Unsurprisingly, many children want them too, but here we are much less sure of the benefits they bring. Many parents worry they are addictive and expo

The debate: Should smartphones be banned for under 16s?

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2024-09-29 07:30:02

Unsurprisingly, many children want them too, but here we are much less sure of the benefits they bring. Many parents worry they are addictive and expose children to inappropriate and harmful content. A growing number think stronger restrictions are needed.

Others suggest some of the risks are overblown. They argue phones provide good opportunities for child development, including socialising, and that the evidence of harm is neither as convincing nor as conclusive as critics suggest.

I hosted a debate on WhatsApp between an academic and a campaigner, focusing on whether there's a case to be made for stronger restrictions on children's use of smartphones. What follows is an edited version of their conversation.

Parents have been put in an impossible position by the tech companies - we either give our kids access to a harmful product (ie a smartphone with unrestricted access to the internet and social media) or go against the cultural grain and risk alienating them from their peer group.

Put simply, we believe that until tech companies can prove that their products are safe for children, children shouldn’t have unrestricted access to them.