08/21/2026
People ask me all the time:
“When should I give my child a smartphone?”
My answer is usually another question:
When are they prepared for everything that comes with it?
Are they ready for po*******hy? Strangers communicating with them privately? Algorithms, influencers, sexual content, violence, and countless voices telling them who they are, what they should value, and where their worth comes from?
And for Christian parents:
Have we discipled them well enough to recognize when the messages coming through that screen contradict the Gospel?
This isn’t fearmongering. It’s recognizing what we’re actually handing our children.
A smartphone isn’t just a phone. It’s potentially an open door to millions of people, images, ideas, and influences—many you would never voluntarily invite into your home.
Our kids are also growing up during a mental-health crisis. In the CDC’s 2023 survey of high school students, 20% seriously considered attempting su***de and about 9% reported attempting su***de in the previous year.
So before asking, “What age should my child get a smartphone?” ask:
Have we talked about po*******hy and grooming?
Do they know what to do if someone asks for a picture?
Do they understand that attention isn’t the same as love?
Can they recognize manipulation?
Can they handle being left out without desperately seeking approval online?
Do they know their worth isn’t determined by likes, followers, appearance, sexuality, popularity, or someone else’s opinion?
Can they tell us when they’ve seen something disturbing without fearing punishment or shame?
Have we installed appropriate safeguards and parental controls?
Most importantly, have we given them a foundation strong enough to know who they are when thousands of voices begin telling them who they should be?
Deuteronomy 6:7 tells parents to teach God’s truth diligently to their children. Today, that discipleship also has to follow our children onto their screens.
The question isn’t simply:
“Are they old enough to own a smartphone?”
The better question is:
“Are they equipped for the world I’m about to put in their pocket?”
