Having a Phone at a Young Age Essay Example

In modern society, an abundance of parents are deciding to get their children phones earlier and earlier. They claim that their children need it for emergencies and safety, but is that what they really use it for? Others claim that if kids have phones at such a young age, they will tend to get distracted by it. Technology has become a huge part of our generation, and therefore, more people will be making the decision prematurely. Adults use their phones as a resource or a helpful tool, and they help make everyday life run smoother. But what will happen when we present this responsibility to kids? Will they really display the true care that is needed? Is it going to be used when necessary and at the appropriate time? Giving children a phone at a young age is just like giving them full freedom, which they likely can't handle responsibly yet. 

Having a phone at a young age increases the chances of encountering cyberbullying. Bullying is no longer just an in-person action; it has also expanded to different platforms, and now mainly takes place online through the internet and social media. An increasing number of people are using the anonymous feature online to hide behind a screen and take advantage of their peers. When kids are online, they tend to share a lot of cherished information to people they don’t know. Take social media as an example; kids can ignorantly establish texts, photos, videos, and posts that the whole world can see. Unknown strangers can view the posts, and find a way to stalk the young child using backgrounds or captions on their posts. With such a large responsibility of owning a phone, they may be unaware of the consequences that come with posting unnecessary and information revealing photos and messages. Due to these potential pitfalls at a young and naive age, cyberbullying can seriously inflict harm to one in the long run. 

Over the years, kids of young age that have utilized their phones in class can tend to be using it for the wrong reasons. Firstly, students can use their phones to cheat. For example, a calculator is easily accessible on a phone, and research tools, such as Google, can be used to retrieve test answers. There have been studies conducted that show the usage of phones in class leads to significantly lower test scores. In comparison, students that don't possess a phone tend to achieve higher test scores. Therefore, having a phone at a young age will give young students easy access privileges, such as the internet, without the full understanding of responsibility. 

With more people relying on phones and technology, human interaction has declined drastically. As an example, in many cases during lunch or breaks, students are always engaged on their devices as opposed to socializing with each other. With the increase of activity on social media with these devices, the cases of cyberbullying have also risen. In order to encourage better communication, and lower the risks of cyberbullying, parents should resist the temptation to give their kids a phone at a young age. As a result, this may encourage kids to participate more in sports, and other productive activities. If so, it might be sensible for parents to think twice before deciding to give their children a phone at an early age.