the Use of Mobile Phones by Children

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Use of Mobile Phones by Children

       In the modern world, not only the adults have the right to access the high-tech devices, but also the children. More and more phone producers notice that and make their best effort to sell their products to children. As the number of children using the mobile phones keeps rising, the concerns are also increasing. Some hold that the use of mobile phones can provide security, convenience for skill development, and social network for children. The others argue that the use of mobile phones can result in poor academic performance, physical harms, and failure in real social interaction. In this paper, it gives a thorough analysis of the benefits and drawbacks when children use the mobile phones.

       When the first mobile phone was designed, the original intent might be to make the people keep in contacts. If the kid takes a cell phone with him, it is very easy to contact with him at almost all times. Children can also stay in touch with parents by using the mobile phones in case of any emergency. Lindsey Mcmahon says on the website of How to Learn that: with cell phones the parents can easily keep in touch with their children to know their locations, fellows, and their schedules; the immediate call to their parents for some urgent issues also provides a sense of safety to the children. The cell phones offer a sense of security both for parents and children. But the cell phones also make the children exposed to the outside world that is full of potential risks. Scott Odom, Houston Single Parenting Examiner, argues on the Examiner site that: kids are more interested in sending text messages and playing games on the phones; children will face high risk to cyber bullying and pornographic sites when they browse the Internet by themselves through a cell phone.  Unpleasant or misleading information might invade the children’s phones by messages or calls, which could lead to distraction in their life and study since they are not good at distinguishing what is right or bad. Sahm Org. also supports that the use of mobile phones would possibly result in poor academic performance and more anxiety.

As the technology developing, more tools can be available on the mobile phones. For example, educational games in the areas like mathematics, science, etc. have been designed; Internet access and APP software facilitate children on literacy skills like reading, writing, and speaking. These advanced technologies enable the children to have multiple choices to participate in different kinds of literacy learning activities.  Hence, to some extent those designs on mobile phones provide us some convenience for skill development. However, a research report from Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones implies that “children may be more vulnerable because of their developing nervous system, the greater absorption of energy in the tissues of the head, and a longer lifetime of exposure.” (Stewart) Although no direct and obvious adverse effects on human health was found, they still remind us that any non-essential calls to the children should be reduced, and the phone industry should also set limits for markets for the phones used by children. Long-time use of the mobile phones would probably increase the risks for physical harms to the children.

The fact is, for kids in most of the countries, owning a cell phone is already popular nowadays. With the phones, the children set up their own social network. If they want to discuss or share something, they only need to make a call or send messages. But Sahm Org. shows “a study published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior, found that 6th graders who went five days without exposure to technology were significantly better at reading human emotions than kids who had regular access to phones, televisions and computers.” (Sahm Org.) It reveals that too much texting and vocal communication impact the ability to recognize the human faces. Lack of face-to-face dialogue leads to this failure in real social relationships. A study from Korea Science for 332 adolescent with using the method of Excessive Cellular Phone Use Survey also reflects that some relations between the excessive cellular phone use and the psychological problems exist. They find that those who made more text messages and spent more time on phones suffered more behavior problems. Their conclusion suggests, “that excessive cellular phone use by adolescents may be related to psychological problems. Careful education about the use of cellular phones and intervention are recommended for adolescents who excessively use cellular phones.” (Lee et al.)

To conclude, though there are still many uncertainties for the advantages and disadvantages of the use of mobile phones by children, this paper offers a clear picture for us to evaluate the prevalence of use of the mobile phones for the youth. The use of mobile phones can provide security, convenience for skill development, and social network for children but also can result in poor academic performance, physical harms, and failure in real social interaction. In light of that, it is necessary to adjust our practices to maximize the benefits but lower down the side effects. It is recommended to set rules for the usage of phones and check periodically for the device. It is also better to encourage the children to engage in more outdoor activities or gatherings with their friends.