When is it okay to buy your child a smartphone?

It is still too soon to tell how the most modern electronic devices affect children's development in the long term but there are already some studies conducted and the experts have come to some conclusions that will help parents in deciding on when is the right age for the children to use smartphones or tablets.

The majority of today's children receive early access to mobile devices and the parents often ask not whether but when to buy their children a smartphone or a tablet.

Here are some tips targeted to moms and dads:

How much time is safe for children to stand in front of the screen:
- If two to five years: 1 hour;
- If six to nine years: 2 hours;
- If the child is 10 years old and up: 3 hours.

American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend the children under two years old to stand in front of screens, because the brain develops better at communicating with people and unstructured games (initiated and managed by the child activity without rules, organization and goals) and human communication.

But how do parents decide when it is appropriate to give a smartphone to their children?

Every child is unique, so in order to determine whether there is a need for such a device, it is best to answer the following questions:

- Have you placed restrictions on the use of digital devices - and does your child recognize and respect these restrictions?
- Does your child need a phone in order to contact you in case of emergency?
- Can you trust your children that they will not use the phone in inappropriate situations, such as in classes?
- Have you installed parental control applications on the smartphone of your children?

After all, if you feel that your children are ready to own a smartphone, do not stop to talk with them on the subject and observe their online behavior to make sure that there is nothing wrong.

Instruct them what to share, with whom it is safe to communicate on the Internet and what portions of the network you agree them to visit.

Note that according to the statistics, the children begin to get online as early as 3 years old. Between 6 and 9 years of age they can have their own tablet, but they should use it under your supervision.