Adults should not give a smart phone to children under 11 years of age, warns one of the main British mobile operators, EE, in a guide published this Sunday to “protect children in the digital world.” About 25% of children between 5 and 7 years old have a smartphone in the United Kingdom, according to a study by media regulator Ofcom, published in April.
For EE, a subsidiary of the BT telephone group, children under 11 should not have any telephone that gives them access to the internet and social networks, but rather “devices with limited capacity” with which they can only send SMS and make calls.
Parental control is key for minors with smartphones
The EE company defends that children under 13 years of age have limited access to social networks and that their parents control the time they spend in front of the screen. Parental control should remain active until the age of 16, according to the operator, to manage access to websites, content and platforms inappropriate for minors.
The company, which will not limit its sales of smartphones based on the age of users, wants to help parents “choose the best options for their children,” said Mat Sears, director of general affairs for the US.
In May, members of the House of Commons education committee considered that the government should consider completely banning smartphones for those under 16 years of age. But Labor Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a father of two teenagers, ruled out that measure in July. “I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he said.
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