At What Age Should Kids Have Internet?

The internet is ruling our lives, so it’s hard to say what age would be appropriate kids have internet access! Your kids start looking at the screens while talking to grandma or a parent out of the city when they are 18 months – 24 months.  

So, there is no one size fits all solution! But, you must limit screen time and establish ground rules for internet use. What works for one family may not work for the other. 

A lot also depends on your child’s maturity and whether they have homework from school and thus need to use the internet. 

While you can always supervise, you would find it challenging if there were multiple kids and one device. 

Let’s discuss more about the internet and kids’ age. 

What’s The Appropriate Age to Use The Internet for Kids? 

According to Pew Research Center, two-thirds of the parents in the USA think social media and technology are a reason for hard parenting in today’s time. However, things were different twenty years ago. 

NY Times suggests tips on limiting kids’ tech use. Parents need to notice when technology is taking over and becoming an addiction. 

Being a parent, you have the decision power! You decide what age is appropriate for the child to use the internet. 

You are letting the child use the internet when you switch on the TV and put nursery rhymes on YouTube. While the nursery rhymes sound harmless, you never know when the child will be exposed to an advertisement not appropriate for them. 

So, it’s hard to say what age would be most appropriate as different parents have different needs. For example, if you work from home and don’t have the means to send a child to daycare, you may rely on the internet to keep the kid busy. You may let them use a safe app while they are around you, but it could be connected to the internet. 

American Academy of Child And Adolescent Psychiatry says children (between 8-12 years) spend 4 to 6 hours each day in front of a screen. For teens, it is 9 hours a day! 

Children could play online games, watch educational videos, watch entertaining videos, documentaries, and more. In addition, the kids’ activities seem connected to the internet. 

Tips to Keep In Mind When Letting Kids Use The Internet 

Now that you know it depends on you at what age you allow the internet, it’s best to consider the following: 

Maturity: Look for the signs of maturity in your child. If your child is responsible, you can let them use the internet when they are around 8-10 years. But under parental supervision. It’s usually during these years when kids get homework from school and, thus, may need to use the internet. 

Quality Content: The content you allow the kids to consume must be high-quality. Don’t let kids have access to anything that’s not appropriate for their age. So, you need to double-check the content quality. 

Educate About Internet Safety: You must educate your kid about internet safety. Let them know why you don’t prefer or allow internet use. Talk to the kids about cyberbullying and other such issues. 

Establish Internet Rules: No matter what age you allow to use the internet, there are specific rules that you need to establish. For example, there must be a common laptop for the family or a smart device that everyone can use. Then, you would turn on the protection for children. The kids would only use the internet for a limited time. 

FAQs 

What to do if the kids ask for the internet, but you are not ready? 

Talk politely to your kids and let them understand your viewpoint. Try to understand whether it’s peer pressure or they want to play games online. Let the kids know about the internet safety rules and regulations. 

What are some important tips for parents to consider for the internet? 

You must let your kids know it’s not safe to share personal information online. They must never share their name or date of birth. If a stranger asks for the parent’s bank details or the kid’s image, they must immediately let you know about it. 

Wrapping It Up 

It’s for you to decide the age of a kid suitable for using the internet. While you let them access the internet via apps, online videos, and entertainment, you must supervise the kids and establish ground rules when they decide to use the internet for work or play games.