A digital world.
Growing up my mother was very strict with my siblings and me when it came to owning phones and talked more about how phones that are accompanied by the word "smart" Thinking about this whole thing has made me remember how my mother didn't even get me the first phone I used so you might be wondering, well it was given to me by my big sister after purchasing a brand new phone, she decided to support with my life with the old one.
I didn't get to use a phone till I was done with my senior secondary school because my mother didn't disapprove of it, in her words "phone is a bad influence" I had to abide by the rules governing me at the moment because leaving her house wasn't part of the plans at that point of my life. After taking my final exams in my senior secondary level, my big sister decided to gift me her old phone, and I was excited. Now take note that the phone can't be used to source the internet; it can only be used to take calls and return calls. Ooh! It can also be used to send text messages.
I started using my first phone, "without smart," at the age of seventeen. Then, after a while of finishing senior secondary school, my big sister got another phone again and gifted me the old one. I think I'm an inheritor (if there is any word like that) of phones. At that moment, I was the happiest because I was among those in the league who were using smartphones.
But currently, "welcome to the digital age," or should I call it what the prompt called "the smartphone age," I'm not the type that usually chats on other social media platforms aside from WhatsApp because that place is crowded with people I know, so I chat there.
One faithful day, I was going through feeds on Facebook when I got a notification for a friend request that was sent; normally, I don't check out these people's profiles, but this particular one was different. So I checked this person's profile and went through his account, "looking for nothing." When I came across his date of birth, I immediately became speechless and just rejected the friend request. What's a boy of thirteen years doing on Facebook? Was the only question roaming my head.
When I was at that age I don't think I even knew how to create a Facebook account talk more of setting it up. In the world today, children of different age brackets own smartphones and use different social media platforms.
At what age do I think children should be allowed to own smartphones? Firstly, the world has changed a lot; gone are the days when children would stay in high school till the age of eighteen because most of them round up their senior secondary school before they even get to the age of fifteen. So I think children at the age of fifteen should be allowed to own smartphones and access the Internet. Because at that stage, they are thinking of rounding up their high school, so they need to socialize and explore certain things.
Thanks for reading 🧡
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STOPAccording to America standard, I think children at 13years can have their own smartphone. What you said is true and thank God for the age at which you started using phone.
Hmmmm some of us it was in higher institution when I was almost 24-25years. Late 80s and 90s I didn't even know anything about computer talk more of phone.
Apparently there is a great shift in things. It would interest you to know that my oldest son at the age of 5years could manipulate the laptop I kept for them and my second android phone. He can pick calls and even return calls. What would happen when he is 10years? For me at least 12 years above could own phone.
Twelve years isn't bad though. But then I still feel like it's very young.
It's young but whether you like it or not children are too exposed in this generation the only remedy i see for parents to monitor all movements of their wards.
I keep a close check on him always.
Fifteen seems like a fair age. At that point, most kids are already wrapping up secondary school and getting exposed to different things, both in school and socially. Giving them a phone then isn’t just about fun, it’s also about learning how to manage freedom and responsibility.
Yeah, same thing. I thought that fifteen years was kind of okay.
Your second name should be phone inherita , lolz
Those days, children finishes secondary school before using phones , but now , hmm, make I no talk shaa..I still dey think when my boys will finally own a phone because I don't even want stories
I swear, I am an inheritor. That is my second name. "Call me already".
Heheh
My phone too wasn’t smart when I started using itt
But I started when I was out of school too and it helped
I am not saying having phone at a early stage is bad but there should be balance and rules guiding a child before and after they get a smartphone and if anyone is broken, especially when the child is not mature, then the phone should be taken away
Your story is similar to mine, back then most children were made to own phones when they are done with secondary school and I was no exception.
It's sad that it's not the same in this era but I believe it depends on each family and what they see as good for their kids. Some children are even too smart on their own now to be deprived of phones lol.