this post was submitted on 30 Dec 2023
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My opinion is that kids only want to use phones because they see parents use them all the time. If parents would use phones only for calling, kids would not find them interesting. Of course giving up phones is super difficult, beyond what parents are willing to do. And of course I'm talking about small children, not adolescents.
Relatively new parent here. I regret to inform you that your hypothesis is incorrect, at least for my kid. He's still an infant, though and I don't know if you include kids under 1 in "small children".
My wife and I only use our phones to track his nap times, take a picture of him occasionally (once a week or so), and make phone calls. He is still magnetically attracted to them. If you leave one sitting on a surface he can reach he will go for it and start trying to get it to light up on the lock screen. This is especially frustrating for my wife and I as we intend to restrict screen time as much as possible through early childhood.
Even removing social pressures and constructs around phones they are little boxes with moving lights on one side that respond to your touch. That's inherently interesting to children even before they can meaningfully interpret writing or abstract images.
So they are as attracted to them as to other toys and are happy to stay on the lock screen? I would say that's a win. Most kids will watch YT and play games constantly. I don't think lock screen counts as a screen time.
I wonder if there are any fake phones you can get them. Or even better yet, just get an old android, absolutely brutalise it software wise, even disabling internet, maybe put like nothing on it or keep it on the lock screen.
There are fake phones, even fake computers, for little kids to "play being adult".
For somewhat older kids that can already hold a tablet without dropping it, a cheap Android tablet with only WiFi, can be stripped down of all the crapware and preloaded with some games, educational stuff, and some media for offline use.