Is My Child Ready for a Smartphone? With Adam Pletter, PsyD

Is My Child Ready for a Smartphone? With Adam Pletter, PsyD

From Screen Deep by Children and Screens

November 19, 2025 · 49 min · Season 1 · Episode 23

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges parents face in deciding when to give their child a smartphone, featuring insights from psychologist Dr. Adam Pletter.

A child’s first smartphone is a modern "rite of passage" and today's parents face a challenging decision – when is the right time? Peer pressure and fear of missing out loom heavily, yet there are significant risks to introducing a smart device before a child is ready. On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry talks with psychologist and creator of iParent101, Dr. Adam Pletter, about developmental readiness and practical steps for safely introducing a “pocket-sized computer” that allows...

People in this episode

Host: Kris Perry

Guest: Adam Pletter

Topics covered

  • smartphones
  • child development
  • parenting decisions
  • peer pressure
  • digital readiness

Keywords

  • smartphone
  • children
  • parenting
  • developmental readiness
  • peer pressure
  • digital devices

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: iParent101

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