Ee Jay shares that it is typically not recommended to give kids aged 12 and under a device.
Of course, you might argue that schools these days require the use of technology for education. But your child needs to understand that the device is for the purpose of communication and studies, and not entertainment.
For example, one helpful way is to set up parental controls on the device you give to them, especially for entertainment apps such as games, YouTube, and the Internet browser.
This way, if the child wants to access these apps, they will need to ask you for access.
Ee Jay elaborates, “Access to entertainment apps should be given only with your permission. The device given to your child should be seen as a loan instead of belonging completely to your child. And you should have full view of your child’s usage on the device.”
With your child’s mind still developing, it is critical that we take active efforts to curb device use. “The online space is filled with a mix of good and bad content, and your child does not yet have the maturity and knowledge to keep themselves safe.”
This is reinforced through global guidelines. We see that almost all online activities and platforms do not allow users below 13 to set up an account.
Another way is to learn from the technology entrepreneurs who invented these devices.
In late 2010, Steve Jobs revealed to New York Times journalist Nick Bilton that his children had never used the iPad.
Jobs explained, “We limit how much technology our kids use in the home.”
Chris Anderson, the former editor of Wired, enforced strict time limits on every device in his home, and refused to allow his children to use screens in their bedrooms.
But what happens when the child grows older? Are such limits still necessary?