Introducing smartphones gradually is more beneficial for children than banning them completely

“Let’s take cell phones out of schools.” “Social media is harmful to teens.”

Such messages are being broadcast around the world and appear to have reached a peak in recent days. In the UK, concerns about the harms of social media and screen time have led to Smartphone Free Children Campaign A government crackdown on smartphone use in schools has also begun, and ministers are considering banning the sale of smartphones to anyone under 16. Meanwhile, in the United States, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy this week called for social media platforms to require cigarette-style warning labels.

More than 40% of American children own a smartphone by age 10, and the concern is Excessive screen use can lead to health problemsThese include obesity, sleep disorders, depression and anxiety.

Certainly, some studies have documented this link, but as we explain in our feature, The Truth About How Social Media and Screen Time Affect Young People, the evidence that screen time causes widespread harm to children is not as strong or clear as some claim.

While we figure out the details, we must protect our children, especially those who are most vulnerable to the harmful influences of smartphones and social media. But depriving them entirely would be the wrong move.

The smarter approach is to give children access, even from an early age, in a controlled and measured way.

Imagine what a smartphone utopia might look like: It would be done in stages: instead of giving kids access to the entire internet at first, we’d allow them access to walled gardens, like kid-friendly TV channels.

In such a world, we would allow limited messaging with strict moderation that loosens with age, the system would allow parents access that diminishes over time, and all of this would be combined with ongoing digital literacy classes.

Smartphones, social media, and screens will continue to be a part of our children’s lives, no matter how many warning labels they carry, and now is the time to think seriously about how we give our kids the tools they need to navigate the realities of growing up online.