There has been much debate over the right age a child should have a mobile phone. While there is no right or wrong answer, there are many things to consider. A recent TIME Magazine article discussed some of the factors that may influence when you get your son or daughter a cell phone. Obviously, the one that is most relevant to alara is the threat of cell phone radiation. Studies have shown that adults can absorb up to 68% of the radiation from mobile devices. Last month, the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (APP), Dr. Robert Block, sent a letter to the FCC asking it to review the cell phone radiation standards for children, writing:

“Children are not little adults and are disproportionately impacted by all environmental exposures, including cell phone radiation. In fact, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, when used by children, the average RF energy deposition is two times higher in the brain and 10 times higher in the bone marrow of the skull, compared with mobile phone use by adults”.

With this in mind, consider the following:

• 2.7 hours per day are spent socializing on our cell phones – twice the time we spend eating.
• 15.7 billion texts are sent each month. That’s 363,426 per minute or 6,057 right this second

That’s a lot of time spent with a mobile phone. With an alara smartphone case, parents everywhere can know that they are reducing their children’s exposure to cell phone radiation. But don’t take our word for it. See what some Moms are already saying about alara smartphone cases. “If you are as addicted to your phone as I am, and want to reduce your family's exposure to radiation from your phone, you need an alara case.  Or if you are just looking for a sleek, sophisticated case, you really need a alara case!  alara also makes cases for iPads.” -- ClubMomme “I absolutely love alara Research Inc.’s cases. Not only do they have cases for iPads, but they also have them for cell phones.  I am hoping they will make more of a selection, because I would love to get a cell phone case for my family for their everyday use.” -- Barefootmommies “My boys are constantly asking to borrow my iPhone and I get a little paranoid about the radiation exposure. These iPhone covers reduce the radiation exposure up to 95% below the Federal Communication Commission’s limit, so there’s one less thing to keep me up at 3am.” -- ThreeTwentyEight What do you think is the right age for a child to have access to a smartphone? Tell us in the comments.