We live in quite a different world today than we did 20, 30, 40 years ago. It’s even a different world than it was 10 years ago. There are so many more dangers for kids, and one of them is smartphones. A mobile network in the UK has laid out guidance for the age children should be to use a smartphone.
EE Lays Out Age-Appropriate Smartphone Use Rules
While you would think that a mobile network would want to put smartphones in as many hands as possible, EE is offering age guidance for smartphones and its services. Though, truth be told, there really isn’t any age group suggested to not have a phone of some type.
EE stated in a blog post that the children’s smartphone usage guidance comes on the heels of parental concerns about several issues related to smartphones, including screen time, online safety, and children’s well-being.
The guidance is broken down among age groups of children, including 13- to 16-year-olds, 11- to 13-year-olds, and those under 11.
EE’s recommendation is that children under 11 should not be using smartphones or any other smart devices and that the phones they use should have limited capabilities. They should be allowed to make and receive calls and text messages, but social media should be restricted.
For children 11 to 13, if they have a smartphone, parental controls should be enabled. A family-sharing app should be used as well, but social media access should again be restricted. If your child likes social media, learn how to set up parental controls for TikTok.
EE believes smartphones are appropriate for 13- to 16-year-olds, but parental controls should again be used to manage and restrict access to inappropriate content. While media access can be allowed, it should be connected to your account.
To go along with the guidance, EE enhanced its PhoneSmart platform with new content and models for parents that provides guidance on teaching their children to be “safe and kind online.” EE is also launching a school campaign to educate kids.
The Need for New Guidance
Again, we live in quite a different world today. We need this guidance. While we have always had bullies, now it’s much easier to bully someone. You can do it from the safety of your own home or homeroom. So we need guidance to keep kids safe, to ensure kids aren’t bullied to the point of doing something drastic.
It was different when I was raising my kids. They are now 28 and 31, but when they had their first phones at 12, life was different. The only social media when my son got his phone was MySpace. Back then, we had flipphones without QWERTY keyboards, so it was much harder to text someone.
My son got his flipphone, and there were strict rules for its use. Yet, he still secretly created a MySpace account on the computer – in fact, several. I was always chasing it. By the time my daughter got her phone, I was older and wiser. I didn’t allow her to have a Facebook account without me knowing the login information.
I didn’t necessarily need the guidance of a mobile network to decide how my children should use their phones, but with all the bullying and other difficulties, there are definitely some parents who do need that guidance. EE is filling a need, but it does make you question whether they’re just trying to sell their service and devices.
If you’re looking for a good phone for your kids, check out this list.
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