When my kids were around 10 years old, they started asking for a smartphone. Specifically, for an iPhone. 

They did what all kids do. They were consistent with asking. 

My older daughter even wrote me a letter stating all of the reasons why she NEEDED to have one. 

She made promises and tried to convince me that she would be the happiest child in the world if she had a phone. 

I said NO. 

My intent was to keep them off social media and overall off the internet as much and as long as possible. But, their schools kept gearing them to use online tools for them to do their homework and projects. 

That frustrated me and it didn’t help me. 

But I persisted and continued to educate myself in case I was being unreasonable. 

As they got older they earned the privilege to use it. But, it was not without a lot of discussions and even a contract. That contract included an agreement about how to use it, what to report, and that they would be monitored. 

But, you know what I’ve learned over...

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...