IT'S no secret that technology has become an important element of our everyday life – and even young children have become tied to it.
But whilst it may be a necessity at some point, especially to keep in touch, one mum has recently gone viral after revealing her three-year-old tot has her own phone.
According to Dakota, a mum-of-three, her mum had gifted her toddler a mini 'phone' for her third birthday – and it comes with a camera, a voice recording app, fun games to pass the time, as well as music they can vibe to.
Other functions, she revealed in the video, included calendar, calculator, alarm, flashlight and, of course, an adorable phone case with a cute unicorn design in baby pink.
''It's not actually a phone, of course, but it has everything that a toddler will try to do on your phone.
''You can connect it to your laptop and get music on there for them,'' Dakota went on to rave about the buy from Amazon, which cost £36.99.
readmore on parenting
oh baby
Dani Dyer shows off her 'real' huge baby bump before giving birth to twins
ticked off
Katie Price slammed for ‘dangerous parenting move’ with daughter
''She can set timers and alarms, it's so cute,'' Dakota went on, convinced that '''so many toddlers will love to see this as well''.
But whilst her tot may be all pleased with their brand new gift, the pricey buy left social media users totally divided and some raced to comments to slam the mum.
For many, even though the phone was a toy, the child was far too young for a tech-inspired present, in their opinion.
One TikTok fan said: ''I wasn't allowed a phone until I was 13.''
Most read in Fabulous
GRAN LOVE
I’m one of the UK’s youngest grans and now I’ve finally found love at 34
FAMILY FIRST
I’d been pregnant 7 times by 19 – trolls say I’m a pathetic embarrassment
WATER BARGAIN!
The £20 Amazon bargain that people are swearing by to tackle condensation
DREAM DISCOUNT
Forget the Primark PJs – I found some in Sainsbury’s that are cheaper
''Same and then it was a flip phone not a smartphone,'' another replied.
''I got my first phone when I was 13 and had the best childhood without screens,'' a third chimed in.
FABULOUS VEGAS: JOIN TO CLAIM £100 BONUS PLUS 50 FREE SPINS
Others also pointed out to potential safety and privacy issues, with someone advising: ''I'd put a sticker on the front camera just to be safe.''
Meanwhile, whilst someone went on to add that her daughter won't be able to ''hold a pencil'', there were also plenty of parents who were keen to snap up a copy themselves.
One mum chuckled: ''My little one would love this. She loves capturing pictures of me in some states.''
''I actually love this it’s a good idea a safe way for kids to have a little phone,'' another person reckoned.
But as one in four kids under the age of SIX has a smartphone, what do the experts think about the phone mania? And at what age should you consider getting your child a phone?
Parenting experts warned that those under 11 should not have their own smartphone due to ''concerns over depression''.
Dr Jon Goldin, of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: “Children often say to parents, ‘All my friends are (getting phones) and you are not allowing me to do that’.
“I don’t think we can legislate, but this guidance would back parents up when they were having conversations with ten-year-olds.”
Read More on The Sun
I'M LOVIN' IT
McDonald's winter menu shake-up – five new items & return of Chicken Big Mac
WOW!
Alex Scott wows as she goes braless in see-through dress at GQ Men of the Year awards
Dr Goldin told The Daily Telegraph: “We don’t think social media companies are policing themselves adequately.
"We are supporting more robust age verification as an absolute minimum.”
Source: Read Full Article