Primary school children should not be given smartphones by their parents, one of the UK’s largest mobile phone operators has warned.
EE is advising parents that children under 11 should be given old-fashioned brick or “dumb” phones that only allow them to call or text instead.
“EE recommends that children under 11 should use non-smart devices with limited capabilities, such as feature phones, ensuring they can make texts and calls but restrict access to social media or inappropriate content,” the company said.
It is thought to be the the first time a UK mobile operator has offered such advice.
EE’s guidance on smartphones comes as parents prepare for the start of the new school year, a time when they tend to come under increased pressure to buy their child a mobile.
Nine in 10 children own a mobile phone by the time they reach 11. Meanwhile, even though most social media platforms require users to be 13 or older, 60% of children aged eight to 12 who use them are signed up with their own profile, according to Ofcom.
The telecoms regulator’s report also found three in five secondary school-aged children had been contacted online in a way that “potentially made them feel uncomfortable”.
In May this year, MPs on the education committee urged the government to consider a total ban on smartphones for the under-16s and a statutory ban on mobile-phone use in schools as part of a crackdown on screen time for children.
Robin Walker, the then Conservative chair of the committee, said excessive screen and smartphone use had a “clear negative impact” on the wellbeing of children and young people.
For children aged 11 to 13, EE also advised that if a smartphone was to be used, the device should have “parental controls enabled, as well as a family-sharing app in place such as Google Family Link or Apple Family Sharing, while restricting access to social media”.
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Its guidance for 13- to 16-year-olds suggested smartphones were appropriate, but parental controls should be used to manage and restrict children’s access to inappropriate sites, content, and platforms.
Carolyn Bunting, the chief executive of the child safety group Internet Matters, said: “Our recent research showed that parents want to make their own decisions about their children’s use of technology, but that many would value guidance to help them in doing so.”