Sooner or later, every mother thinks about whether it’s time to buy a mobile for her child. It is not uncommon to see a 2-3-year-old kid who, with a businesslike air, clicks on the photo of his parent’s smartphone. Moreover, the child does not just move his finger across the screen, but consciously clicks on the necessary icons. Of course, the child wants him to have the same toy.
The phone should not become a means of self-affirmation for the student
Many parents believe that if you are going to buy a mobile phone, then it is expensive, beautiful, in general, the best. This opinion can often be found on women’s forums, where mothers discuss which phone to choose for a child – the simplest push-button or sophisticated smartphone. An expensive mobile phone is bought most often so that the child does not feel deprived in comparison with his peers. And children can ask for a specific model. As a result, parents buy what they want, sometimes even to the detriment of the family budget. But is it worth it to follow the lead of your complexes? A child’s appetite can grow with the advent of new models, and can you keep up with them? A telephone for a first grader is just a means of communication with relatives. A gadget for middle and high school students is surfing the Internet and virtual communication. But at the same time, any technique should not be a means of self-affirmation. All stories about the fact that without a phone of the latest model the child will be in the collective “black sheep” are far-fetched. If a child gives in to his peers, then even the most sophisticated gadget does not raise his reputation for a long time. But the leader will have no problems with even the simplest phone.
If you don’t let go of the phone, your child will do the same.
Most of us met the emergence of mobile communication as adults, so it did not provide any problem for the psyche. In addition, we used the usual “dialers”, and besides, very moderately: mobile communications were not cheap. The telephone was exclusively a means of communication. Our children need not only call and SMS functions, but a camera, instant messengers, games and the Internet. It is easier to write on a social network than to meet in person, and downloading a new application is more interesting than reading something in a textbook. The same mothers who asked on the forums what mobile phone to buy for a child, then scribble in the topics: “The son does not come off the smartphone, what should I do?” Phone addiction arises mainly for two reasons: parental inattention and too much free time. Children often copy the behavior of their parents, and if the child sees that the mother, instead of paying attention to him, is immersed in correspondence, and the father plays “dances” until the morning, then he will behave in the same way with a clear conscience. Therefore, before blaming gadgets for everything, think about what example you set for your child. If the student has nothing to do but spend time with the phone in his hands, find an interesting activity for him, a hobby.
Explain the rules for using the phone to your child
If you buy your child the first phone in his life, first of all explain that the phone is not a toy and every call and SMS costs money. Explain to your child that you cannot call advertised phones and answer messages and calls from unfamiliar numbers.
Telecom operators have tariffs for children, by connecting which you can get rid of SMS spam, prohibit calls to short numbers, and also place restrictions on the child’s access to most unwanted Internet sites. It is also necessary to disable the ability to transfer money from the child’s phone account to another account. It is best to choose a debit tariff, which does not allow “to go into the red”, but at the same time with the ability to receive incoming calls with a zero balance.
The younger the child, the less time he should spend with the phone.
A mobile phone is not only a means of communication, but also a device with high frequency electromagnetic radiation. Russian sanitary rules and regulations recommend limiting the use of mobile phones for persons under 18 years of age. And this is no coincidence, because the current safety standards for mobile phones are designed for an adult and do not take into account the characteristics of a child’s body. The child’s head absorbs significantly more electromagnetic energy, and the body is more sensitive to the electromagnetic field. The reasons for this are that the brain tissue of children has a higher conductivity, the child’s head is smaller, the skull bones are thinner, and the distance from the head to the antenna is much shorter than that of an adult. So the constant use of the phone can threaten weakened memory, decreased attention, irritability, sleep disturbances, as well as more serious consequences. Therefore, it is advisable to immediately teach the child to use the phone only when necessary, no more than 1,5 hours a day, and not to bring the mobile close to the ear. It is especially harmful to press the phone to the shoulder: in addition to the harm from electromagnetic radiation, it also spoils your posture.