Should Kids Have Phones? Pros and Cons

Should kids have phones? That is the question. This can be one of those issues where people draw a line in the sand and defend their turf of rightness at all costs. I’m not one of those people. There are pros and cons to both sides. And that’s what this article is about. We’ll present the positives and negatives of kids having phones. Then you, being the adult that you are, can make your own choice.

Pros

Emergency Contact—This year, my daughter had a threat made against her junior high, and the school immediately went into lockdown. Because she had a phone, we could check-in, make sure she was okay, and track how the situation progressed. The threat turned out to be nothing, by the way. But when emergencies happen—your kid is in a wreck, runs out of gas, or ends up in a bad situation or place they don’t want to be, having a phone is a great resource.

Spy Capabilities—Phones have built-in trackers and settings where you can know what your kid is doing on their phone and where they are located. GPS. This allows you to know where your kid is at all times. I know, “If your kid is trustworthy, you shouldn’t have to track them.” Good point. But what if they catch a ride with a friend, and that friend decides to pull an audible and go rogue? “Well, you should keep a better eye on the kind of friends your kid chooses to..” Yeah, yeah, I hear you. But I’ll challenge that with a universally known fact: teenagers do stupid stuff. Knowing where they are at any given time is helpful to parents.

Constant Communication—This might sound crazy, but kids can use their phones as a phone. They can call and talk to you when they need you or when you need them. They start doing more without you as they get older—after-school practices, weekends with their friends, part-time jobs. It’s nice to be able to have a quick conversation if you need to.

School—With the expectation of students having phones, schools have started incorporating different apps in their curriculum and classroom activities. Schools have to provide alternate options for kids who don’t have phones, but it doesn’t have to be a great option. As sad as it may be, a phone can make school work easier.

Cons

Unhealthy Habits—As you know, it’s easy to get lost in your phone. And you’re an adult (mostly). Teenagers can easily get so involved with the screen in their face that you would have to physically shake them to let them know the building is on fire. A phone can hurt social interaction, interpersonal skills, and even common decency. This doesn’t even touch how too much screen time affects our sleep, eyes, and brains.

Internet Access—The internet is an incredible thing. It is also a world full of danger: porn addiction, consuming graphic content and much more are at your fingertips. If your kid has a smartphone, they have unsupervised access to the whole internet. I know filters and guard rails can be set up to help with this. But I also know there are ways around those safety precautions. 

Secret Communication—Through apps, coded messages, or deleted texts, your kid can talk with people you don’t know, saying and hearing things you don’t know. And since these conversations are typed, kids tend to be bolder in what they say. They’ll talk online in ways they never would face-to-face.

Social Media—This is one of those things I wish we could un-invent. There are undoubtedly some cool capabilities to social media platforms. Still, for every good aspect, there are five times as many negatives. It is more hurtful than helpful. 

Does YOUR kid need a phone?

Obviously, cell phones have more benefits and downfalls than this list, but the determining factor in this phone question is your kids. You know them better than I do, and who they are should be the basis of your decision. What’s your trust level in your kids? How mature are they? Do they need a phone? Answer those questions honestly, and you probably have the answer you are looking for when it comes to them having a phone or not.