Why A Psychiatrist, Dr. Jon Goldin Advise Parents Not To Give Smartphones To Children Under 11
A psychiatrist, Dr. Jon Goldin is advising parents not to give their children smartphones before they get into high school.
Dr. Jon Goldin, a leading Royal College psychiatrist claims that parents are usually forced into buying these devices for their young children so that their children won’t feel left out amongst their peers in school.
Dr. Goldin, who is also the vice chairman of the Royal College of Psychologists said government guidance on when to give smartphones to children would help parents stand their ground. He therefore urged the government to issue guidance telling parents not to give smartphones to kids under 11 years.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, he said:
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”Children often say to their parents: “All my friends are [getting phones] and you are not allowing me to do that.”
In that situation, parents do need the support of national guidance. I don’t think we can legislate [to restrict it to under 11s] but this guidance would back parents up when they were having conversations with their 10-year-olds.’
Dr Goldin also called on the government to recommend that children under 11 should be restricted to two hours a day on social media.
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He further warned that children should spend no more than two hours a day on social media, with the evidence that spending beyond that is more likely to make them depressed and anxious.