As concerns grow over the impact of smartphones on children’s mental health and behavior, one of the UK’s leading mobile network providers, EE, is advising parents to refrain from giving smartphones to children.
The company, owned by BT, new guidelines suggest that children under the age of 11 should be provided with “non-smart” devices that resemble old brick phones, capable of only texting and making calls.
While internet access can be beneficial for educational purposes and keeping children connected with their parents, experts caution that it can also lead to shorter attention spans, exposure to harmful content, and a decline in physical activities such as playing outdoors or socializing with friends. EE’s corporate affairs director, Mat Sears, emphasized that for children under 11, smartphones are unnecessary and that a simpler device, often referred to as a “dumb phone,” is more appropriate.
“Under-11s we feel should not be given access to smartphones. They don’t need the usage of a smartphone and, actually, a feature phone—or a dumb phone, as some people call them—is more suitable,” he said.
The company also provided advice for parents of older children. For those aged 11 to 13, while smartphones might be acceptable, access to social media should be restricted. EE recommended that parents of teenagers between 13 and 16 exercise “care and attention” regarding which social media apps are downloaded, and ensure that parental controls, privacy settings, and screen time limits are applied.
Research from the telecoms regulator Ofcom reveals that nearly a quarter of children aged 5 to 7 already own a smartphone, and by age 11, almost all children have some type of phone. Ofcom described these findings as a “wake-up call,” noting that over half of children under 13 are using social media platforms despite age restrictions.
“It’s a positive move to get parents to question this norm that ‘yeah I’ll just get them a smartphone.’” She challenged the assumption that all children need a smartphone, advocating for simpler, less addictive devices,” said Clare Fernyhough, co-founder of the grassroots campaign group Smartphone Free Childhood, while praising EE’s initiative.“
“The way smartphones are, they are adult devices, they are not safe for children,” Fernyhough added.
There is also growing support for stricter regulations. Recent government legislation, the Online Safety Act, aims to protect children from harmful online content, including material that promotes suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, and violence.
However, the Act will not come into force until 2025, and some critics argue that it does not go far enough.
Internationally, countries like France, Italy, and the Netherlands have implemented bans on smartphone use in schools, while China’s regulator proposed limiting daily screen time for children under 18. In the UK, the Commons education committee suggested a potential ban on smartphones for children under 16.
In Ireland, a grassroots movement saw parents from eight primary schools in County Wicklow agree not to give their children smartphones until they transitioned to secondary school, alleviating peer pressure from other children already using such devices.
