At Acres of Mercy Learning Centre, we believe every child is a gift from God, full of potential, curiosity and promise. As parents and educators, our shared duty is not only to help children pass examinations, but to help them grow in wisdom, self-control, language, confidence, relationships and character.
One of the biggest parenting questions today is simple but difficult: At what age should a child be given a phone?
The answer is not just about affordability, safety or convenience. It is also about child development. A phone is not just a calling device. For a child, a smartphone can become a private television, game arcade, social platform, camera, search engine, entertainment centre and source of constant distraction — all in one pocket.
Research does not say that all technology is bad. It does, however, show that early, frequent, unsupervised screen and smartphone exposure can interfere with some of the very things children need most: language, attention, sleep, emotional regulation, physical play and deep learning.
Story 1: The child who stopped talking because the screen was talking for him
Imagine a young child who is given a phone to keep quiet during meals, travel, church, visits or waiting time. At first, it feels helpful. The child is calm. The parent can work. There is no crying.
But slowly, something else happens. The child points less, asks fewer questions, struggles to explain needs clearly, and becomes impatient when an adult does not understand immediately.
This kind of story is becoming common across many homes. The concern is not simply that the child is “watching videos.” The deeper issue is that screens can replace the back-and-forth conversations through which young children build language.
A large JAMA Pediatrics cohort study of 7,097 mother-child pairs found a dose-response association between greater screen time at age one and later developmental delays in communication and problem-solving at ages two and four. Children with four or more hours of screen time per day had especially higher odds of delay in several developmental domains. (JAMA Network)
Another JAMA Pediatrics systematic review and meta-analysis found that more screen use was associated with weaker child language skills, while better outcomes were linked to quality content, co-viewing and later age of first exposure. (JAMA Network)
For parents, the lesson is clear: young children do not learn language best from a phone. They learn language best from people. They need adults who talk, listen, sing, tell stories, ask questions, read aloud and respond warmly.
Story 2: The child who can watch for two hours but cannot concentrate for ten minutes
Many parents notice a confusing pattern. A child can watch cartoons, games or short videos for a long time, but struggles to sit through homework, reading, revision or quiet instruction.
This does not always mean the child is lazy. Phones and apps are designed to capture attention through bright colours, fast movement, autoplay, rewards, sounds and constant novelty. School learning is different. It requires patience, memory, listening, waiting, rereading, practising and sometimes struggling before success comes.
Research on smartphones and attention shows why this matters. A well-cited study called “Brain Drain” found that the mere presence of one’s own smartphone can reduce available cognitive capacity, even when the phone is not actively being used. (Chicago Journals)
In school settings, research has also found that restricting mobile phone use can improve learning outcomes. A London School of Economics study of schools in four English cities found that student test scores increased after schools banned mobile phones, with the greatest gains among the lowest-achieving learners. (cep.lse.ac.uk)
This matters deeply to us as a school. The children who most need uninterrupted attention are often the same children who are most easily pulled away by a phone.
Story 3: The child who is always tired, irritable and “not himself”
A child may not be openly addicted to a phone, but the phone may still be affecting bedtime. The child watches videos “just for a few minutes,” checks messages, plays games, or keeps the device close at night. Sleep reduces. Mornings become harder. The child becomes moody, slow, forgetful or easily upset.
Sleep is not a luxury for children. It is part of learning. During sleep, the brain consolidates memory, supports emotional regulation and prepares the child for the next day.
A 2025 JAMA Pediatrics study using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study found that more screen time in late childhood was associated with more depressive symptoms in early adolescence, and that shorter sleep and white matter differences mediated part of this association. The authors emphasized the importance of healthy screen habits and adequate sleep. (JAMA Network)
The CDC’s 2025 analysis of U.S. teenagers also found that teens with four or more hours of non-schoolwork screen time were more likely to report poor sleep routines, being infrequently well-rested, anxiety symptoms and depression symptoms. (CDC)
For parents, one of the most protective rules is simple: no phone in the bedroom at night.
Story 4: The child who has many online contacts but fewer real friendships
A phone can make a child feel connected, but it can also quietly weaken real-life relationships. Some children become more comfortable with screens than with conversation. They may avoid play, chores, reading, family talk, outdoor activity or face-to-face conflict resolution.
The World Health Organization advises that young children need less sedentary screen time, more active play, better sleep and more interactive non-screen activities such as reading, storytelling, singing and puzzles with caregivers. For children under one, WHO does not recommend screen time; for children aged two to four, sedentary screen time should be no more than one hour per day, and less is better. (World Health Organization)
The American Academy of Pediatrics now encourages families to focus not only on “how many hours” children spend on screens, but also on whether media use is crowding out sleep, physical activity, family connection, schoolwork and healthy routines. (AAP)
This is a helpful question for every home: What good thing is the phone replacing?
What research does not say
It would be wrong to say that every screen is harmful or that every child who uses a phone will struggle. Some digital tools can support learning when they are age-appropriate, purposeful, supervised and used for a limited time.
The concern is early personal phone ownership, especially when the child has private, regular, unsupervised access to games, videos, social media, messaging, browsing or nighttime use.
A child does not need a personal smartphone in order to become digitally competent. Digital literacy can be taught gradually, safely and under adult guidance.
Acres of Mercy Learning Centre’s current position on phone use by children
Acres of Mercy Learning Centre is a phone-free learning environment for learners.
Our position is guided by our duty to protect children’s attention, safety, moral development, social growth and academic progress.
Therefore:
Learners should not bring personal phones, smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, gaming devices or internet-enabled devices to school unless written permission has been granted by the Head of Institution for a specific medical, safety or school-approved learning reason.
Parents who need to communicate with a child during the school day should do so through the Front Office, the class teacher, the section head or the official school communication channels.
If a learner brings a phone or digital device without permission, the school will keep it safely and return it to the parent or guardian, not directly to the learner.
School-approved digital learning will be teacher-supervised, purposeful and age-appropriate. We support technology when it strengthens learning; we do not support unsupervised personal device use that weakens attention, discipline or character.
We encourage parents to delay personal smartphone ownership for children for as long as reasonably possible. Where a phone is necessary for an older learner’s safety or transport communication, we encourage a basic call-and-text phone or a tightly supervised family device rather than unrestricted smartphone access.
This is not a punishment. It is a protection.
What parents can do at home
A strong home phone plan does not have to be complicated.
Start with these five commitments:
First, delay personal smartphone ownership. A shared family phone is safer than giving a child private control too early.
Second, keep bedrooms phone-free. Charge devices in the sitting room or parent’s room, not next to the child’s bed.
Third, protect homework and reading time. Phones should be away during homework, revision, reading and family devotion time.
Fourth, turn off autoplay and unnecessary notifications. These features are designed to keep children engaged for longer than they intended. The American Academy of Pediatrics specifically encourages families to turn off autoplay and notifications and create screen-free zones such as homework time, mealtimes and before bed. (HealthyChildren.org)
Fifth, replace screen time with better routines. Reading, outdoor play, chores, board games, music, storytelling, sports, art, gardening, helping in the kitchen and family conversations all build the child in ways a phone cannot.
A final word to parents
As a school, we are not against technology. We are for children.
We are for children who can read deeply, think clearly, sleep well, speak respectfully, play actively, relate warmly, pray sincerely and learn with focus.
A phone given too early can make childhood noisier, lonelier and more distracted. But a wise partnership between home and school can protect what matters most.
Let us work together to give our children not just access to devices, but the discipline, wisdom and maturity to use technology at the right time, in the right way, for the right purpose.
