As a parent, would you support a ban on smartphones for children
97% of 12-year-olds in Britain have a smartphone and parents have been put in an impossible position.
When children first started getting phones there was little or no research available about their impact, but we now know that smartphones expose children to harmful content, increase the likelihood of developing a mental illness and are highly addictive.
As a dad, I am fortunate that my children are grown-up but I understand the predicament that most parents are in. We either risk allowing our children to access something that opens the door to harmful content or we risk alienating them from their peers.
During mental health awareness week, I urge parents to think about the harm that can be causes by smartphones, and consider what changes could be made at home or at school that may help.