A survey conducted by Secure Data Recovery found that the average age at which parents in Florida give their children smartphones is nine years old. This means that the days of flip phones, which simply allowed you to make and receive phone calls and texts, are long gone.
According to the report, Florida is the second state in the United States where parents are giving their children cellphones at an earlier age than in any other state.
According to J.R. Talamentez, the Chief of Police of Panama City Beach, it is the obligation of the parents to install parental controls on the device. He also believes that it is vital for parents to communicate with their children about the risks connected with technology in order to prevent the spread of threats and disinformation.
“If you are a parent and you are not routinely checking your kid’s phone, for all types of dangerous materials, the likelihood of your child making a bad judgment call and spreading some information like this is just higher… it is ridiculous that we’re seeing so much of it, it is ridiculous that we’re having to put thirteen, fourteen, twelve, eleven-year-olds in jail,” said Chief Talamentez.
These seminars are held by the Panama City Beach Police Department in order to educate parents on technology so that they can teach their children about the risks associated with technology.