Kids, Cellphones and Digital Hygiene
By Lynne Bell
The results of a recent survey- by nonprofit organization MediaSmarts- of more than 5,000 Canadian students in grades four through 11 from each province found that almost all of them had their own cellphone. Even among the youngest kids surveyed, one in four owned a mobile device, while a full 90 percent of young people in high school said they owned their own phone.
While the stats regarding the older kids' phone ownership didn't surprise the researchers, MediaSmarts director of education Matthew Johnson said of the youngest kids surveyed: “The numbers were definitely higher than we expected at the younger end. The surprise is definitely in those early three grades (four, five and six) and the fact that in Grade 6 we're almost up to 40 per cent.”
“Certainly, it highlights the fact that we're seeing earlier and more Internet access for kids.”
And therein lies the rub.
Like any tool, mobile phones-and the accompanying Internet- can be used positively or negatively.
The dangers are well-documented-with cyber-bullying, child-luring, and privacy risks topping the list of worries for parents and guardians.
However, smartphone usage can also aid in relationship responses. Busy families can stay in touch in a myriad of ways via their phones, and for most parents, this is the overriding reason their kids carry cell phones, especially if they're very young.
The results of the MediaSmarts survey stated that 59 per cent of young people played games on their devices, while 51 percent said they downloaded or streamed music, movies , nd TV shows. Facebook was the most popular social networking site- followed closely by Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter. And in the case of Facebook, even though the platform states users must be 13 years of age to join, many young users circumvent this requirement easily.
Nearly 75 percent of students surveyed in 2005 stated that they had received the “digital hygiene” talk- outlining proper online behavior and safety- either at home or at school. And some parents even stated that the responsibility of phone ownership was a valuable aid in learning about money management.
However, more recently, researchers found that parents and guardians were much less concerned about potential pitfalls for their kids online.
According to Johnson: “(In 2005), parents were treating the Internet or viewing the Internet much more as a source of fear and concern... and young people were feeling they were constantly being supervised, that their parents were watching over them to an excessive extent.”
But in 2014, only 44 percent of students stated that their parents had set rules for them regarding online usage and behavior.
“We were really surprised to see the number of rules about the use of the Internet has actually declined by quite a bit,” added Johnson. “And that's something we're not sure about the cause of.”
Perhaps the use of mobile phones has become so common that parents have become more complacent about the online safety of their offspring. But as mobile phone users become younger, maybe it's time to revisit the idea of “digital hygiene.”
What’s the right age?
By Kelly Running
Kids and technology… it’s something that many parents are navigating, but ultimately it’s something anyone with a phone is having to realize proper etiquette and avoid being addicted to the handheld device that now goes everywhere with us.
There were cell phones in school, those sweet flip phones. I didn’t have my own cell phone until I was in grade 12, prior to that my parents would send one with me for sports trips, so I could call them and let them know what time I needed to be picked up. We lived half an hour from town, so if the team went to Maple Creek, I could call when we got to Gull Lake and the timing would work out well for my ride the rest of the way home.
Personally, I like texting though. I’ve always been one to get a little bit of anxiety when talking on a telephone, I’m not sure why, but when it comes to ordering a pizza even, I would toss the phone to someone else and let them handle it. And I sound like an idiot when I have to leave a message on an answering machine. I’ll apologize to anyone I’ve left messages with right here and now: I ramble and say “umm” a lot.
Technology is important because it is literally the world we live in. Kids need to know how to work a computer because they’re literally used for everything these days. Jump in a combine and I know I’m blown away by the bells and whistles in there. So, it is important to learn how to work everything, but not at the expense of a childhood.
It seems as though limiting the amount of screen time is the way to go and that once kids hit the 10-year-old mark maybe it’s good to start talking about cell phones, apps, and all that. By no means do they need a top of the line smart phone at 10-years-old; but, teaching them technological etiquette is important and it’s said that children develop a moral code, knowing what’s right and wrong, by the time they’re 12-years-old so it seems logical to teach them proper safety and etiquette surrounding technology at a young age.
Televisions and games have become “babysitters” in a sense, however, and I don’t think that’s the best route. Kids still need to learn how to interact with others and form meaningful connections with people. Many in this world experience depression and it seems possible that although you’re looking for connection online, even if you find it, there’s a disconnect. Are you really the person you portray online? Do you say things in that medium you likely wouldn’t say in real life to someone? But humans are very much social creatures and ensuring youngsters have the ability to interact with others face-to-face is important.
Technology has allowed me to keep in touch with friends from university. Technology allowed me to see my family via video calls when I was living in Australia. It’s not all bad. But, we have to encourage kids to be kids, to develop social and emotional skills, and to put more emphasis on the world around them than on the television or cell phone screen.
Even the inventor of the Apple, Steve Jobs, limited the amount of screen time and technology his kids used. Apparently tech execs and engineers actively shield their kids from technology, sending their kids to non-tech schools where they can focus on hands-on learning.
Obviously there’s a place for technology and it can be an amazing thing. But, I’m not convinced tablets and iPods should be thrust into the hands of such young kids.
