The iPhone is becoming one of the most common items in the world. These days, kids seem to be using the iPhone at an earlier age each year and experiencing things they shouldn’t. For example, children may see inappropriate ads and hear inappropriate language from strangers. Also, higher screen usage could result in fewer face-to-face interactions which could stunt communication growth. According to childmind.org, the average age a child receives his or her first phone at age 10, and by age 12, 71 percent of kids will have a phone.

I received my first phone at the age of 13, which I believe is a good age to learn responsibility and practice communication because a child is becoming more self-sufficient and preparing for his or her future. Senior Riley Darnell said that he got his first phone at age 12, and it was only for games and to contact his parents. “I believe that kids should be able to get a phone at around third or fourth grade and for the use to play games and contact their parents,” he said.

Growing up , kids must experience how to communicate properly, but I think that giving a kid a phone to practice this at an early age is not the best option. Pre-teens and the youth could be introduced to different types of parental communication like having a phone that only texts or calls, which could protect the child from the dangers of social media as well as helping them learn to communicate.

More and more children have started to stay inside more and go outside less due to technology, and this is causing many children to experience many early life experiences that stunt their growth. This stat is shown by the increase of childhood obesity and the rate increasing by three times in the last four decades.

Overall, I think parents practicing different ways to help with their child’s development of communication and social skills, future generations will be more cautious about what they are teaching their children through social media. This will help with their development in life by becoming more confident and more aware of what is happening around them as well as being prepared to the challenges they will face in the future.