Children and access to technology

It's undeniable that today's babies are already digital natives. Even before they open their eyes, their first moments of life are recorded on a smartphone, and they will most likely perceive the discomfort of a flash of light before a ray of sunlight.

There are numerous studies and articles that point to the problem of children having access to cell phones, tablets, or television too early. The discussion on this topic is always sensitive and inconsistent: often, those who are not yet parents criticize those who allow access to screens too early, and then, after becoming parents, the situation changes completely.

The opposite is also true, and the truth is that there are also advocates for children's free access to digital media because that is, after all, the world in which they exist. They were born and will grow up surrounded by digital channels and screen stimuli, whether inside the walls of their home or outside of it.

The utopia of total digital ban

A study released in 2019 indicates that more than 80% of babies have a digital presence before 6 months of age through the sharing of photos/videos of themselves by their parents, primarily on social media. This involuntary online presence has been termed " Sharenting ," a term naturally derived from the expressions "parenting" and "sharing."

Parents are, in fact, the first to hand cell phones to children, and data shows that they are learning how to use a smartphone at increasingly younger ages. How many times have we witnessed, and melted with emotion, babies who already know how to swipe on a phone or, in common slang, use their finger to scroll through photos and videos?

And these babies won't need to grow up so much to have a device similar to their parents'. It starts as one of their favorite toys – toy phones – and by around age 5, some Portuguese children already have real phones.

Readers in their 30s will most likely remember getting their first phone around the age of 14 or 15. Nowadays, smartphones are starting to be "demanded" by children even before they turn 10.

Thus begins, at an increasingly early age, the propensity for technological dependence that is common among young people who see their smartphone as their best friend. In the worst-case scenario, it can replace interpersonal relationships and contribute to the social isolation of children.

What is the weight, count, and measure?

As with virtually every aspect of a child's education, there is no magic formula for this topic either. Each parent will know best when their child should have a smartphone, as well as whether they want them to have access to this and other types of screens from infancy.

Smartphones or smart TVs often act as veritable babysitters, and it's easy to see how tempting this can be for a parent who's just trying to finish a particular work or household task. There are also few strategies as effective as this for keeping kids quiet in restaurants or similar situations.

On the other hand, the apathy of children who are "glued" to screens is also obvious. As long as it is available, the child will certainly be in a dormant state in relation to the world around them (including the people around them, who are, most of the time, family). Over time, these behaviors can affect family relationships and limit children's creativity and proactivity.

However, if this time is well controlled and limited, and the content provided is educational and interactive, exposure to digital channels can also be positive! How many people don't remember learning some English words by watching Cartoon Network? Or learning about the solar system or the human body with educational episodes, songs, and other irresistible illustrations?

In conclusion, you can read thousands of articles about the right age to have a cell phone , about the benefits or harms of cell phones (and access to technology in general) for children, or even about more specific problems such as the danger of cell phone radiation to children's brains.

Ultimately, only parents will know how best to grant or deny access to digital content to their babies or children. It's not an easy issue to manage, is it? But each family will know their own needs, possibilities, beliefs, and educational principles to know how to act on this subject, and they shouldn't be criticized for it.