How Young is Too Young for an iPhone?

By Sandalie Gamage

Many younger children today have some sort of electronic device. Studies have shown that 38 percent of children under the age of 2 have used iPhones, tablets, and Kindles. Younger children should not be using technology so early.

Babies using technology might get addicted to using electronic devices. Older children, mostly teens, spend a lot of time in their daily lives on their phones. If young children were to do that too, they’d be spending a lot of time indoors.

Social media is also very dangerous for younger children, for example, elementary school kids. They don’t know the consequences of some things yet, and social media can make them even more vulnerable to bad things. Younger kids might unintentionally expose themselves to bad people.

However, some kids in elementary school need a phone to contact their parents in case of an emergency. Although, in emergencies, the kids can always use the school phone or have the school contact their parents for them. Though elementary school kids have a reason to have a phone, younger children, such as toddlers, really don’t.

In conclusion, younger kids should not have a phone, unless they need one for school. Even the one for school should not be a smartphone. Kids shouldn’t have an actual smartphone, like an iPhone or a Samsung, unless they are fully aware of the dangers of social media and until the kids are responsible and mature enough.