Put it down! Should children be allowed smartphones? - podcast

Almost all children have them by the time they are 11 years old - and some get them at four. But are they ruining childhoods? Blake Montgomery reports

Conversations around if and when children should be given mobile phones have being going on for years. But recently the question has been catapulted to the forefront of national debate.

From campaigning parents to bestselling books, a movement has emerged that believes smartphones are ruining childhoods and that young people should be banned from having them. It's not hard to come up with reasons why: they are addictive, keep children glued to screens instead of playing, can be used for online bullying and are one reason why so many children have seen pornography.