MOBILE phones are now about as common as pencil cases inside the backpacks of Griffith schoolchildren, new research has found.
Telstra’s Cyber-Safety survey revealed a record number of Riverina children are using the hi-tech tools, with four in five parents admitting they will send their kids to school this year with an internet-connected device.
The figures have reignited the debate over how old a child should be before carrying a mobile phone.
The survey of parents with children aged 10 to 17 revealed almost eight in 10 kids own a mobile phone by the time they’re 13 and that seven in 10 will take one to school this year.
Local IT expert Livio Mazzon called it a “sign of the times”.
“My opinion on this topic has changed so much to what it was five years ago,” he said.
“I was a lot more conservative before and would have said it wasn’t a good idea. But these days there are so many benefits to having phones. It is inevitable. They make kids more contactable, which as a parent is great.
“I’d even go as far as to say that schools should try and use them as part of the curriculum so they learn how to use them properly.
“There is no way you can stop it so why not educate them. Let’s face it, phones are not the only distraction at school. We should enbrace them now because it’s not just a phone, it’s a much more powerful device.”
Telstra Country Wide area general manager for Riverina Murray, Loretta Willaton, said it was important for local parents to equip children with the skills required to use new technology safely as they pack their gadget-filled bags for the new school year.
She said cyber-safety risks such as approaches from online strangers and cyber bullying was a big worry for parents.
“We want to reinforce that parents need to police the use of these devices because now children can access the internet on smart phones so easily,” she said.
“I believe children will find a way of getting access to phones so the most important thing is for parents not to ignore new technology.”
In a move they hope will encourage students to take a more responsible approach to technology, Griffith High School has changed its mobile phone policy this year.
Students will now be allowed to bring them to school but they will not be permitted in the classroom. “We’ve decided at our school they can use them at recess and lunch,” assistant principal Ron Anson said.
“As technology has changed so has our policy. We have found that you can have all of the rules you like but it never stopped parents ringing during class time.
“This way parents will know that if they want to ring the children they can do it during recess or lunch. In instances where cyber-bullying does occur during recess or lunch we can police it.”
Sharon Lyons’ son’s Brenton, 17, and Jeremy, 13, O’Brien, each have a mobile phone. “We live 40kms out of town so I like them to have a phone,” she said.
- Over a quarter of children aged under 11 years own a mobile phone.
- Eight in 10 kids have a phone by the time they’re 13.
- Seven out of 10 kids use their mobile at school to connect with friends and family via texts and social networking sites such as Facebook.
- 10 per cent of kids use their mobiles in some classes using features such as a calculator or compass as learning aids.
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