Young children are being gifted a smartphone at an increasingly young age. In the UK, following a similar worldwide trend, children as young as seven are being given smartphones. While there are some positives – preparing children to use technology and its role in the workplace – there are also many negative outcomes. COVID-19 led to an increase in the amount of time children spent on their devices: a 67% increase over usage before the pandemic, up to five hours per day, and “69% of parents concerned smartphones are impacting children’s cognitive development”. This should be a major concern for society. When this is coupled with other conclusions from the study, e.g. “31% claimed their phone increases their levels of anxiety and stress” we have a problem with addiction and more. But there is a way to moderate and manage this usage. The Blabloo (blabloo.net) and Geniora (Geniora.com) smartphones are a responsible way to allow a child to have a latest generation communication tool, and benefit from the positives, but also gives the parent a free app (for iOS and Android) to manage the child’s access to apps and internet, blocking access when not appropriate. And all of this without taking the phone away from the child.
