“I was recently at a forum in Santander on screens and youth,” says Gemma Martínez, a researcher with the European group EUKids Online at the University of the Basque Country. “I have noticed a new wave of concern focused on the risks posed to minors; there was not a moment of discussion about the opportunities that new technologies offer,” he adds. This new wave is already a huge movement: parents organizing themselves in WhatsApp and Telegram groups, US prosecutors suing Meta for “exploiting children’s pain” and concerns about news of out-of-control chats with teenagers and experts responding insist that cell phones pose an unspeakable danger to young people.
It’s hard to deny that cell phone use brings new risks. The evidence is clear: more internet means more risk. But the real world is also full of risks and cell phones are inevitably one of them. Leen d’Haenens is a member of the European Union-funded academic group ySkills, which aims to strengthen the digital skills of young people. “Our research at ySkills reveals two remarkable results. First, possessing advanced digital skills often leads to riskier online behaviors. Secondly, these young people find it difficult to avoid content and contacts that pose a risk to their psychological well-being, even though they are very competent in things such as searching for information, communicating or creating content,” he develops.
Anyone who wants to define cell phones as a risk has evidence to support it. The problem is that complete restriction also brings problems. In Europe there are two major research groups that study the digital experiences of minors and their families: EUKids Online, founded in 2006, with scientists from 34 universities across the continent and whose origins are Sonia Livingstone, perhaps the greatest global expert in this field Industry. EUKids has a global child and another European child more focused on skills, ySkills, which consists of 16 institutions. EL PAÍS interviewed three experts from both groups about this wave and the use of cell phones.
1. At what age is it possible?
The big question about the age of the first cell phone is such a persistent debate because there is no answer to it. In Spain, 12 years has been set as the accepted age since the start of ESO. What should parents do whose children ask for their cell phones at the age of twelve because “everyone has one”? The Academy’s answer is: neither yes nor no.
“You can’t generalize,” d’Haenens summarizes. “Parents should base their decision on individual circumstances and the child’s readiness for the responsibility that a cell phone brings.”
Ellen Hespers, digital inequality researcher at the London School of Economics and member of Global Kids Online, says one of the big truths that goes largely unnoticed in this debate: “Being a parent isn’t easy.” And he continues: “A 15-year-old boy can be very different to another 15-year-old boy and no solution works for everyone.”
2. Some practical criteria
Although there is no universally accepted exact age for owning a cell phone with internet, the academy provides some guidelines that need to be clarified in every household. According to d’Haenens, there are four of them. First, maturity to see if the child knows how to manage screen time, online safety and privacy. Second, communication needs if a cell phone is required to talk to family or friends. Third, for educational purposes: when they are working with apps at school, need to research the internet, or have assignments that require a connection. And fourthly, physical safety to be able to communicate with young people when problems arise.
These four criteria are supplemented by parental control options that can be negotiated with minors. From technological tools such as apps to monitor usage to free and constant communication with the little ones. “Setting rules and limits around screen time and content is critical to promoting healthy habits,” says d’Haenens.
3. Is it easier not to give it to him?
It’s not clear at all. Many families have already decided not to give mobile phones to 12-year-olds and have strict internal rules about the use of screens at home. They have a strategy and share it with their children, even if the little ones’ opinions are not always accepted. “One thing that fails in Spain is not counting on the children,” says Martínez. “In one of the last studies we conducted between Portugal, Italy and Spain, Spanish minors between the ages of 9 and 17 were the ones who felt they were heard the least at home.”
Although this exclusion allows one to isolate oneself from the risks of cell phones, he adds others: “Completely excluding a child from cell phone use depends on individual circumstances and parenting philosophy,” says d’Haenens. “In general, a balanced approach is preferable for most families,” he concludes.
4. The problem doesn’t go away at 16
The intention of parents who don’t want to give away their cell phone at age 12 is not to restrict it forever. There is some consensus that 16 is a good age. But these four years don’t happen in a vacuum.
Although it eliminates risks and possible opportunities, it ignores the needs of the adolescent: “As with everything at this age, there is a risk that the ban will lead to young people accessing content in different ways and without supervision.” and if they are from Less informed peers get the idea that they are starting to hide things from adults, which could potentially have very negative consequences,” explains Helsper.
For the expert, the answer is an attitude called “active mediation”: “It has been proven to have a positive effect on young people by avoiding harm caused by risks and enabling them to take advantage of opportunities.” Because waiting until the age of 16 can lead to unforeseen dramas: “Restrictions and bans do not allow young people to understand the risks and put them at greater risk of harm when they finally start interacting with technologies.”
5. “The hot potato” of mothers and fathers
The difficult decision of whether or not to give cell phones to these teenagers rests with the parents. But the responsibility for the proper use that your children make depends on many uncontrollable and distant factors: the algorithms of the major platforms, the appropriate school use of online tools, the invasion of their privacy by the data industry, messages from adults Stalkers or simply access to adult content.
The limitation of these problems depends on European, national and school legislation. Gemma Martínez has described this problem as a “hot potato”. Administration, parents and schools face a challenge with cell phones that no one can solve. “Teachers are devastated right now,” says Martínez. “They get a lot of problems like that, cyberbullying, sexual images. They say they can’t take it anymore, that it’s a family problem and if they don’t start homeschooling them, what will they do? This gap in responsibility is the hot potato.
They are complex solutions: because the consequences are long in coming, for example in legislation, or because it is difficult for families to know exactly what to do: “I recently took part in a national campaign that aimed at families. We called 50-70 parents in secondary education institutions in Madrid with a middle to high socioeconomic status. How many came? Two,” complains Martínez. These campaigns aim to allay fears, but they don’t seem to be working.
6. The apocalypse in the media
In this quagmire, the stories of digital disasters published by the media work quite well, both about unusual real cases and from experts with strong opinions. The world that these headlines reflect triggers legitimate fears: “Reading all these headlines scares me too,” says Martínez.
“When I see the media and see the parallel world I work in, I wonder how we can make our voices heard. Previously, during interviews we used to say, ‘How lazy, I’m sure they will give me a headline like that’, but it’s time to get rid of our laziness,” he adds.
In this gap there are people who recognize interest and see that there is room for growth, with research that may have biases or prejudices: “There are pseudo-researchers who interpret data very subjectively and pass it on to the media, which can be annoying “the serious work of others,” accuses Martínez. It is repeatedly criticized that the use of more mobile phones is detrimental to physical activity, as there is no evidence for this: “Our ySkills study, which was based on a longitudinal survey in three waves, found no connection between digital use and reduced physical health.” says d’Haenens.
7. The comparison with alcohol
Many parents who want to delay the cell phone age compare it to products that are regulated up to 18, such as drugs, alcohol or cars.
In the academy it is believed that this is a false comparison. “It is not comparable to drugs or alcohol, which can have harmful physiological effects on young people’s brain development. Its use is also problematic for adults who consume excessive drugs and alcohol or who do not have a driving license. If you take away their cell phones, it’s more like not letting young people walk or ride their bikes alone on the street,” summarizes Helsper.
A more reasonable comparison is with sugar, says Helsper: “There are certain apps or content that could be equivalent. “Parents will limit their children’s diets so they don’t get too much junk food or sugary drinks, but they won’t stop them from eating healthy or drinking water.”
Distinguishing between sugary drinks and water on mobile phones is not easy. For this you have to be at the top, chat with teenagers and be interested in their social life. “The world we live in is inherently digital, and when children are excluded from it, they lose important digital skills they need to become intelligent and critical citizens,” says d’Haenens.
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