Stop giving smartphones to your kids!” wrote Manu Kumar Jain, the former CEO of Xiaomi India, in a LinkedIn post. Jain also served as the global VP of the Chinese tech major, whose smartphones are among the top sellers in India. Quoting a recent report by US-based Sapien Labs, which highlighted the connection between deteriorating mental health and early smartphone access, he urged “parents to resist the temptation of handing over a phone to kids to keep them occupied”.
Young kids and toddlers being handed phones to calm them down when crying, to make them eat, or during journeys is a common sight. While it can bring a momentary calm, studies, as well as top tech executives, some of whom have enabled such technology, have continuously warned against its use.
These include Microsoft’s former chief Bill Gates, whose children were not allowed to use mobile phones until they were 14.
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Microsoft’s current boss Satya Nadella, along with his wife Anu, discussed in a 2017 interview the ways they keep a check on their children’s technology use.
Similarly, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs said in a 2011 interview that he barred his kids from using the then-newly-released iPad. “We limit how much technology our kids use at home,” he said in the interview.
James Kitto, a top Samsung executive in the UK, said in an interview earlier this year that he didn’t give his daughter a smartphone until she was 11. He went on to highlight that no matter at what age parents let their kids have smartphones, it is crucial to ensure “if they are accessing the internet, they are accessing it in a safe way” as per a media report.
This point is crucial as an increasing number of studies are pointing at the harms of the internet, especially social media, on children.
According to a survey by LocalCircles, over 40% of urban Indian parents admit that their children aged between nine and 17 are addicted to social media, gaming, and videos. Another study highlighted a grim trend. According to it, kids as young as 11 who use platforms like Instagram and Snapchat exhibit problematic behaviour such as having only digital friends.
Interestingly, many parents who have enabled technology have practiced stiff parental control over their children.
Chamath Palihapitiya, a former Facebook, now Meta, executive said in a 2017 interview at the Stanford Graduate School of Business that he rarely used Facebook and would not let his children use it either. He also expressed “tremendous guilt” for helping in building Facebook into the giant it went on to become, as per media reports.
Apple boss Tim Cook, too, revealed in 2018 that he didn’t like the idea of children using social media. He said although he doesn’t have kids, he has a “nephew that I put some boundaries on”, the media reported. “There are some things that I won’t allow; I don’t want them on a social network,” Cook added.
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Snapchat founder and CEO Evan Speigel is another such parent. He limited the amount of screentime for his stepson, according to 2018 media reports.
Yes, some of these statements were made five to six years back. However, these are especially important in today’s time when smartphones and social media have grown both in terms of numbers and use. The Covid pandemic and the increased use of technology and screentime have only added to the problem. So, what is the solution? In his LinkedIn post, Jain recommended parents “encourage real-world interactions, some outdoor activities, and/or engage them in hobbies. By doing so, we can create a healthier and more balanced environment that fosters authentic learning and social interactions.” He went on to add that he is not against smartphones or tablets and that these devices have “revolutionised our lives and brought immense convenience and connectivity. However, it’s essential to exercise caution when it comes to giving them to young children.”
And rightly so, as childhood is the formative period during which habits and actions taken can have a profound impact on future life. And when it comes to smartphones and social media, both their makers and studies hint towards adopting a careful approach.