What is better gift for 16 year old Smartphone or Laptop

Let me begin by asking a question, what makes better exercise, walk to 1Km or walk to 10m, 100 times?

I am not against Smartphone manufacturers but there is right time to experience everything. Your teen is at threshold of transformation. Smartphone is tempeting, its easiest device to play with for all no reasons. Tapping screen, tapping different different apps gives you a sense of accompanionment, you feel connected without knowing.

When you work with Smartphone specially apps, you do all those unwanted things, kill lots of time and your mind is jammed because your eyes are glued to the tinny little screen. In a sense you lost ability to ask questions.

At this point I would like to quote lines from Keats, "where have you lost knowledge in information, where have you lost wisdom in information".

Wisdom is not about storing knowledge but its about letting the information come in and go out.

Engagement with Smartphone screen is very heavy and the worst thing is you can carry it to anywhere. All calls are important. All whatsapp groups are important, all facebook friends are important and every information is available without hassel.

You don't have challenge to seek information but its on your palm all the time. In the mist of digital information you loss real world information because when you are at phone screen you are not watching the birds and bees, you are not enjoying the nature, your mind is working within limits, its not free to feel and think.

Mind it, the world's largest computer manufacture has one word in its core THINK.

So smartphone is not the right device for teens, you can give them your phone for few hours of gaming but when it comes to gifiting, Smartphone is not the right choice.
Indeed, go for a Laptop.

Using laptop your kid can do all task that an Smartphone does. But benefit is, while using Laptop she/he will

***Sit in right pasture or some pasture
*** Look into bigger screen size, better for eyes
*** Use of all 10 fingures instead of only one in smartphone.
*** Less time on screen as she/he cannot stay glued very long.
*** Much use of browser means much use of mind too.
*** Much work in less time. If she/she use it for study or learning bigger screen is better than tiny one.

This does not stand for that Smartphone is a bad gifting idea or bad device. But using laptop performance is better for study and work.

Personally I feel Smartphone is for doing small things, for example to order food, or book a flight ticket, but if you want to watch Netflix or looking to study and learn, Laptop is better option.

Needless to say, your 16 year old is a better learner.

Connect with me at https://forum.indiaeducation.shiksha/

This article is not kids who code a lot for android or iPhone etc. Then its need not choice.