While the safe age for smartphones may vary from family to family, Bill Gates' perspective comes from someone with a big vision for the world of technology that people look up to. In the interview, Bill Gates revealed some of the standards he maintains with his three children when it comes to technology.
According to billionaire Bill Gates, the most suitable age for children to use smartphones is 14.
For one thing, none of them could buy a phone before they turned 14. Now, the three kids are 20, 17, and 14. But even with smartphone ownership, two other rules apply. His kids can’t bring their smartphones to the dinner table, and they can’t use them for homework or studying. Plus, they’re forbidden from having any Apple products in the house.
While Bill Gates and other parents have set a specific age for their children to use smartphones, others point out that there's more to consider than just age. For example, James P. Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that reviews content and products for families, says he has strict rules about this with his own children, but also takes other things into account. "No two kids are the same, and there's no magic number," he explains. "A child's age isn't as important as their level of responsibility or maturity."
When should children use smartphones?
In a recent issue, PBS Kids for Parents listed a number of questions that parents or guardians can ask themselves before deciding to buy a smartphone for their child. These include:
- Do children "need" exposure for safety reasons?
- Do they understand the concept of app download and minute limits?
- Can they make sure not to text in class, interrupt others' conversations, and use text, photo, and video features responsibly?
- Do they really need a smartphone that is also a music player, a portable music player and movie viewer?
- Do they need something that provides location information to their friends (and possibly some strangers) as some of the new apps these days require?
Despite the various precautions, experts point out that the most important thing is to maintain a dialogue with children and impose healthy limits on smartphone usage. For young children, users are also provided with parental control applications to protect them from online threats.
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