Ten thousand parents have admitted they wish they’d made their child wait until they were older before giving them a smartphone.
In a worldwide survey commissioned by tech company Human Mobile Devices (HMD), Australians were also among those handing over a smartphone to children for the first time at an average age of 11.
More than 5,000 of those surveyed (half) believe they should have resisted the temptation of supplying their youngsters with the device.
A third say it has had a negative impact on their child’s personality, with many blaming social media apps for the change.
A whopping 70% of parents surveyed admitted their smartphone-free childhood meant they engaged more with their family – quality time their children don’t experience.
Sadly, 55% say their child’s phone usage is a source of arguments, with thousands of parents admitting they had cried over their child’s phone obsession.
Australian parents think social media puts their child under too much pressure, with 74% agreeing the device was not good for their child’s mental health.
When asked, 80% of Australian parents said they’d like to see their school educate children on the dangers of social media, with most calling for schools to ban phones.
Smartphone usage continues to be a confusing landscape for Australian parents, with 54% wanting more guidance and support to help them manage their child’s screen time and over 50% wanting the government to provide that guidance.
Alarmingly, 80% of Australian parents fear smartphones expose their children to stranger danger, with more than half admitting they don’t know what their children get up to when using their phones.
So, what is the solution?
Of the thousands surveyed, two-thirds of Australian parents say they would like a “child-friendly” phone as they look for solutions to manage mobile phone usage.
More than 50% of parents agree that smartphones can have a positive impact on their children and benefit them educationally, as well as allowing them to keep in touch with friends.
In response to the survey, HMD is working to create what it believes will be a child-friendly smartphone.
“We’re delighted that HMD is committed to addressing the glaring gap in the market for child-friendly phones through this project,” says Smartphone Free Childhood co-founder Joe Ryrie.
“Their research into children and smartphones is yet more evidence of the impossible position that parents find themselves in today; We either give our children access to a device they might not be ready for or choose not to and risk alienating them from their peers.
“It’s an issue that the 100,000+ parents who’ve joined our community since February are battling with on a daily basis, and we know that solving it requires a collaborative effort between parents, children, government and tech companies.
“Parents in our community are crying out for a phone which is desirable to children but isn’t designed to steal their attention. So we’re very excited about collaborating with HMD to help define what a modern child-friendly phone should be.”
- Based on a study commission by HMD and conducted by Perspectus Global. 10,092 parents were interviewed, across 5 different countries, United Kingdom, the United States, India, Germany and Australia. The study was conducted July 2024. Australian sample of 2,000 parents aged 35+ of children 5-16 years old.
For more on this topic:
- Right to Disconnect
- NSW Schools ban mobile phones
- Kids screen time addiction costing millions
- Screen time costing eye health
- Children’s screen time affecting sleep
- Screen time delaying school start
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