Delaying Smartphones Can Protect Children From Online Dangers

0:00 Speaker 1 Sunday morning. What is today is Lynn Shaw and the name of her organization, Lynn’s Warriors dot org dot com is a lynn orgorg and she works very very hard to protect our children. Well, Lynn, give us this week’s.

0:19 Speaker 2 Update A good morning, John, and also to educate parents and families about what’s going on and that we don’t hear in the media and that we need to hear. And that’s why the cat’s around table. This is such an important segment, you know, John, I’m gonna make your head spin a little bit today. A few weeks ago

0:35 you said to me, you asked me one of the most important questions that all of a sudden, all the parents are asking me was back to school time. You said, at what age should a child get a phone? And I thought about this a lot. I decided let me do a little research and give you, you know, a

0:50 good answer about this. So my answer will begin always with we have to make some distinctions here. There is a phone, okay, and then there’s a smartphone, and that would be one that has you know, capabilities of the Internet.

1:02 They are not the same thing a child. Look in this day and age, we want our kids to be connected to us. May need a phone. We want them to have a phone that they can call us up.

1:13 But at the same time, we don’t want them to have a phone with unrestricted access, which means the Internet, Internet, which means social media, which means strangers, these algorithms I’m always telling you about, and all of this endless streaming of slop and content that pollutes their minds. So there is no scientifically established, you know, kind of magic age

1:35 for when a child should get a phone. That is up to families to decide. We always recommend delay is the way, but the American Academy of Pediatrics, they say that their research does not identify an age. But you should also delay is the way. The child has to be ready, mature enough. It’s about your family, your circumstances,

1:58 and what type of device you’re handing them. Because John, there are phones that look just like an iPhone or an Android, but they only have a capability to call or text. There’s no Internet on there. So okay, the child won’t feel left out and you’ll be in touch with them. Okay, because a lot of kids will be like,

2:15 my friend has a phone, why don’t I have one? So at least the child has something as a phone and they can call mom and dad. But Pew research found that ninety five percent of American teens ages thirteen to seventeen have access to a smartphone. We think it’s even higher, like ninety nine percent. Frankly so John, sixty

2:32 percent of them, they’re admitting, we know the numbers are higher. If we hear sixty percent, it could be eighty. That they are online almost constantly throughout the day. So the question isn’t simply you know, when can my child have a phone. We got to think about this further. You know, how how much of this adult digital world should a parent?

2:52 You know, are you prepared to put in your child’s pocket? Again, we want to go over a child with a phone for communication, safety, transportation, and sports. Again reaching the parents, but give them the least powerful device that accomplishes that purpose, a basic phone, an all flip phone, and control the device.

3:12 Know what’s on there, you can pre program the text, you know the numbers in the people you want, just family members, and do not just hand your child an iPhone and Android, an unrestricted phone and say figure it Outvocacy American Academy of Pediatrics says, look again, there’s no universal right age, and they’re kind of afraid because again

3:31 it’s up to the parents. There’s something called parental autonomy. But look at the child, the impulse control, what’s going on in your family, you know, the circumstances, the child’s maturity. So here’s what we have to say. I would delay a phone as long as possible and treat social media access as a separate decision entirely from owning any kind

3:54 of smartphone. And parents should think. There’s also a feeling out there with thinking that nothing before thirteen, nothing at all. And the American Psychological Association is also saying roughly closer to fourteen would ideally be a better age for phones.

4:10 I mean, after all, John, we grew up with the payphone. I know it sounds all fashioned and all that, but we got to get the kids off these devices as much as we can. And we even had our former surgeon in general put out two different advisories saying this is causing a usement.

4:25 Speaker 1 I’m not sure they really really know, and I think maybe it’s not as bad as Fauci, but I think they’re all shooting, shooting the crap in any direction they want to say it. But I wish there was a better way.

4:42 Speaker 2 Of knowing well there, but there’s no magic age. Again, a thirteen year old can be a mature thirteen year old, or a thirteen year old can be maybe you know, thinking like a nine or a ten year old. Again, the parents have to step up, the caregivers have to step up. But that’s communication, John, that’s in the home.

4:59 You have to parents up. Now, we’re not blaming parents. What we constantly do with the Warriors are trying to educate you, give you resources, give you ideas, critical thinking, things to analyze and think about. Because who knows their child better than that parent, So you have to make these decisions for yourself. We can’t say banning. We don’t

5:17 like the word banning. Can’t have phones, we don’t like that either, But we can’t let kids have these smartphones iPhones because what we hear all the time at the Warriors will everybody else has one? And that is not a good argument social pressure. We see, we have so many studies we don’t have time to go into it

5:33 how the devices have harmed the children and kids themselves. Almost thirty percent ages eleven to seventeen are admitting thirty percent could be fifty. They’re saying, you know what, we realize we’re spending too much time online. So parents before you know, considering saying yes and falling into the crowd or letting grandma by a phone, because kids ask for

5:52 this for their birthdays and holidays, Ask yourself, can my child handle you know, boundaries? Can my child resist peer pressure? That’s a big one. And will my child telling me if a stranger tries to contact them? Because John, even with all the guardrails, safety features, everything we teach, these predators are still ten steps ahead of us. So we

6:12 have to have these open communication lines within the home. And that comes. Look, we see kids as young as five. I don’t know why with a phone. We don’t think that is right. But you have to ask yourself, when can I trust my child? When will my child you know, come to me and tell me something if something’s inappropriate.

6:29 And we’re suggesting again delay, distinguish and discuss because delaying powerful technology. And we’re sitting on AI, which John, I am scared of nothing. I’m scared of AI because that is going to overpower all of us. And that argument of it’s great for you know, medical reasons, it’s great to empower against you know, China. I am sorry. We’re

6:49 not looking at the other side as well, which will affect our children, their critical thinking. These are our future American adults and hopefully leaders, and what kind of world is this? So look, we have to discuss all this technology on a daily basis. We don’t want to put the bandid on. We’re always discussing when something terrible happens,

7:07 what we should have, could or would have done. We got to get in there now, intervene. Okay, so the digital world is no different. Remember you hand a device to your child with no protections, no discussion. It’s like opening that front door and allowing the world.

7:20 Speaker 1 And nobodys Google and nobody knows what what areas you’re reaching. Well, thank you so much for calling in this Sunday morning, and keep protecting our kids and we’ll catch up with you again real soon.

7:34 Speaker 2 Thank you, John Lyndswarriors dot org.