Digital well-being for kids: A growing market for alternatives

Origin Reddit Post

r/technology

Smartphones aren’t safe for kids under 13. Here’s why

Posted by u/ubcstaffer123•07/21/2025

Top Comments

u/patrick_thementalist

As a teenager I always thought I would buy expensive high performance smart phone once I started earning money. I had some cheap-ass smartphones from age 16 onwards (thank my parents). So eve

u/fugznojutz

i think the world is pretty dangerous in general for a 13 yo: they could go to the white house on a schooltrip for example.

u/Julienbabylegs

Yea these articles never actually point the finger in the right direction. My son listens to audiobooks on a smartphone. I’m nearly positive that’s not what this article is condemning.

u/VVrayth

It would be cool if the media wasn't trying to constantly offload the concept of "paying attention to what your kids are doing and engaging in their lives" by scapegoating something so broad

u/thrawtes

>Smartphone use by children younger than 13 was associated with suicidal thoughts, worse emotional regulation, lower self-worth and detachment from reality, especially among girls, accordi

u/MrMichaelJames

Lock the phone down. Simple as that. Aka, be a parent.

u/ReidenLightman

Seriously, my kid is allowed to watch a movie sometimes on the iPad, but he doesn't choose, or go on YouTube. I put on something I approved and disable the touchscreen so he can't get out. Sc

u/hanshagbard

Indeed, smartphones is not social media. Issue is parents who give kids unlimited access to everything. Almost all countries have good guidelines on what parents should think about for their

u/RamaMitAlpenmilch

They are bad for everyone. I wrote this in my smartphone. Oh the irony.

u/-millenial-boomer-

Article title is “smartphones” but content is clearly calling out that social media is the real problem

u/sebovzeoueb

You guys read the articles?

u/Curious_Document_956

Gotta be smrter than the fone

u/Outside_Ad_6278

We’re treating smartphones as if it were tobacco which is such a strange move to say the least

u/Balgs

Yes, but I do think smartphones make it too easy for kids, to gain access to these things. There is no one button solution to exclude certain content or kids find ways around. My younger brot

u/Electrical-Pumpkin13

I told my 12 year old you'll never have social media. If you wanna talk to your friends you can do that. So she has a group chat with her friends there isn't news for social media.

u/-millenial-boomer-

Article title is “smartphones” but content is clearly calling out that social media is the real problem

u/hanshagbard

Indeed, smartphones is not social media. Issue is parents who give kids unlimited access to everything. Almost all countries have good guidelines on what parents should think about for their

u/not_a_moogle

Not safe for people over 70 either

u/InvestInTwinkies

This might be my most boomer opinion but why on Earth are parents buying smartphones for kids under, say, 16? Once you have a car and drive ok, but why does little timmy need 100% access to t

u/Jpkmets7

Absolutely. It’s up there with *So and so hate this one simple trick*!

u/cool_slowbro

Remember when we used to collectively shit on clickbait titles?

u/FriarNurgle

This. Parental controls suck. You’re better off getting them a dumb phone and a Switch/Gameboy… but all it takes is one kid on the bus doom scrolling TikTok to crush those early childhood yea

u/divenorth

My 11 year old is obsessed with radio. His grandfather got him a portable radio and that is his happy place. Listening to radio and reading books. I once overhead him talking with a friend

u/Pop-metal

They aren’t safe for anyone with a drivers license either.

u/fugznojutz

yea, even bike in the countryside afterwards.

u/TalonRoo

When a title has a "Here's Why," you know it's clickbait and can safely skip it.

u/pmcrvc

Parents don’t want to parent

u/fugznojutz

yea, even bike in the countryside afterwards.

u/TheFrogWife

My 9 year old has been begging for a phone, instead we thrifted him an old Discman. He's so obsessed with finding CDs to listen to he doesn't care about a phone anymore (for now)

u/kaizencraft

>parents are looking for a legislative Band-aid instead of just parenting their kids better. This expectation that people can just wake up one day, and despite their entire history, their

u/VVrayth

I'm not saying bar access entirely, because as you said, that's unrealistic. I went through my version of it with my parents when household Internet was new, and I knew how to circumvent all

u/NeonStefanS

Fuck this clickbait title, not reading this

u/supermarino

There are articles!?

u/Electrical-Pumpkin13

I told my 12 year old you'll never have social media. If you wanna talk to your friends you can do that. So she has a group chat with her friends there isn't news for social media.

u/FriarNurgle

This. Parental controls suck. You’re better off getting them a dumb phone and a Switch/Gameboy… but all it takes is one kid on the bus doom scrolling TikTok to crush those early childhood yea

u/kaizencraft

>parents are looking for a legislative Band-aid instead of just parenting their kids better. This expectation that people can just wake up one day, and despite their entire history, their

u/Obyson

I got at 15 right before I started driving, I'll be doing the same with my kids.

u/cool_slowbro

Remember when we used to collectively shit on clickbait titles?

u/DocFreudstein

I love how kids glom onto old tech that they weren’t brought up with. My stepson became obsessed with Walkmans after Guardians of the Galaxy and the mechanism of it. My friend just got hims

u/Balgs

Yes, but I do think smartphones make it too easy for kids, to gain access to these things. There is no one button solution to exclude certain content or kids find ways around. My younger brot

u/Jpkmets7

Absolutely. It’s up there with *So and so hate this one simple trick*!

u/hanshagbard

Indeed, smartphones is not social media. Issue is parents who give kids unlimited access to everything. Almost all countries have good guidelines on what parents should think about for their

u/Shadax

Or church or somewhere there is a youth pastor.

u/TheFrogWife

My 9 year old has been begging for a phone, instead we thrifted him an old Discman. He's so obsessed with finding CDs to listen to he doesn't care about a phone anymore (for now)

u/RusticGroundSloth

I’ve got two kids 14 and 12 and both have heavily locked down iPhones. We’ve talked to them about social media and how things they do now could have real repercussions. We also don’t allow th

u/supermarino

There are articles!?

u/VVrayth

I'm not saying bar access entirely, because as you said, that's unrealistic. I went through my version of it with my parents when household Internet was new, and I knew how to circumvent all

u/Famous_Ant_2825

I don't think that they're safe for anyone tbh

u/Curious_Document_956

Gotta be smrter than the fone

u/Shadax

Or church or somewhere there is a youth pastor.

u/needsomerest

Absolutely this. As a parent, it feels like a constant tower defense scenario with unlimited ways to be defeated.

u/needsomerest

Absolutely this. As a parent, it feels like a constant tower defense scenario with unlimited ways to be defeated.

u/Famous_Ant_2825

I don't think that they're safe for anyone tbh

u/RamaMitAlpenmilch

They are bad for everyone. I wrote this in my smartphone. Oh the irony.

u/thrawtes

>Smartphone use by children younger than 13 was associated with suicidal thoughts, worse emotional regulation, lower self-worth and detachment from reality, especially among girls, accordi

u/patrick_thementalist

As a teenager I always thought I would buy expensive high performance smart phone once I started earning money. I had some cheap-ass smartphones from age 16 onwards (thank my parents). So eve

u/RusticGroundSloth

I’ve got two kids 14 and 12 and both have heavily locked down iPhones. We’ve talked to them about social media and how things they do now could have real repercussions. We also don’t allow th

u/not_a_moogle

Not safe for people over 70 either

u/ReidenLightman

File this under "no sh!t, Sherlock". (Of course with the asterisk that by "smartphones," they really mean social media.)

u/RamaMitAlpenmilch

They are bad for everyone. I wrote this in my smartphone. Oh the irony.

u/bald2718281828

No adult can resist without extraordinary rational effort. Why could a child?

u/ReidenLightman

Seriously, my kid is allowed to watch a movie sometimes on the iPad, but he doesn't choose, or go on YouTube. I put on something I approved and disable the touchscreen so he can't get out. Sc

u/InvestInTwinkies

This might be my most boomer opinion but why on Earth are parents buying smartphones for kids under, say, 16? Once you have a car and drive ok, but why does little timmy need 100% access to t

u/3-orange-whips

I was super in to vintage clothes and tech when I was a kid.

u/bald2718281828

No adult can resist without extraordinary rational effort. Why could a child?

u/TheFrogWife

My 9 year old has been begging for a phone, instead we thrifted him an old Discman. He's so obsessed with finding CDs to listen to he doesn't care about a phone anymore (for now)

u/MrMichaelJames

Lock the phone down. Simple as that. Aka, be a parent.

u/Darkchamber292

Yea WTF all I see is a title and a picture!

u/TalonRoo

When a title has a "Here's Why," you know it's clickbait and can safely skip it.

u/Darkchamber292

Yea WTF all I see is a title and a picture!

u/cool_slowbro

Remember when we used to collectively shit on clickbait titles?

u/Kyla_3049

Put Family link on the phone and don't let the kid use it without you in the room.

u/Julienbabylegs

Yea these articles never actually point the finger in the right direction. My son listens to audiobooks on a smartphone. I’m nearly positive that’s not what this article is condemning.

u/sebovzeoueb

You guys read the articles?

u/3-orange-whips

I was super in to vintage clothes and tech when I was a kid.

u/DocFreudstein

I love how kids glom onto old tech that they weren’t brought up with. My stepson became obsessed with Walkmans after Guardians of the Galaxy and the mechanism of it. My friend just got hims

u/Pop-metal

They aren’t safe for anyone with a drivers license either.

u/VVrayth

It would be cool if the media wasn't trying to constantly offload the concept of "paying attention to what your kids are doing and engaging in their lives" by scapegoating something so broad

u/FriarNurgle

"A strange game. The only winning move is not to play."

u/DocFreudstein

I love how kids glom onto old tech that they weren’t brought up with. My stepson became obsessed with Walkmans after Guardians of the Galaxy and the mechanism of it. My friend just got hims

u/FriarNurgle

This. Parental controls suck. You’re better off getting them a dumb phone and a Switch/Gameboy… but all it takes is one kid on the bus doom scrolling TikTok to crush those early childhood yea

u/Famous_Ant_2825

I don't think that they're safe for anyone tbh

u/Kyla_3049

Put Family link on the phone and don't let the kid use it without you in the room.

u/AltruisticHopes

This is the internet, no one reads the articles they just disagree with whoever commented last.

u/MrMichaelJames

Lock the phone down. Simple as that. Aka, be a parent.

u/Kyla_3049

Put Family link on the phone and don't let the kid use it without you in the room.

u/InvestInTwinkies

This might be my most boomer opinion but why on Earth are parents buying smartphones for kids under, say, 16? Once you have a car and drive ok, but why does little timmy need 100% access to t

u/sebovzeoueb

You guys read the articles?

u/Curious_Document_956

Gotta be smrter than the fone

u/divenorth

My 11 year old is obsessed with radio. His grandfather got him a portable radio and that is his happy place. Listening to radio and reading books. I once overhead him talking with a friend

u/FriarNurgle

"A strange game. The only winning move is not to play."

u/NeonStefanS

Fuck this clickbait title, not reading this

u/fugznojutz

i think the world is pretty dangerous in general for a 13 yo: they could go to the white house on a schooltrip for example.

u/Fraternal_Mango

Don’t even need to tell me why. Smartphones aren’t safe for the elderly either…or really anyone nowadays

u/Obyson

I got at 15 right before I started driving, I'll be doing the same with my kids.

u/Obyson

I got at 15 right before I started driving, I'll be doing the same with my kids.

u/Pop-metal

They aren’t safe for anyone with a drivers license either.

u/Electrical-Pumpkin13

I told my 12 year old you'll never have social media. If you wanna talk to your friends you can do that. So she has a group chat with her friends there isn't news for social media.

u/patrick_thementalist

As a teenager I always thought I would buy expensive high performance smart phone once I started earning money. I had some cheap-ass smartphones from age 16 onwards (thank my parents). So eve

u/needsomerest

Absolutely this. As a parent, it feels like a constant tower defense scenario with unlimited ways to be defeated.

u/Outside_Ad_6278

We’re treating smartphones as if it were tobacco which is such a strange move to say the least

u/AltruisticHopes

This is the internet, no one reads the articles they just disagree with whoever commented last.

u/Shadax

Or church or somewhere there is a youth pastor.

u/RusticGroundSloth

I’ve got two kids 14 and 12 and both have heavily locked down iPhones. We’ve talked to them about social media and how things they do now could have real repercussions. We also don’t allow th

u/supermarino

There are articles!?

u/-millenial-boomer-

Article title is “smartphones” but content is clearly calling out that social media is the real problem

u/thrawtes

>Smartphone use by children younger than 13 was associated with suicidal thoughts, worse emotional regulation, lower self-worth and detachment from reality, especially among girls, accordi

u/ReidenLightman

File this under "no sh!t, Sherlock". (Of course with the asterisk that by "smartphones," they really mean social media.)

u/TalonRoo

When a title has a "Here's Why," you know it's clickbait and can safely skip it.

u/pmcrvc

Parents don’t want to parent

u/Balgs

Yes, but I do think smartphones make it too easy for kids, to gain access to these things. There is no one button solution to exclude certain content or kids find ways around. My younger brot

u/NeonStefanS

Fuck this clickbait title, not reading this

u/fugznojutz

i think the world is pretty dangerous in general for a 13 yo: they could go to the white house on a schooltrip for example.

u/pmcrvc

Parents don’t want to parent

u/Fraternal_Mango

Don’t even need to tell me why. Smartphones aren’t safe for the elderly either…or really anyone nowadays

u/3-orange-whips

I was super in to vintage clothes and tech when I was a kid.

u/VVrayth

It would be cool if the media wasn't trying to constantly offload the concept of "paying attention to what your kids are doing and engaging in their lives" by scapegoating something so broad

Origin Reddit Post

r/technology

Smartphones aren’t safe for kids under 13. Here’s why

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