertainment, and social media, and monitor what they're doing during screen time.

Social media and the unfiltered Internet are considered the most potentially dangerous aspects. Stossel mentions a colleague who, when speaking to groups of students, would ask a volunteer to show how to bypass the school firewall. Whenever this was done, a student could easily explain which apps to use to access blocked websites.

One recommendation is to use the parental control tool Bark all with Android e iOS, which monitors children's activity in social media, YouTube, emails e text messaging. It identifies signs of harmful content, such as sexual material, threats of violence, depression, suicidal ideation, and bullying. Parents receive email and text alerts if there is anything concerning about their child's online activity. Additionally, it can be used to set screen time limits and block specific websites.

Aspects that influence when to give your children a cell phone

The clinical psychologist Dr. Jerry Bubrick, which is also part of the Child Mind Institute, suggests that the decision of when to give a child a phone should not only be based on age, but also on social maturity and the child's understanding of technology. Here are some questions he proposes for parents to ponder:

• Does your child have a habit of losing things, especially those of high value? If something is very important, will they take good care of it or will they forget it somewhere, like a bus, after a few days?
• Does your child know how to manage money? Would they be gambling and making impulse purchases, such as acquiring more debt, without regard to the cost?
• Is your child able to understand social cues? If they have difficulty with this, this difficulty can be magnified in text messages and social media posts.
• Is your child knowledgeable about technology? Do they understand that future employers and college admissions committees can see what they post now?
• Does your child respect screen time limits? If they're always tied to their computer or gaming console, they'll probably have a hard time putting their phone down.

The page PBS For Parents I also brought a list of suggested questions that can be considered before giving your child their first phone. Just take a look:

• How autonomous are your children?
• Do your children need a means of contact for safety or social reasons?
• How responsible are your children?
• Are they able to understand and respect limits on calling minutes and app downloads?
• Do you trust them not to text during class, not to disturb others with their conversations, and to use the text, photo, and video functions responsibly (without embarrassing or harassing others)?
• Do they really need a smartphone that is also their music device, a portable movie and game player, and a gateway to the Internet?
• Do they need a device that provides location information to their friends – and maybe some strangers – as some of the new apps allow?
• Are you prepared to handle all the expenses of new data plans? (And keep calm when they announce that the new smartphone fell in the toilet…)

Impact of smartphones on children's health

As cognitive habilyties They are essential for the healthy development of an individual, allowing them to take advantage of life's opportunities. These skills include think, understand, create, express yourself verbally, make associations and understand deductive logic.

Childhood is a crucial period for the development of these skills, as the brain is constantly maturing, undergoing transformations and establishing new neuronal connections. A child who grows up in an environment rich in stimuli is more likely to achieve excellent cognitive development.

Technology, through games e educational videos, can be a valuable resource when used in a complementary way. However, it should not replace real experiences. Children and adolescents need social interaction and environmental stimuli for proper development.

This constant stimulation provided by cell phones can be particularly distracting for children with ADHD, a problem that is widely observed today (including in adults as well). Dr. Anderson explains that phones are designed to be highly engaging. If it's not an email, it's an update on social media, or a quick look at the news, or even checking the sports scores.

Children with ADHD face more difficulty resisting these stimuli and staying focused on activities that are less engaging but more important, such as homework or conversations during meals.

Their impulsiveness can also lead them to share something they may later regret. In a world where everything posted is recorded in cyberspace, they run the risk of making mistakes with long-term consequences.

How to Reduce Screen Time for Kids

Here are some tips for children and teenagers to avoid spending more time using cell phones:

• More family time: Take time to be with your child. Family lunches and dinners strengthen bonds, promote dialogue, encourage healthy eating habits and provide valuable social experiences. Early parental interaction is essential for a healthy relationship in the future. Establish this bond from an early age so you can talk about different topics at all stages of life, including adolescence.
• Set limits and schedules: As already discussed, it is important that children understand the limits of using devices with screens. This not only guides them towards healthier entertainment choices, but also promotes responsibility and commitment. Create clear rules, such as allowing cell phone use only from 18pm to 19pm, after schoolwork. Furthermore, turning off devices in the child's room two hours before bedtime promotes an adequate sleep routine.
• Explore traditional games: With the prevalence of technology, children may end up choosing only screen-related activities. Introduce old and fun games, such as hopscotch, marbles, dodgeball and hide and seek, encouraging the diversification of activities. For example, it is essential to warn about strangers on social media and the possible dangers of online challenges.
• Use content blockers and supervision: Prevention is always important. Even if you trust your child's access, enabling kids mode on devices can reduce risks. Furthermore, the use of screens must be supervised, with guidance on online dangers. Although technology is beneficial for learning, excessive use can harm children's development. Balance is key to ensuring a healthy and stimulating environment for children.
• Set an Example: Adults should practice what they preach. If you want to reduce excessive screen use, start at home. Instead of picking up your cell phone for social media, choose healthier activities, such as reading a book, playing board games, cooking, among others.

And you, what did you think of this data? Tell us Comment!

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With information from: Up Worthy, HCM e Sabin.

Reviewed by Eduardo Ariedo: 10/04/2024