Does your kid need a smartphone?

By Las Vegas Sun Staff (contact)

Monday, Jan. 30, 2017 | 2 a.m.

Technology is ubiquitous, with screens everywhere you turn — in homes, in schools, in cars. Devices can make parenting easier, as can attest any mother or father who has traveled long distances or sat in a waiting room with an antsy child.

But technology also complicates parenting. How much screen time is too much? When should I buy my child a phone? And what sort of oversight should parents maintain?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently weighed in on the conversation with new guidelines regarding children and media. The bottom line: There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to healthy media use. Rather, parents must consider their child’s developmental stage and develop an appropriate, balanced plan for media time.

Changing recommendations

In October, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its recommendations about media use for children and teens, moving away from setting specific age and time limits. Instead, the academy prioritizes physical activity and sleep:

• At least one hour of physical activity per day

• 8-12 hours of sleep per night

It also urges parents to take an active role in their children’s media use, watching programs with younger children and speaking with teens about potential dangers.

Phones for teens

Require that cellphones be kept in the glove box or silenced while your child is driving so incoming messages aren’t a distraction.

Phones for younger children

There’s no standard age that’s best to buy a child a smartphone, experts say. Rather, parents must consider their family’s circumstances and their child’s maturity level. Does your child exhibit a sense of responsibility? Does he often lose things? Does she need to be in touch for safety reasons? Experts agree that the longer you can wait to give a child unfettered access to a smartphone, the better. Many cite age 12 or 14 as a minimum. In the meantime, they say, if a younger child needs a means of communication, opt for a dumbed-down cell phone that can only send text messages and place and receive calls.

Computer and tablet guidelines for all children

• Keep computers in a central location in your home. Keep devices out of children’s bedrooms.

• Avoid exposure to screens for one hour before bedtime.

• Designate media-free times (for example, dinner or homework time) and media-free locations (such as the kitchen table).

• Set ground rules and enforce consequences for misuse.

• Have ongoing conversations about online citizenship and safety, including treating others with respect, the dangers of cyberbullying and sexting, being wary of online solicitations, and avoiding communications that compromise privacy.

• Monitor your child’s Internet and social media use with programs such as Net Nanny, Social Shield or PureSight PC. Use My Mobile Watchdog or uKnowKids to monitor your child’s cellphone. Explain to your children that one of the conditions of having a device is that you have full access to their online life.

• Ensure that your child’s privacy settings are set to the strictest levels. Talk to your children about the dangers of posting photos or information that include details about where they live, go to school or work.