Are 13-year-olds too young to have smartphones? Julia Von Weiler, a German government adviser leading a nonprofit organization called Innocence in Danger, aimed at protecting students from the “dark side of the Internet,” believes so. She stated that children under 14 years old should not be allowed to use smartphones in multiple interviews from the Funke media group. She is mainly concerned about sexually explicit content, amongst other worries, such as the effect of technology on the youth’s education, mental health and social skills. Von Weiler’s proposal came quickly after France passed legislation restricting young students from taking their smartphones and tablets with them to school. Those that enacted such protocols did it in an attempt to protect the integrity of the classroom and deter addictive habits.
Let’s debunk her argument— she is attempting to fight a system rather than adapt to it. It is not realistic to limit smartphones to those under 14. Speaking as a product of the technology era, growing up attuned to the latest devices has had its benefits, although the negatives are always highlighted. Let’s face it, the job market is shifting every five to 10 years, and students are studying for careers that don’t even exist yet. It’s no longer realistic to expect to remain at the same company for 30+ years. This is, in part, due to the rapidly changing development in information technology. Having experienced the dramatic shifts in technology, it has better prepared me for the real world because I can adapt and it won’t take me nearly as long to learn a new software compared to my parents.
This is good. In order to be successful in the future, young people have to be adept with technology. Barring those under 14 will only hurt them in the long run.
It must be acknowledged that various precautions have been put into place to protect children from the ugly side of the internet. The iPhone and iPad have specific settings to limit what children can and cannot see. A multitude of options will pop up, giving the guardian the ability to allow or block certain apps, photos, location services, media, Bluetooth sharing and many more. It is possible for children to have smartphones and be safe.
Furthermore, all of the responsibility lays in the parents, not the government. A parent should be able to gauge the capability and maturity of their child and adjust accordingly. Beyond that, kids are growing up in an era of technology, and they should be encouraged to delve into technology—the trick is doing so correctly. Understandably, smartphones should not be used in the classroom so children can focus, and screen time can be monitored to see how much time is spent on nonproductive sites/apps like social media and entertainment websites. Common knowledge, such as never sharing personal information, avoiding non-secure networks and ignoring any “free” giveaways should be enforced as well.
The focus should be on teaching children the safest and most efficient ways to use technology so it doesn’t become an enemy but an asset.
