How old should children be before they have access to smartphones and social media?

Children’s use of devices and social media is a topic many parents think about.

While 13 is generally the minimum age required to use platforms like Snapchat and YouTube, data shows they are available much earlier.

The US Surgeon General said we don’t have enough evidence to conclude it is safe enough for children.

We spoke with a northeast Ohio family to see how they’re approaching this issue, as well as a longtime local pediatrician, and we spoke with an expert on medicine, society, and culture.

The Spachner family

“Charlotte, who is 8 years old,” said Jessica Spachner, introducing her three children. “David is 5 and Lily is almost 2.”

When they are little, life may seem simple, but as babies grow, life can become more complicated. While we would like to lock away things that could hurt our children, that is not realistic.”

“We started thinking, ‘Wow, we need to look at this,’” she said of smartphones.

Parenthood is a constant risk-benefit analysis, from choosing the best car seat to college.

“I mean, you can still be parents,” she smiled.

Jessica and Peter Spachner turn to research to help guide their decisions, including now as they consider when to give their oldest daughter a smartphone. Studies show that most children get their first phone between the ages of 10 and 13.

“In fact, some of the negative impacts of smartphone use were quite alarming for us. Social media use, specifically,” Jessica said.

The Spachners have made the Wait Until 8th Grade Pledge, a national movement that empowers parents to come together to delay giving kids smartphones until at least the end of 8th grade.

“What we really liked about it was that it was a community-wide thing,” she said.

Other parents in her daughter’s class also made the commitment. Which is important, she said, so that children don’t feel alone or being punished.

Jessica Spachner said it seemed like a reasonable and empowering plan of action.

“Because sometimes it feels like all this stuff on the internet and social media is just happening, and the floodgates are open, and you’re trying to figure out, ‘How do I control some of this? How can I avoid overexposure?’” Spachner said.

Recent developments

There is a lot to consider.

In June, the US Surgeon General called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms. Stating that it is associated with significant harm to adolescent mental health.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine recently signed legislation requiring all school districts to create policies limiting cell phone use.

The governor referenced this year’s best-selling book, The Anxious Generation, by Dr. Jonathan Haidt, which examines the consequences of a phone-based childhood.

A longtime pediatrician

“What’s at stake,” asked South Euclid pediatrician Dr. Shelly Senders of Senders Pediatrics. “I think it’s the future of this generation.”

Senders said The Anxious Generation reflects what he has seen in his practice for years: the adverse effects of smartphones and social media on children’s mental health.

“On a recent day, I might see 25 patients, and 12 to 14 of them come in for anxiety or depression.”

He said his practice continues to treat the mental health needs of patients over the age of twenty due to a shortage of psychiatrists to meet demand.

“We need to be aware of the potential dangers of smartphones and be able to give our children the courage to deal with it at an age where they are able to handle it,” Senders said.

Senders and his team say they are committed to helping families comply with the four new standards outlined in Haidt’s book.

• No smartphones before high school
• No social media before 16
• Schools without telephones
• More independence, freedom of play and responsibility in the real world

“This is an important moment and we shouldn’t screw it up,” Senders said. “It’s an opportunity to really change the world.”

WHAT SHOULD A FATHER DO?

We also spoke with Eileen Anderson, Anne Templeton Zimmerman Medical Professor in Bioethics, Department of Bioethics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

“That’s the question: how can we maximize the benefits and minimize the harm,” Anderson said.

Anderson studies how children adapt to changes in their environments. She is also the mother of three teenagers.

“So this is a subject near and dear to my heart,” she said.

Anderson said a child’s rapidly developing brain is especially vulnerable to dopamine spikes from social media.

She said the addictive nature of the technology, the immediacy and the content they can access are concerns.

“It distracts kids from where they need to be,” she said. “It kind of adds to all the other risks of adolescence.”

She also pointed out the potential benefits of providing a sense of community, belonging and inclusion.

She said more research, especially long-term research, is needed to understand the full impacts and warns parents not to take an all-bad or all-good stance on the issue.

Anderson said there is no one-size-fits-all answer, and right now, it’s parents who have to shoulder the heavy lifting of determining what’s best for their kids, making sure everyone understands the technology, and communicating openly and often about safe use. . .

She emphasized the importance of digital and technological literacy because smartphones and social media will only grow with advancements and use in all aspects of society.

The most important thing, she said, is to talk to your child about what they’re seeing, how to stay safe online, how they’re feeling, and make decisions about their smartphone use in an open, shared dialogue.

“Teenagers want someone to understand,” she said. “They want the people in their lives who love them most to be curious, concerned and care for them. So getting our best information in a way that builds our teen’s ongoing confidence is always number one.”

The Spachner family has something else to consider regarding their daughter. They say she will walk to school.

“So that presents its own challenges when considering a smartphone,” Spachner said.

Maintaining communication for safety will influence your decision, which Spachner said she doesn’t want to be based on fear but on facts, and encouraged parents to research and talk to other families as well when making their decisions.

“Something we heard when researching the Wait Until 8 Pledge really resonated with us and that’s the concept of the smartphone being an experience blocker,” she said. “You know, the more we can get back to a play-based childhood, it’s something we’re passionate about and something we look to do with our own families.”

So what are some options? There are flip phones, smartwatches, and devices that look like a typical smartphone with kid-friendly features but no internet.