We see smartphones everywhere. In school hallways, at the family dinner table and plugged in at the bedside table.
But how young is too young to be constantly connected to the rest of the world through sleek apps, social media and video messaging?
One Colorado man has decided that age 13 seems like a good cutoff.
Tim Farnum is leading the charge on a proposed ballot initiative in Colorado that would be the first of its kind in the country. Farnum's proposal would ban the sale of smartphones to children younger than 13, or more likely, to parents who intend to give the smartphone to kids in that age bracket.
Farnum, a Denver-area anesthesiologist, is the founder of Parents Against Underage Smartphones, or PAUS, the nonprofit group pushing the proposal.
Source: Coloradoan.com
Also reported by: The Washington Post
Initial Fiscal Impact Statement: Colorado.gov [PDF]
(Score: 4, Interesting) by J053 on Tuesday June 20 2017, @12:32AM (5 children)
(Score: 3, Insightful) by lentilla on Tuesday June 20 2017, @01:00AM (1 child)
Maybe this one dad can give his new law a trial run in his own home: tell his child that "somebody" made a law that made it illegal for children to have a 'phone. Now he gets two tantrums: the first when he takes the phone away, and the second when the child discovers the removal is in force until age thirteen.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 20 2017, @02:09AM
And if he's not a dad... Snip the sucker so he doesn't procreate more idiots.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday June 20 2017, @07:31AM (2 children)
How can a 13 year old get credit and enter into a contract, it makes no sense.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 20 2017, @07:37AM
There are phones without contracts, and you can buy them (and minutes and service time cards) with cash. Some of them are pretty cheap. Even smartphones.
But there are plenty of things a child could get that a parent may not want them to have. Check up on them occasionally and don't be too paranoid.
(Score: 2) by TheRaven on Tuesday June 20 2017, @08:48AM
sudo mod me up