At what age can a child be given a phone? What are the experts' recommendations?

Today, many parents hand their children a phone to soothe them, feed them, or stop them from crying. The child quickly becomes accustomed to watching colorful videos. But how can giving a smartphone at a very early age affect their development? What recommendations do experts provide in this regard?

At what age can a child be given a phone?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, it is not advised for children under 1 year old to spend time in front of a screen. Such activities are also not approved for 1-year-olds. Starting from age 2, screen time should not exceed one hour per day, and for 3–4-year-olds, it should not exceed this limit either. The less, the better.

The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends limiting screen use for children under 18 months, with the exception of video calls. For children aged 18–24 months, it is advisable to watch only high-quality content together with a parent.

It should be remembered that these recommendations specifically refer to time spent in front of a screen. There is no single set age for buying a child their own smartphone.

It is not the phone itself, but its excessive and uncontrolled use that causes problems. Especially in young children, spending long periods engaged with a screen can lead to the following situations:

• Interference with speech development. If a child spends a lot of time in front of a screen instead of interacting live with adults, the conversations essential for developing speech and vocabulary decrease.

• Disruption of sleep patterns. Especially watching a phone before sleep can make it difficult for a child to fall asleep.

• Reduction of physical activity. A child occupied with a phone for a long time spends less time running, playing, and exploring the environment.

• Interference with concentration. Rapidly changing videos and bright images can accustom a child to constantly seeking new impressions.

  

When a child starts using a phone, it is important to follow these rules first:

• Do not make the phone a constant tool for stopping crying or feeding.

• Choose age-appropriate, high-quality, and safe content.

• Whenever possible, watch with your child and talk about what they are seeing.

• Limit phone use during meal times and before sleep.

• Instead of a phone, encourage reading books, drawing, building with construction sets, and playing outdoors.

In conclusion, one should not rush to give a child a phone at an early age. Especially in the first years of life, the most beneficial activity for a child is live interaction with parents, playing, and independently exploring the world around them.