In the last decade, a lot has changed. The first iPhone came out in 2007 and the iPhone 8 is now in the making. That is 12 new iPhones over the last 10 years. Over 1.8 billion people own or use smartphones on a daily basis and check their screens about 150 times a day. PyschCentral did a study in Britain on children and parents who own a smartphone. The research showed 56 per cent of children between the ages of 10-13 own their own smartphone and 25 per cent of children between the ages of 2-5 also own a smartphone.
Having technology at a young age can ruin childhoods because using a smartphone for 
entertainment means children are not only losing relationships with parents, they have a greater risk of being cyberbullied and have a higher risk of obesity.
Technology is taking over childhoods and parents are to blame.
It is important for parents to know the effects a smartphone can have on childhood. Children are not getting the face-to-face interactions they need to gain knowledge and learn. If children rely on a smartphone for everything, it will be hard for them to learn in any type of atmosphere. This includes making decisions, developing visual acuity and multitasking.
Parents are missing the big picture when it comes to their children having a smartphone. Although technology occupies children they need to have imagination and also need to be able to go outside and play. These parents are the first generation parents in the age of iEverything.
The relationships between parents and their children start to lessen because there is a smartphone in the way. There is less bonding going on between parents and children, although parents can play with their children on their smartphones for a way to bond. But that doesn’t teach a child how to use a smartphone responsibly.
Children with smartphones can have a greater risk of being cyber bullied or being the bully. Technology is making it hard for children to communicate to other children and building friendships because they are stuck behind a screen. This affects a child’s self-worth. Self-worth is not determined by how many likes, shares or retweets one gets on something but rather how one thinks of themselves and loves themselves.
Soon enough we are going to turn into the people in the movie Wall-E. The humans live on a ship and are all fat and living in chairs. Those chairs have a screen in front of them so they can talk to people and watch TV. Also, their food supply is provided in cups. Without children going outside to play because they are too occupied on a smartphone, children run the risk of becoming obese. Basketballs, bicycles, and baby dolls are now replaced with tablets and smartphones.
Technology is just going to develop more and more over the years but children shouldn’t have to deal with the side effects at such a young age. Technology has invaded and occupied our lives and it isn’t leaving anytime soon. It’s not a bad thing to have technology around a child but it should be introduced at an age when kids can self-regulate.
The best way to solve this problem is to not give your child a smartphone at a young age. Rather than denying your child something, not giving a cell phone will help prevent bullying behind a screen, build a bond between parents and children. As a result, children will grow and learn with an imagination of their own.
