Dr Richard Anderson, head of learning and development at the safeguarding specialists, High Speed Training, explains the benefits of ‘dumb phones’ for children:
“So called ‘dumb phones’, such as the recently released Barbie phone, are seeing a rise in popularity with parents. One of the main reasons for this is that they offer parents the ability to stay in contact with their kids in case of emergency, but reduce the risk of children accessing inappropriate sites, including social media, and reducing screen time.
“For all the benefits of smartphones, there is a strong argument that they put too much unnecessary and unsuitable information at children’s fingertips from an early age. Parents can choose not to give their child a smartphone until a certain age, or restrict its usage, but they will often face pressure from the child to get one earlier. This stems from reasons such as peer pressure, feeling left out of virtual conversations, and needing a way to contact parents. Smartphones also present a distraction in the classroom. From social media to mobile games, there are multiple ways that a smartphone can disrupt a child’s learning, as well as causing disruption for those around them. In this respect, dumb phones offer a great alternative.
“Dumb phones allow parents to more easily restrict access to social media and other age inappropriate sites. They are also likely to reduce the risk of cyberbullying, thanks to the more limited ways for children to contact each other, and help to reduce distractions in the classroom.
“These phones also allow parents to reduce access to addictive and distracting games and social media sites, which means that there will be less incentive for children to spend time on their phones, cutting down on screen time and encouraging them to entertain themselves in different ways away from their phone. Exploring creative ways of entertaining yourself is a vital component of child development, and easy access to the instant gratification of social media sites such as TikTok means that the development of many children in this area is at risk of being stunted.”
For more information on High Speed Training and their safeguarding courses, visit: https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/courses/safeguarding/
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