Do kids and smartphones mix well?

Modern technology continues to transform our lives in many ways, positively or negatively. It has made our lives easier, but on the other hand it complicates the situation of children whose parents allow them unfettered access.  Mrs. Tonia Eze, during a lecture recently held in Abuja narrated, “My 13-year-old daughter is requesting for a smartphone […]

Modern technology continues to transform our lives in many ways, positively or negatively. It has made our lives easier, but on the other hand it complicates the situation of children whose parents allow them unfettered access.  
Mrs. Tonia Eze, during a lecture recently held in Abuja narrated, “My 13-year-old daughter is requesting for a smartphone because almost all her friends have one. She isn’t just asking for any, but a Blackberry or Samsung S6. In my opinion, she doesn’t need one but she feels I’m being too rigid. Should a youngster be using a smartphone?”
Agnes Okorafor, 35, is a banker. “My 10-year-old boy uses an i-pad and I will get him a smartphone for his 12th birthday. I don’t see anything wrong in a young boy using a smartphone. As long as you can afford it, get it for her so she won’t be too desperate to look for other means to get it. We are in a digital world. Parents need to understand that and allow their children catch up.”
Olasukunmi Daniel, 36, is a teacher. “If you can afford it, get her one, but you must make sure it doesn’t distract from her studies and other chores. If you can’t control on the use, wait for a while, let her earn it by her good conduct or academic performance. I got my son a Blackberry only when he passed his WAEC finals. Don’t allow her to put you under pressure to get whatever she wants because her friends have it. Caution her to stop comparing herself with friends and let her know the negative sides of peer pressure.”
Another teacher, Bode Akinola, 40 year old suggests that a laptop will be better than a phone. “Instead of a phone, a laptop would be better, where she can at least use it to perfect skills on word processing and others. She will be better off with it instead of a phone where she will be easily distracted with chats and calls which won’t really do her any good educationally and morally. I am a teacher and know what I am talking about. You will be amazed at the kind of things children do and watch with their phones these days. There is need for parents to take time out to educate their children on the dangers of modern tech.  If you must get her a phone it shouldn’t be internet enabled. What these kids do with smart.”
Hadiza Adamu Musa, a 39-year-old social worker, says monitoring is the watch word. “If a phone must be given to her, then she should be properly monitored to know what kind of conversation and friends she chats with. This shouldn’t be considered as a matter of privacy and all that trash as long as she is under her parents’ roof. These steps should be taken not because we intend to be dictating parents, but because we want our children to turn out to be responsible adults.”
Pastor Mrs. Chika Emma, a guidance counsellor, said: “It’s not a bad idea for her to want a phone but the idea of getting one because her friends do isn’t a great one. Secondly, of what benefit is the smartphone to her studies for now? Back in our days, we studied without all these gadgets and still made remarkable results. Let her know that as soon as she is through with her secondary school education, she will be given a phone of her choice; meanwhile her friends can reach her through her parents’ phones.”
“As parents, we ought to be concerned about the impact that modern technology has on children. At a time when it is becoming commonplace for kids to have their own mobile device, shouldn’t we be worried about the negative impact of these technologies, especially the smartphone, which is the most-used gadget among teens. This technology is a clear distraction to them and should be discouraged,” Mrs. Chika concluded.