My oldest child was born the same year the iPhone was first released. At the time, many people thought smartphones might be a passing trend.

Here we are years later, watching adults scroll through phones in grocery lines and restrooms, and raising children who have never known a world without smart devices.

That reality alone is worth pausing over.

Today’s kids are being introduced to technology earlier than ever. A 2017 survey by Common Sense Media found that by age 11, more than half of children had their own smartphone, and by age 12, nearly 70 percent did.

With that access comes exposure to information children are often not emotionally prepared to handle.

Early Exposure Comes With Real Risks

Many parents are surprised to learn that the average child in the United States is accidentally exposed to explicit content between the ages of seven and eight.

Add to that the fact that many children experience online bullying, social pressure, or unsafe interactions long before they k...