New research suggests parents regret exposing their kids to smartphones at an early age and many claim this access has had negative effects and changes in their child’s personality.

Some would say this is unsurprising, but to me the surprise is this research – a worldwide survey of 10,000 parents from Australia and around the world – was commissioned by phone company HMD (Human Mobile Devices).

They sell smartphones, and affordable ones at that, so are a great option for that first phone. But as a company which brought back the “dumbphone” with the retro-nokia devices some years ago, there’s something to be said about perhaps looking at a more staged access to devices, starting with dumbphones before moving to smartphones for kids.

More than half of those surveyed regretted that early exposure to smartphones, and one third cited those negative effects of the device and changes in personality.

Perhaps unsurprisingly – to parents anyway – 55% say their kids uses of phones is a source of big arguments.

But there’s a dillema. More than half of the parents surveyed also felt that smartphones can have a positive impact, and benefit them educationally – plus there’s the social connectivity of keeping in touch with their friends.

Digging into the research and more specifically the Australian findings within it, 77% of Aussie parents think social media puts their kids under too much pressure. This gels with the current mood to lift the age of access to social media.

A huge 54% of parents want more guidance to help them manage their children’s screen time and over 50% want the government to provide that guidance.

Globally, 64% of parents see negative impacts from smartphones on their children’s sleep, 61% think it reduces the amount of physical activity they undertake and one third feel their child has body image issues due to their phones.

Sadly, 38% of parents think there are no solutions 🙁

As a result of all this data, HMD is calling for people to get involved in the subject and be part of the journey to create change.

I’ve got some ideas that’s for sure!

If you want to be involved, sign up to HMD’s “Better Phone Project“

Lars Silberbauer, CMO of HMD, said: “The Better Phone Project is a journey to discovering a variety of solutions that tackle digital overload, providing choice and balance.  Our goal is to collaborate with parents and experts to develop solutions that truly meet people’s needs, driving innovation in this space.”

Brenden Folitarik, GM Australia and Oceania, HMD, said: “It’s clear that Australian parents are struggling to find the balance between giving their children the benefit and freedom of connectivity while also teaching them about the responsible use of technology. This research is the first of an ongoing commitment from HMD to stay close to our consumers and be part of the solution.”

It would be brilliant if a smartphone company like HMD could build a solution for parents that balances the needs and desires of kids with the concerns of parents.

We’ll see!