“Hey daddy, when can I get a cell phone?” “. Eternal question since the appearance of mobile phones and especially since they are connected. Between campaigns on screen time harmful to health and risks, parents no longer know what rules to put in place.

Should we wait until high school, at the risk that your child will be excluded from his network of friends who continues after school to discuss and change homework thanks to the networks or, on the contrary, offer him one so that he gets used to? and lively with the times?

Children build themselves by mimicry and babies are used to seeing their parents use this funny box and have it regularly to their ears to speak. They were born with it. The temptation to give them their cell phone to watch a cartoon or play a game is great for parents who want a little respite after an exhausting day at work or in the doctor’s waiting room, for example.

The risk of screens

But screens are a real drug for the youngest, who can quickly become addicted to the phone screen. Many pediatricians are sounding the alarm as they see more and more children with behavioral problems or developmental delays.

The screens do not allow the child to discover the world, to use his senses, to test his body and its possibilities. He remains passive when he needs to be in the action. To touch, to do, to go to meet the other.

For young children, kindergarten-primary, the telephone is therefore not recommended and will have several impacts.

Brain Development and Learning Fundamental Skills

Children who are overexposed to screens are more likely to suffer from language delay than others. A recent study conducted by Quebec and American researchers has shown the long-term impact of significant exposure to screens in the first years of life.

This study showed that each additional hour spent in front of the television by a toddler reduced his academic performance at the age of 10: less interest in school, less ability in mathematics. This early overexposure also led to less autonomy, less perseverance and more difficult social integration, in particular with an increased risk of suffering exclusion from classmates.

Attention and concentration skills

This is true even if the child is in a room with the television on without watching it.

Children’s well-being and balance

According to a survey carried out by Public Health England (UK Department of Health), children who spend too much time in front of screens (television, computer, console or mobile phone) are less happy, more anxious and more depressed than children. others. Beyond four hours a day, the risk of experiencing emotional problems and poor self-esteem would in particular be considerably increased.

The health

Overuse of screens helps reduce the time spent on physical activities and may promote the tendency to snack. The conjunction of the two can then lead to weight gain.

In France, the average age of the first cell phone is around 11 years old, according to Médiamétrie. This purchase corresponds to the entry to college and this seems to be the right period when this tool becomes useful in the family and friendly environment.

It allows to :

• To call ;
• send messages;
• to stay in touch;

The main reason given by parents is that it makes it possible to join in an emergency and to facilitate appointments at the end of an activity.

Autonomy under surveillance

On the other hand, one thing must be clear: the mobile phone is not, and does not replace a toy or an activity.

As the addictologist Laurent Karila specifies, in the columns of the World, the use of the laptop at this age must still be under adult supervision. Without demonizing this technology, however, we must be aware that it was created, as well as social networks, to make users ever more addicted.

“The goal is to play on the desire for social acceptance and to exploit the fear of rejection to make the smartphone a kind of virtual blanket, a self-prescribed drug” as explained Laurent Karila.

Example with the like race on Instagram or with Snapchat and its system of flames to be maintained every day in its exchanges, a sort of virtual reward for having spent enough time on the application. An “invasive” option according to researcher Sophie Jehel, lecturer at Paris 8 in information sciences.

According to the digital barometer, established by Arcep, the communications regulatory authority, 93% of 12-17 year olds had a mobile phone in 2016, compared to 72% in 2005.

The CNIL also carried out a survey, in June 2017, 63% of 11-14 year olds were registered on at least one social network.

According to the same survey, YouTube is the first social network frequented by 13-19 year olds. Thus, 79% have an account there. They are 77% on Facebook and 57% on Snapchat.

According to an OpinionWay poll conducted for Xooloo in 2016, 77% of parents have tried to regulate their children’s smartphone use. Thus, 19% say they have already threatened to permanently confiscate the device, while 20% have considered or are using parental control software.