The mobile is one of the things that children who arrive at a certain age ask for, including one of the star gifts for first communion. The purchase of the first mobile It does not have to be a priority, but still parents usually give in to their pleas and social pressure and end up buying them a smartphone, sometimes sooner than common sense.
This is stated by Jorge Flores, director of Friendly Screens, an initiative for the healthy use of ICTs in childhood and adolescence.
Explain that each child and each family are different and we must take into account characteristics such as the maturity of the child or the time available to parents to teach them proper use of the telephone. In any case, “Our children should not have a mobile before age 12”.
What should we consider parents?
According to the ICT expert in childhood, we receive many social pressures of the type: "That's how I have you located," "all my friends have it and only I remain disconnected."
But he clarifies that they should not be taken into account:
"The time to put a mobile in the hands of our son will come after assessing the potential risks and benefits that this technological device brings, and after asking ourselves the question: what will he use it for and what responsibilities do we assume when buying it?"
And since not all children are equal, when are parents prepared and willing to devote enough time to their supervision? Because, Jorge Flores explains:
"It's not just about buying it, but about accompanying our son in the proper use of the phone until he is self-sufficient."And for this to be possible, the director of Friendly Screens aims as a strategy, to negotiate the condition of that device so coveted by the child: "I leave it for you to use, but it is not yours". Ensures that:
"Negotiations on time of use and permitted applications will be easier, since the mobile is ours and we can recover it when our child does not make good use of it."
The ideal age to have your first mobile, according to the Anar Foundation, it's 15 years, "To avoid, also, that there are more cases of bullying or sexting, since the maturity of the child will be greater and will have a more developed cognitive system."
But they also clarify that it depends on the needs and family circumstances of the child and the family.
Hence the director of Friendly Screens talk about 12 years minimum age, because it fits more to reality.
In XatakaBuy a mobile phone for a child: at what age to give a smartphone and recommended models Measures to make good use of the mobile
1. Support them, inform them, but do not spy on them
"As with everything in your life (outings with your friends, for example) you have to let go of the umbilical cord, giving them autonomy to use the phone gradually, as we observe that they have enough maturity to use it without our supervision.
It is the opinion of Jorge Flores. And adds:
"As long as they don't have our absolute confidence, parental control apps and programs can be very useful."They will help us limit the hours in which you can connect to the Internet, the time of use and the apps and web addresses you access.
In Babies and more The best seven parental control applications to protect children on the InternetAnd in a digital environment where everything evolves so fast, parents must also inform us of the news that comes up in ICT to help our children.
2. Telephone without mobile data
If you have to return only from school or we do not have a home phone, our son has a telephone can provide security, says the director of Friendly Screens: "That does not imply that you have to have a smartphone or Internet rate before the age of 12."
3. Lead by example
We cannot ask our son to make rational use of the mobile if he sees us constantly with ours in his hand. The ICT expert explains:
"Imagine that he will think if he is telling us something and we are still whatsapping, without looking at him. We have to leave the phone aside and look him in the eyes if we want that when we say: 'Leave the phone and look at me' react the same and answer us adequately"
4. Promote disconnection times
We have to show you that it is not necessary to always be connected. We can start by turning off or mute mobiles during lunch and dinner, for example. Or from 10 at night, when you have to go to bed.
They are advice from Jorge Flores who also prohibits sleeping with his cell phone. The use of screens in the dark is discouraged for the eyes and also interfere with sleep and cause insomnia.
5. Make them aware of their actions
The expert in childhood and adolescence encourages us to ask our children type questions: “Have you noticed how long you have been with your mobile? Do you know how long you've been staring at the screen? "
He explains that smartphones operating systems already have built-in functions that tell us how long we have been browsing, to see it:
"The child must understand that much is bad: for the eyes, the cervical, a sedentary lifestyle, and even less cognitive development."
In Babies and more, thinking about buying your first mobile? 13 things you should know before putting one in your hands 6. Encourage them to make a varied use of the smartphone The Anar Foundation also warns that excessive use of mobile phones can affect school performance. If they are doing any academic task and have the mobile in front, they constantly receive stimuli that hinder concentration.
In France, its use in classrooms is prohibited from this course.
Therefore, in addition to limiting the hours of use, we must ensure that it carries out different activities with it: not only watch videos, chat or play a single video game. Thus, at least, it will develop different capacities.
7. Promote other alternatives, other than mobile use
It is comfortable for parents to use their cell phones, because they are entertaining and do not bother us. On the screen they have everything they need, but it is good that they get bored to develop their creativity.
Even a report by Eu Kids online about the use of mobile phones in minors, said that The percentage of teenagers who get bored without an Internet connection has tripled in recent years.
"They have to play other things, do outdoor sports, get bored to return to pre-mobile activities."
It is the conclusion of Jorge Flores, director of Friendly Screens, and we also share it.
Photos | iStock
