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A recent survey shows that UK parents generally think children should wait until they enter secondary school to own a smartphone. This survey, involving 2,000 UK parents and commissioned by Laptops Direct, indicates that 88% of parents believe children should be at least 11 before having a smartphone, while only 12% support younger kids owning one.
When it comes to TVs in children’s bedrooms, most parents feel that kids should be at least 10 years old, though 37% are open to younger children having a TV in their room.
Interestingly, over half of parents worry that a lack of home exposure to technology might put their child at a disadvantage when starting secondary school.
Mark Kelly, a manager at Laptops Direct, acknowledges the challenge parents face in determining the “right age” for children to access gadgets like smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Parents’ hesitation might stem partly from not having similar access themselves during childhood, along with concerns over internet safety and exposure.
Nonetheless, parents understand the educational benefits of supervised access to technology and are advised to use child-friendly settings and safeguards on all devices.
