When is it time to get your child a smartphone?
Aug 17, 2026
Try to think back on what thoughts went through your mind when you first decided to get a smartphone for one of your kids; or even yourself for that matter. Your thoughts may have simply led to all of the advantages these types of phones have to offer - because they do have many. For one thing, being able to communicate with your children for coordinating busy family schedules like drop offs and pick ups is amazingly helpful. In fact, sometimes we all wonder how we survived before these portable communication devices came along. And it’s healthy to remind ourselves that we did survive. And we even thrived, believe it or not.
I grew up in a home with 8 brothers and sisters, busy schedules, and at one point, phones with cords restricting our roaming to the length of the phone cord. But it worked. That’s all we knew. When the cordless phone came out, that was the coolest thing ever.
Our two story home had a split entry, which meant that once you walked in the door you had to either go upstairs or downstairs versus entering the house on the main floor like most homes. Upon arrival from school or other activities, there would sometimes be a note left from my mom to let us know she was out of the house and when she’d be back. This was necessary because she couldn’t simply text us on our cell phones because we didn’t have them. We just communicated through the existing channels at the time, and it worked.
Communication channels have come a long way since then and I’m grateful for many of the positive impacts that it’s had on my life. Once a person receives a smart device, certain aspects of life change dramatically. It’s not just a fun toy but actually comes with a great deal of responsibility. So, before you bump up the number of users on your Verizon mobile family plan you need to ask yourself, “Is this the right time to get my child a smartphone?” I say this because you might want to consider the opinions of experts such as Collin Kartchner who has worked with school districts across the nation and presented to tens of thousands of teenagers on the impact of what these types of devices have on their self-image among other things. He says that when he is asked when the right time to give a child their own smartphone-- he replies by saying "when are you ready for your son to start looking at pornography? Or when are you ready for your daughter to start feeling anxiety?".
“When are you ready for your son to start looking at pornography? Or when are you ready for your daughter to start feeling anxiety?"
- Collin Kartchner
This man, along with the message he championed with all his heart, made a tremendous impact on thousands of lives during his tragically short career. He unexpectedly passed away in 2020. Unfortunately, with no life insurance policy for his family. The miracle that followed, as a tribute to him and his mission to make a difference in fighting the dangers associated with the virtual world we find ourselves drowning in today, most often through smart devices carried in our pockets and purses, a GoFundMe account was opened on behalf of his wife and children. Countless donations ranging from a few dollars to thousands, ending in a total of $319,193 by the time the account was closed.
Along with these heartfelt contributions, hundreds and hundreds of comments were left as a tribute to his cause and what he stood for. Comments shared by contributors included statements such as “Colin was a crusader for spreading light in the world to protect our children, or future. Let’s carry on his legacy”, “Collin’s message was inspiring and makes me as an adult want to put down my phone and just live life to its fullest”, and “Collin opened my eyes to what matters most, and made me realize how much time I was really spending on the nothingness of social media. That is one service I can never repay fully, all I can say is thanks and try to spread his message of hope, life and family.”
As you read this chapter, I’d recommend you take some time to go online and read some of these tributes for yourself to see the kind of influence he had on those that heard and embraced his message: Collin Kartchner. In addition, you can take a few more minutes to watch his Ted Talk entitled, “Can flip phones end our social media addiction?”. I can guarantee it will be time well spent as I have done both of those things as well as have had the opportunity to listen to him present in person, along with some family members at a local high school, and will always be grateful for the opportunity.
With this message in mind, it’s important for all of us to recognize that these smart devices still have tremendous potential for good and it’s our responsibility to recognize both the constructive and destructive potential these technologies contain. It’s our responsibility to learn how to go about tackling or harnessing these technologies, such as a smartphone, in a way that enhances our lives rather than robbing us of our time, self-image, and ultimately our happiness.