Today, many young children in the US have or use phones. Some are smartphones, while others may be older technology such as flip phones or brick phones. No matter what type of phone they have, elementary-aged children should not be allowed to have them because they are harmful to their mental, emotional, and physical health, and they simply do not need one.
Cell phones are harmful to the mental health of elementary-aged children. Writers from the Wait Until 8th website state that childhood as it use to be is changing (www.waituntil8th.org). Hanging out with friends and family and playing outside are happening less and less in order to make room for the endless world of Instagram, Facebook, SnapChat, and YouTube. These distractions are harmful to the academics of students. Paul Barnwell, a writer …show more content…
Cyber bullying is a form of bullying that takes place online. According to bullyingstatistics.org, about 50 percent of teens have experienced or are experiencing cyber bullying. With cell phones being carried by almost 80 percent of teens, it is the most used tool for cyber bullying. Whether the child is the victim or the bully, they are both equally bad. No parent would want their child to be either, yet it still happens more often than one may realize. Although cyber bullying is such a big issue today, it can be solved relatively easily. Step 1. Take the device. Step 2. Turn it off. Step 3. Go outside and forget about it! It is just that easy. Unfortunately, that idea probably would not go over to well. Overall, the physical health dangers are not as much of a problem as the others, but still can cause trouble. On the other hand, if a child is going through some of the physical health dangers, they will lead to both emotional and mental health too. Cell phones not only cause physical health problems, but children just do not need