One of the major topics in parent WhatsApp groups, school PTA meetings, or casual conversations is: Should children use smartphones? This used to be a private parenting dilemma, but it turns out that it is a global debate.

Phones are no longer just gadgets for children, they are how friendships are maintained and how even school tasks are shared. In a country where over 140 million internet subscriptions are active, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission, digital life is no longer optional. It is woven into daily existence.

The cost of constant scrolling

Excessive screen time has been linked in several international studies to anxiety, disrupted sleep, and even reduced attention span. Teachers in parts of Lagos and Abuja privately admit that sustained concentration is becoming harder to hold in classrooms. Reading for long stretches now competes with endless scrolling.

Then there is what many parents describe as “brain rot” content. Fast-paced, low-quality videos engineered to capture attention but offering little substance. These clips are often under one minute and rely on exaggerated reactions and relentless stimulation. When attention is repeatedly trained to expect instant reward, patience and deeper thinking may suffer. Some child development specialists argue that prolonged exposure to such content may weaken creativity and reflective problem-solving. In everyday terms, too much passive consumption can dull curiosity.

Furthermore, several recent studies have attempted to quantify the impact of early smartphone use on children’s mental health and development. Digital safety guides note that smartphones are generally most appropriate for older children (early teens) only when they’ve demonstrated responsibility and can follow clear rules, with younger kids often beginning with more limited devices or supervised use.

Why smartphones may be hard to avoid

In Nigeria, smartphones often double as safety tools. Parents navigating long commutes and busy schedules rely on them to stay connected with their children. A call can confirm arrival at school. So, these mobile devices give families peace of mind.

Digital literacy is another factor. Increasingly, assignments, research, and even school announcements circulate online. A child entirely cut off from digital platforms may struggle socially and academically. In urban centres, to be offline can mean to be excluded.

Still, risks remain real. Social media platforms expose children to cyberbullying, grooming, and online exploitation. The anonymity of the internet lowers barriers that would exist in physical spaces. Without guidance, curiosity can drift into vulnerability.

Balancing risks and benefits

There is no universally correct age to hand over a smartphone. What matters more is readiness, responsibility, impulse control, and the ability to follow clear rules, which are better indicators than the child’s age.

Some parents opt for gradual exposure by beginning with feature phones for calls and texts before introducing internet-enabled devices in the early teenage years. Others enforce structured usage, limiting screen time and reviewing app downloads. Digital literacy conversations, not just digital restrictions, are increasingly essential.

Also read: The rise of digital learning in Nigerian classrooms

Child development experts and digital safety researchers agree that there isn’t a universal age that automatically makes a child ready for a smartphone, maturity and parental guidance matter more than a number. This is important in Nigeria, where a Nigerian Communications Commission survey found that most school-age children use mobile phones and go online without safeguards, increasing their risk exposure. Academic research also shows that how parents mediate children’s online activity strongly shapes their digital safety experience.

Cultural context matters

In Nigeria, phones carry social meaning. They signal belonging. Children without access may feel marginalised in peer circles shaped by memes, challenges, and shared online humour. At the same time, Nigeria’s communal culture offers protective advantages. Extended family oversight, neighbourly awareness, and strong parental authority can temper some digital excesses.

The real tension is not between technology and tradition. It is between speed and wisdom.

Schools, parents, and policymakers continue to search for workable boundaries. Meanwhile, households are left to make daily decisions in real time. The smartphone is neither villain nor saviour. It is a powerful tool placed in increasingly younger hands.

So, one may ask, should children use smartphones? Or maybe the best question to ask here is whether adults are prepared to guide them through the content of those phones.

Anita Chinedu