Preserve your child’s health
If you want your child to have a phone although want to reduce any possible risk, experts suggest limiting your child’s cell phone use and requiring your child to utilize hands-free devices as an alternative to putting the phone directly to their ear. Also, because cell phones emit heat, adults and children both should keep cell phones in a backpack, purse or other holder and not in a pocket.
Guard your child’s mind
Check out your school system’s website or call the principal of your child’s school before you send the cell in your child’s backpack. Talk to your child about why paying attention in class is important and when they can use their phones without being disrespectful. You might even consider not allowing them to have their phone at school, to avoid the temptations it offers. At home, consider limiting cell phone use to certain hours of the day, only after homework is done or only in certain rooms of the house. As a family, you may want to create an agreement that everyone will put down their phones for some amount of time each day and interact with each other, face-to-face.
If you decide to get your child a cell phone, think about keeping it out of the bedroom at bedtime. You may also want to consider limiting use in the hour before you want your child to be asleep. There is a growing body of evidence showing a strong association between nighttime technology use and insomnia and daytime sleepiness. Dr Steiner-Adair interviewed more than a thousand children and realized that they are just as discouraged by their parents’ excessive utilization of technology as parents are with their kids. She offers motivation for putting down the devices and tips for how to make it a habit.
Cancer concerns
Fear that cell phones may cause cancer rises up every few years. Experts explain that cell phones emit non-ionizing radiation, a low-energy form of radiation that has not been definitely shown to increase cancer risk. Several other organizations have so far, also not shown any conclusive link between cell phone use and cancers, even for kids.
Driving issues
If your child is a driver, you are probably already pretty nervous about their time behind the wheel. A research done by a nonprofit organization for drivers showed that teen drivers have the highest rate of crashes in the United States. A related study in 2015 found that distractions from passengers and cell phones were the top causes of teen accidents.
Issues about paying attention to duties
Cell phones can be a distraction that is hard for anyone to resist including adults. Researchers at Florida State University found that even silent vibrating notifications from your phone can interrupt your ability to focus on the task at hand. Teachers have complained about cell phones for years and as a result, nearly all schools in Nigeria and many other countries do not allow cell phones in the classroom and others allow them only on a limited basis. In New York City, students sometimes have to pay to check their phone while they are at school.
Safeguard your child’s body and reputation
Doctors suggest that, first and foremost, you learn how to use social media yourself. You will also have to take a deep breath and talk to your child openly about the risks of the internet and social media. Explain to your child that some people use the internet for make-believe, pretending to be friendly or even pretending to be teens. Make sure your child knows they should only give specific information out online if they know the person they are speaking to in the offline world as well. And tell them to never, ever send anyone personal photos that they wouldn’t want you to see. Be clear about the long term nature of information on the internet and remind them that a mean comment they make about a friend on facebook will still be there in 10 years.
Additionally, make sure you and your kids understand that information isn’t just what we purposely write on someone’s instagram photo. We also leave behind all sorts of digital breadcrumbs, like our location or credit card numbers, so it is best to make caution your guide.
Issue about personal safety
Cell phones offer access to the internet and social media and both offer your child access to people around the world. Some kids find creative outlets, other kids with similar interests, and support when they are feeling lonely. Unfortunately, some kids learn there are people out there that will exploit them. Predators come in many different packages, from peers who bully each other into sharing sexually explicit photos, to adults who prey on naïve children, to radical groups looking for new recruits.
The takeaway
Research has not shown any direct link between cell phones and cancer risks. However, researchers have found a link between cell phones, distracted driving and accidents caused by teen drivers. The impact of cell phones on anyone’s ability to concentrate is something to think about before permitting your child to have it. Ensure that your child is informally educated on how to own and use a cell phone safely. Safety should be the watch word.