Why You Shouldn’t Buy Your Kid a Smartphone

Purchasing a smartphone for your 12-year-old can do more harm than good

Image from Unsplash

A couple of days ago, I was taking a shortcut home that led me through a rich residential neighborhood. I don’t particularly like driving through the uppity suburbs — not only am I forced to keep my foot on the brake if I don’t want a speeding ticket, but my eyes must also be constantly peeled for oblivious pedestrians. I’m talking about the people who walk their dogs way too close to the street, and the gaggle of middle-aged moms powerwalking in their designer athletic gear.

I see you, Barbara, and I also see way too much of your ass in those tight yoga pants.

But, on this day, I didn’t run over any dogs or soccer moms. The only people I drove by were two young girls — probably eight or nine — walking on the sidewalk. Freshly dropped off by the school bus, they meandered home with their eyes glued to their phones.

I’m not the kind of person who says things like, “When I was your age, we didn’t have…” nor am I old enough to make such statements. Yet, seeing those two girls — who probably hadn’t finished the third grade yet — be consumed with technology was jarring.

It made me consider my stance on children with smartphones — a topic I’d never had an…