Family Watchdog Urges Parents to Avoid Giving Children iPhones This Christmas

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One of the nation’s top family watchdogs is encouraging parents to avoid giving their children iPhones – or any phone lacking safeguards – this Christmas.

Enough Is Enough (EIE) placed Apple’s iPhones along with Android phones on its list of products not to purchase for children or teens, instead suggesting parents consider phones with built-in controls. Such phones are sold by companies such as Gabb, Bark, MMGuardian, Pinwheel, and Troomi.

Enough Is Enough is a non-profit organization that advocates for child internet safety and equips families to navigate the digital world responsibly. It offers a guide for parents who are considering purchasing a phone for their children.

“At the very foundation, an internet-connected device is literally handing a child the world – no guardrails, no safety net, no filters,” EIE said. “Predators use social media and even online gaming sites to groom children. Apps are frequently misrated and can enable children to access harmful and sexually explicit content.”

The guidance was a part of Enough Is Enough’s Naughty & Nice List of Holiday Gifts for Children & Teens – and was one of five gifts EIE is issuing a warning about for the holiday season.

“For anyone holiday shopping for children and teens, no doubt many of the gifts on their lists include technology,” said Donna Rice Hughes, president and CEO of Enough Is Enough. “However, internet-connected tech gifts arrive with hidden costs to youth: anxiety, sleep loss, social pressures, addictive algorithms, exposure to sexually-explicit content, predators, traffickers, sextortionists, and addictions. The so-called ‘reward’ of tech does not outweigh the risks.”

The other gifts EIE is warning about include:

– AI Toys. “Many children’s toys have started to embed chatbots in them. These toys may seem trustworthy; however, recent news reports that AI toys have told children where to find knives, light a match, and even had sexually explicit conversations with an innocent child,” EIE said.

– Roblox Gift Cards. “Roblox, a gaming platform extremely popular with children, enables predators to groom children, often contains violence and sexual content, and is facing over 35 lawsuits as a result. Hindenburg Research described Roblox as an ‘x-rated pedophile’s hellscape.’”

– Smartwatches are not designed for kids. “Children can access the internet on smartwatches, which means they can access any kind of harmful content, and as such, are in the same category as smartphones.”

– Virtual Reality headsets. “A parent’s worst nightmare was confirmed at a congressional hearing where two Meta whistleblowers testified that if their children have used Meta’s Virtual Reality devices, they have likely been sexually exploited.”

Enough Is Enough recommends that parents consider screen-free gift options this Christmas. EIE’s “nice” list highlights outdoor toys like scooters, bikes, racquet sets, water or sand tables, and sports equipment, along with non-tech items such as books, board games, Legos, and puzzles – and even notes that teens often appreciate new clothes. EIE also encourages music-focused gifts, including instruments, sheet music, lessons, or concert tickets, as well as age-appropriate toy music sets for younger children. Additionally, the organization suggests giving children and teens “experiences,” from cooking classes and bowling to go-karting, axe-throwing, retro arcades, or even planning a family trip together.

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Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Tim Robberts

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

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