“Dad, Mom, when can I get a cell phone?” In France, the average age at which children get their first smartphone is currently 11 years and 4 months, according to a new study by the Observatory of Parenthood and Digital Education (OPEN) published this Tuesday, October 8. A phenomenon which has delayed slightly in recent years: a survey carried out in 2020 by Médiamétrie placed this average age a little before 10 years.
5 hours daily on weekends for a teenager
A child under 11 spends on average 1 hour per day on a smartphone. For a teenager (15-17 years old), this rises to 4 hours daily during the holidays, 5 hours even during the weekend. Screen time to which must be added television, console, computer (around 1 and a half hours each time). And be careful if you tell yourself that for your child, it’s a little less: parents almost systematically underestimate the time their offspring spends in front of a screen, underlines the same study.
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However, there is software to control screen time. Google, Microsoft, Apple offer them. Since this summer, all devices connected to the Internet must be equipped with it. But they are underutilized, according to the OPEN study. More and more, parents prefer spyware. “It gives an image of adults who are a little deprived,” laments Thomas Rohmer, founder and director of the association. “Having access to your child’s telephone conversations, when you think about it, in the parent-child relationship is not ideal for maintaining a bond of trust.”
His advice? Be interested in what your child is doing: ask them what they watch on TikTok, what their favorite influencer is doing or how their video game game went. Dialogue, the keystone of education in good digital practices.
