Children Should be Allowed to Use Smartphones

【原作者】：Merlintan 

Smartphone is one of the greatest inventions of human history. This carry-on and multifunctional communication tool makes our life convenient and colorful. A report predicted that the amount of smartphone users in 2015 will take up 10% of global population, and the number is still increasing [1]. While a hot debate that weather children can use smartphone or not is rising.

Before presenting my opinions, I would like to say that it always bad when you overdo something. So the key behind the issue is moderation. In this light, I am in favor of children using smartphones. Smartphones are surely indispensable in our modern society which just in the Information Age. The world changes a lot which are becoming fully united in global scale [2]. Great reform has taken place in almost every sort of filed, like education, health care, industry, entertainment and so forth. So children need to know how to use it and keep up with the time. Those who don't use cell phone will be viewed as old fossil.

Usually, Smartphones are considered to be both educational and recreational tools for children. There are various learning materials, including games, videos and texts, which can help children to learn. For instance, if parents want their children to learn ancient poetries, they can find materials with sound and animation. In this way, children can be inspired to learn and also learn and master poetries quickly. What's more, smartphones provide children with more entertainment choices, such as listening to music, educational games, and watching cartoons. They can kill the time when their parents are busy at work or daily life.

As mobile technology advances, more functions are improved and newly functions are developed. Some studies showed that smartphones are beneficial to children's safety. Children should be told they can and should call their parents or/and dial the emergency call when they are in danger. Smartphones make it easier to know where the children are by using some useful APPs, and allow parents to contact their children at almost all time [3]. Some smartphones are only accessible to children. This type of samrtphone only allow children to download games without any violent or sexy scene

Apart from keeping children safety, parents can use smartphones to monitor children's health situation. For example, scientists have interest in the use of mobile technology with children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Reports are also being published on the use of mobile technology specifically to support social skills development [4]. Shahram Jalaliniya and Thomas Pederson have built acceptable device connected with smartphones for children which can increases quality of physiological measurements [5].

Here, I want to reiterate that adult should know how to guide their children and teach them the moderation concept. Only in this way can children make best use of the smartphones. Children can use it for learning and entertainment as well. At the same time, parents can take advantage of smartphones to protect their children from danger and ensure their health as well.

Reference

2015年全球智能手机用户数量预测数据分析,2014.12.26,http://www.chinabgao.com/stat/stats/39758.html.

M Castells,The Rise of the Network Society: The information Age: Economy, Society, and Culture. 2011.

http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-keep-smartphone-using-kids-safe/.

M. Tentori, G. Hayes. Designing for interaction immediacy to enhance social skills of children with autism. Proceedings of the 12th ACM international conference on ubiquitous computing, The ACM Press. New York, 2010:51–60.

Shahram Jalaliniya, Thomas Pederson. A Wearable Kids'Health Monitoring System on Smartphone. NordiCHI'12 Proceedings of the 7th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction: Making Sense Through Design table of contents. 2012: 791-792.