One of the UK’s biggest mobile phone operators has warned that parents should not give smartphones to primary school children.
The US recommends that parents give children under 11 old-fashioned or “dumb” phones that only allow them to call or text.
“The US recommends that children under 11 use non-smart devices with limited capabilities, such as feature phones, ensuring they can send text messages and make calls, but restricting access to social media or inappropriate content,” the company said.
It is believed to be the first time a UK mobile operator has offered such advice.
The EE guidelines on smartphones come as parents prepare for the start of the new school year, a time when they tend to be under increased pressure to buy their children a mobile phone.
Nine out of ten children own a mobile phone by the time they turn 11. Meanwhile, although most social media platforms require users to be 13 or older, 60% of children aged eight to 12 who use them are registered with their own profile. According to Ofcom.
The telecoms regulator’s report also found that three in five secondary school-aged children had been contacted online in a way that “potentially made them feel uncomfortable”.
In May this year, MPs on the education committee urged the government to consider a blanket ban on smartphones for under-16s and a legal ban on mobile phone use in schools as part of a crackdown on children’s screen time.
Robin Walker, then the Conservative chairman of the committee, said excessive use of screens and smartphones had a “clear negative impact” on the wellbeing of children and young people.
For children aged 11 to 13, the US also recommended that if a smartphone is to be used, the device should have “parental controls enabled, as well as a family sharing app such as Google Family Link or Apple Family Sharing, while restricting access to social media.”
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Its guidance for 13- to 16-year-olds suggested that smartphones were appropriate, but parental controls should be used to manage and restrict children’s access to inappropriate sites, content and platforms.
Carolyn Bunting, chief executive of child safety group Internet Matters, said: “Our recent research showed that parents want to make their own decisions about their children’s use of technology, but that many would appreciate guidance to help them do so.”