In a modern parenting dilemma echoing through households across the country, the debate over when to give a child a smartphone has reached the royal family. Prince William recently revealed that discussions about providing 12-year-old Prince George with his first mobile were growing "tense".
The Family Stand Against Smartphones
Mum-of-three Laura Milne, 54, from Richmond, south west London, knows this struggle all too well. Her regret over giving her eldest daughter, Klara, now 16, a smartphone at age 11 has made her determined to take a different approach with her 13-year-old twins, Sam and Eva.
"I'm going to hold off as long as I can," states Laura, who works at London's Institute of Cancer Research. The family keeps a spare phone locked away for the twins to use strictly for practical purposes. "They have to come and ask when they want to use it. There's no social media on it, but there are Maps so they can get directions," she explains. The device is solely for arranging meet-ups with friends via call or text, after which it must be returned.
The Hidden Dangers of Early Smartphone Access
Laura's caution stems from direct experience with her older daughter. When Klara began secondary school, she was added to giant WhatsApp groups with over 200 children. "It meant that hundreds of people had access to your child's phone number and you didn't know who they were," Laura recalls.
The consequences were severe. Misconstrued comments and rapid gossip spread through these digital channels, forcing Laura to spend significant time mediating arguments and repairing emotional damage. The situation escalated to the point where confiscating Klara's phone led her friends to smuggle a burner phone through her window. "It caused more arguments than anything else. It completely changed the family dynamic," Laura admits.
Despite a persuasive PowerPoint presentation from her twins outlining reasons they deserved a smartphone, Laura remains resolute. "Their mental health is more important," she asserts.
Expert Advice on Navigating the Smartphone Dilemma
Daisy Greenwell, co-founder and director of Smartphone Free Childhood, underscores the profound impact of early smartphone use. "Rates of anxiety, depression and self-harm have soared since smartphones became common among teens," she warns, noting evidence directly links early use to poorer mental health outcomes.
The constant barrage of notifications—hundreds per day for the average teenager Her organisation recommends a clear, community-based strategy: For parents like Laura and figures like Prince William, the path forward is clear: delaying smartphone access is a crucial investment in a child's wellbeing, even in the face of immense social pressure.
