Smartphones and child developement: are mobile devices disrupting children’s natural curiosity?

In an interview, Dr. Catherine L’Ecuyer, a child development expert and Montessori educator, discusses how technology can not only distract young minds, but also dull their sense of wonder and hinder deep learning. She elaborates on the impact of smartphones on focus and concentration, the limits of tablets as educational tools, and practical strategies parents can use to help their children develop healthily in the digital age.

Ilona Sobul: We had the pleasure of listening to your speech at the “Attention, smartphone!” conference in Kraków, Poland, in April 2024. We were very inspired by the concept you presented of how cognitive processes occur in children, and how curiosity and a passion for exploring the world, discovering themselves, and their hobbies are awakened. We find this topic particularly interesting in the context of smartphones and their potential to interfere with cognitive processes, ultimately affecting children’s lives. Could you give our readers a glimpse of what is crucial in the process of children’s development, the awakening of their passions, and the process of learning?

dr Catherine L’Ecuyer: Wonder is the driving force behind all meaningful education and all the processes of learning. It is the child’s innate response to encountering the world with fresh eyes, where nothing is taken for granted and everything, by its mere existence, feels miraculous. This sense of awe awakens a deep desire to know, to understand, to explore. It fuels curiosity, sustained attention, and the search for meaning—all essential components of real learning. From a neurological perspective, the ability to pay attention, closely tied to wonder, is a key executive function and one of the strongest predictors of academic success. When we honor a child’s wonder, rather than impose filters or ready-made answers, we allow them to engage with reality openly, attentively, and authentically. In this way, wonder is not a passing emotion but a vital condition for intellectual growth, vital depth, and a lifelong love of learning.

You mentioned that curiosity about the world is natural for kids. It develops the desire to learn and explore. How does the smartphone disrupt this process?

By nature, children want to know what’s happening around them. They usually discover reality at their own pace, which is very slow. When children are exposed to external stimuli induced by technology, their desire to learn is dormant, and they feel dull. They start to rely on external stimuli to stay interested in reality. Instead of paying sustained attention to their surroundings, they enter another mode – passive fascination with reality.

In your opinion, what skills do children need to develop to properly engage with technology and not lose curiosity and the ability to learn?

To deal with technology without losing their curiosity and ability to learn, children need to develop inner capacities that help them stay grounded and intentional. Most important is the ability to pay attention and concentrate, as it allows children to engage deeply with the reality around them. Also, self-control and the ability to anticipate delayed gratification are vital in resisting the instant rewards of digital environments. Recognizing what is important and what is not helps children filter overwhelming information and stay focused on meaningful content.

Equally important are the the following dimensions: distinguishing between public and private realms, as well as a healthy sense of intimacy that helps them develop identity and integrity. Yet another aspect we should focus on before handing children a piece of technology is nurturing in them the sensitivity to beauty. It not only evokes wonder, curiosity, but also counterbalances the digital content. Together, these qualities form the core of a resilient, curious learner—one who uses technology as a tool, not a distraction.

You also mentioned the skills children need to develop to use the Internet safely and responsibly. Is it possible to determine an appropriate age for that?

There is no set age. I know it can be scandalous to say that, but I don’t mind. I am convinced that in around five years, selling devices to people under eighteen will be illegal. I believe children and teenagers are not prepared to manage a device designed for addiction.

Our organization has also appealed to the Ministry of Digital Affairs and the Ministry of Education, calling for a ban on smartphone use at schools. But most people, including many experts on the topic of technology and digital hygiene, argue that a ban is not a sufficient solution.

The ban is not enough, but there is no contradiction between banning and educating. It is not one or the other – they must go hand in hand. You need to educate children so that they understand the ban; otherwise, it is going nowhere. But if you only educate without banning, your education might not be effective.

You argue that smartphones should not be used by children as they are not strong and assertive enough to handle them. Could you elaborate on that?

A young child or teenager has not yet developed the executive function of inhibition (the ability to control actions and refrain from impulsive reactions – ed.). So, they are unable to say “no” to many things they see on the Internet. It is necessary to keep in mind how powerful this industry is and how powerful the porn industry is. Children may not be actively searching for pornography online, but the pornography industry is targeting them. It is very difficult for a child to resist it, because various psychological techniques are used to keep them engaged online as long as possible. Many of the apps they use are designed that way. It works like some kind of a hook – children want a smartphone at first, and once they have it, they download social apps. One thing leads to another. And WhatsApp is a big issue.

I think that one of the most addictive applications is WhatsApp, and I have a problem with it myself. I am even considering getting rid of it. It is disturbing that anybody can contact you at anytime from anywhere in the world. They can interrupt a conversation with your husband in the morning, because they message you from Mexico, saying that someone gave them your phone number. And you read it thinking, “I don’t even know this person”. It is crazy.

In one of your articles, you argue that requiring children to control themselves is pointless because social media and its content are designed to make people addicted.

That is why I laugh whenever someone talks about the responsible use of social media. Honesty, I do not believe that there is responsible social media use by twelve-, fourteen-, or even sixteen-year-olds. Its impact on youth is too strong. There is no responsibility without freedom, and when there is something irresistible, no freedom is in question for sure.

You state it from the perspective not only of an experienced pedagogue and a Doctor in Education and Psychology, but also an expert on the Montessori method.

Yes, I did my PhD on Montessori. Some people believe that discipline and freedom are contradictory, but they are not. Montessori used to say that there is no freedom without discipline, because if you do not control yourself, you are not truly free.

Do you agree that even teenagers do not have the proper skills or enough self-control to deal with new technologies?

Yes. I believe that self-regulation is difficult not only for children but also for teenagers. There are discussions about delaying smartphone introduction to the teenage years. And I think that it is as harmful as giving it to children. Teenagers are very vulnerable; they care about what others think of them and build their self-identity around it. It definitely should not take place online. They need to understand who they are by looking into their parents’ eyes, not at the number of likes they get. They also tend to make risky decisions. If you give a smartphone to somebody who underestimates risk, you are going to have a lot of problems for sure.

Because of social apps, teenagers do not even know how to meet and flirt with someone, because everything is online. Nowadays, when you see a picture online and find someone attractive, you contact them directly. And so, young people start and end relationships online because they do not know how to do this in any other way. I believe that in ten years, we will have a huge social movement offline demanding to return to the luxury of interpersonal relationships.

I do not know if you have reached this moment in Poland, but in Spain, thousands of parents have realized that they are addicted to smartphones. They cannot manage their addiction, so it is even more difficult for children, who are not yet emotionally and cognitively ready to do so. Now, there are growing movements advocating for no use of smartphones before the age of 16. It is a social phenomenon that nobody expected. It began in November 2023 all over Spain (when thousands of parents in Barcelona began debating on WhatsApp about the addictive impact of these devices – ed.).

What can be done when nowadays most kids have their smartphones by the age of eight or ten?

Parents should take smartphones away from their children. Now we are starting to discuss things we would rather not have… For instance, when you have cancer, you can try to cure it with positive thoughts or vitamins. Maybe you do not want surgery, but at some point, you may have no other choice. When you realize that positive thoughts and vitamins do not work, you might have to opt for a more drastic solution. Taking the smartphone from your child’s hands may seem drastic, but in the end, their life can blossom again. It turns out that not giving a child a smartphone is not the end of the world – it is quite the opposite.

Do you know it from your own experience?

Yes. Except for my oldest daughter, who is nineteen, my children do not have smartphones; neither my eighteen-year-old son, nor my sixteen- and twelve-year-olds. In fact, we never gave them smartphones. There was only one smartphone shared in the family, available for everyone, and we decided that it was not a good idea either.

Do your children feel like they are missing out on something?

No. Obviously, there are moments of tension, but they never got really upset with us. They are grateful because they see the consequences in other children. We do not have social networks for personal purposes; I only use them for my work. My husband does not have any, as well as my children, and they do not want it. My daughter, who is nineteen has a smartphone, but she does not want to use social networks as well.

You seem to be very authentic as you follow the principles you advocate for.

Well, I believe that personal experience is very important. The approach must be adapted to each person. Every child is unique. It may also differ for girls and boys. Girls generally mature before boys, but every case is specific.

What would you tell parents who say that children need to have their phones during their classes, because they want to have contact with them?

Well, if your child is at school, you do not need to speak with them because they are busy listening to the teacher. Maybe you need to talk to your child after school because you need to know where they are and if something happens to them on the train on the way home. I understand that. But there is still something called a dumb phone – a normal phone without internet access. With a dumb phone, you can still call them, and they can call you. My children have used dumb phones since they were sixteen. And when there is a party or a social event, their friends call and invite them. They have a lot of friends. When one of them has a birthday, about forty people show up.

Do other children tease them because they do not have smartphones?

No. If you want your children to recognize the dangers related to owning a smartphone, you need to educate them. Also, they need to be aware that being different from others is not a problem, but it is a strength, a virtue, and a part of forming a personality. Most likely, this lesson will make them stronger.

In Poland, there are still people who insist that schools should be more digital. Should digital devices be used in education? If so, to what extent? What conditions must be met? Sometimes teachers are unsure how to conduct lessons when children are not interested in traditional teaching methods.

When a child is overstimulated, they are unable to pay attention. Thus, you have two solutions. The first one is to bring them back to reality by adapting them to slow teaching and slow conversation. It is a more difficult but sustainable path. The other option is to go with the flow and do the same as the technological industry – to overstimulate students by covering school walls with screens to keep their attention. But this strategy, instead of evoking sustained attention, provokes a passive fascination. In such a way, you do not help children learn better. You are just ensuring everyone is captivated and silent in front of the screen. This is not the same.

There are no extensive and long-term studies that prove tablets are effective educational tools in schools. There is no rigorous evidence for that. It is the other way around: there are more and more studies suggesting that technology at school interrupts the concentration process and is affecting learning negatively.

If you were to advise teachers on how to run their classes, what would you say?

First, we need to specify the age group they work with. It is a big mistake to generalize about that. Since a child is different at each stage of development, diverse methods are appropriate for kindergarten, primary school, secondary school, and university. For instance, a child who is between zero to five years old is not able to think abstractly. They are more concrete, so they need sensory experiences and interpersonal relationships. If we are talking about children in elementary school, their needs are the same as those of younger ones, but they start to think abstractly. When discussing methods, we need to consider that the capacity for abstraction increases over time. Screens should never be used by children under six. Used before the age, they can create problems.

What kind of problems?

Inattention, impulsivity, and the impoverishment of vocabulary. I mean the word gaps – if you have less exposure to conversations, you know fewer words, and in consequence, you are unable to understand a text. How can you be interested in reading a book if you do not understand it? It stirs up a vicious circle.

Why do parents remain passive in the face of their children’s addiction to devices? What do you think?

I think we have too little time. It takes a lot of time to educate and put limits on children. And it is exhausting, really. We live in fast-paced times, we are very busy, and we work a lot. It is very difficult to deal with this pressure. It is crucial to return to basics and understand that good education starts with spending a lot of time with your children. Governments should help parents by putting regulations on the tech industry so parents can regain authority.

I have a feeling that governments are not taking any action.

Many governments have signed contracts with technological companies, which require the introduction of tablets in schools. Banning smartphones in classrooms creates a contradiction, and that complicates the situation.

The media also leave it uncovered.

Sometimes, media outlets face a conflict of interest because they’re in the business of selling readers’ attention to sponsors, rather than providing content to their readers. These sponsors are technological companies that have a lot of money to buy ads in the media outlets. Also, they have money to pay speakers at educational congresses and sponsor studies on their products. I think it is really important to show the world how many people are in a clear conflict of interest.

You said that there should be the burden of proof on corporations and that it should be their responsibility to prove that smartphones are not harmful. By now, it is the opposite – it is the society that signals that something is wrong. Could you talk more about it?

Anyone introducing a device to school and saying it will revolutionize education carries a double burden of proof. The first thing that they have to prove is that there is a relationship between the use of technology and the improvement of education, and that it serves its purpose. Secondly, they need to prove that there are no negative side effects. 

The technological industry never had to do this, and we have never required them to. Companies just introduced the technology without having to prove anything. Now, after some time, we are seeing the negative effects rather than the benefits. Parents ask schools to stop using them, but schools are bound by contracts. I think that parents should demand accountability.

Also, teachers and school principals must take responsibility for signing contracts with technological companies and provide evidence that this is an educational method, as there is no evidence for that right now.

Why do you consider the use of new technologies in classrooms problematic?

Tech companies benefit from capturing the attention of our children and collecting their data. Numerous privacy issues have been ignored, so these companies get information about our children in exchange for introducing their tools in schools. There is a business here. It’s not an educational issue. The classroom should not be a place for experimentation and testing technology devices.

Thank you very much for the conversation.

Ilona Sobul