What is a reasonable age to give a kid a cell phone?

@Java09 (3075)
United States
May 5, 2010 1:27pm CST
At what age should children get their first cell phone?They should always have one for an emergancy,but some kids abuse cell phones by wasting minutes ect..
9 responses
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
6 May 10
When your child reaches the teenage yearsm it is appropriate or a cellphone. Children in the preteen years usually do not have a real neeessity for have a cellphone.
@Java09 (3075)
• United States
6 May 10
I think if the parent feels they can trust their child not to over use the phone ,then it's ok.Someteens (not all) may over use it.
• Mexico
6 May 10
HI sender: I think your answer is right because little kids are learning to be responsible so it's easier for them to lose control if they have a cell phone all day. And at the same time, it's up to the parents to teach their kids that they should not over use their cell phones, Java. Because of that I think that an appropiate age to teach them that is after 10 years old or even older. Thanks for your answer. ALVARO.
@max1950 (2306)
• United States
5 May 10
i think they should have one when they get old enough to call home in case of emergencies, the age is up to the parents but yaping on the phone all day and texing 24/7 they should wait until their school grades permit it.
1 person likes this
@Java09 (3075)
• United States
6 May 10
I think when a parent feels they can be trusted with a phone.I think the parent should make it clear not to over use it,but sometimes they may need to call home.You're right.
• United States
28 May 10
The best age? When they can pay for it themselves. I deal with kids on a daily basis and I see kids as young as FIVE on their own cell phone. Why oh why does a pre-school age child need a cell phone? My DD is only 2 but if she wants a cell phone when she gets older, she can have one. She will be the one to pay for it though. The month she can't pay for it is the month it gets shut off. If she wants to get these really expensive phones that do everything but iron and clean toilets, she can buy that herself. I don't think kids, especially under the legal driving age, need one. I survived just fine without one when I was younger.
@besthope44 (12123)
• India
28 May 10
Well when he completes the schooling, where he becomes matured understand the world.
• United States
5 May 10
How did civilization make it for all the years before cell phones without them.. I didn't get a cell phone until I was 18 and living with my boyfriend(now husband) paying my own bills and taking care of myself.. If there was an emergency you yell, you use a house phone, you tell an adult who had one.. and I am only 22.. I have 2 kids and niether of them will get one unless they can help pay for it.. but I honestly believe that shouldn't have one.. but I do realize that it is hard on kids who do not have one because of peer pressure and all that crap.. but beleive you me they will help with it... i think too many parents use cell phones as a babysitter... I was at a concert last year where there was a 6 year old girl with a cell phone and guess what she was by herself at without any adult but she had that friggin cell phone...
@Java09 (3075)
• United States
6 May 10
I was born in the 1970's and there was no such thing as a cell phone.So I never had one as a child.I noticed alot of children have them now a days.I wouldn't think a kid could be trusted with one.they may overuse it.Alot of teens would be down loading ringtones and calling everyone they know,which would run up the bill.I agree with you,when I was young I had to yell,they didn't exist yet.
@nsganga (31)
• India
5 May 10
The best age to give mobile to the child is after 18 year. so we can avoid some misuse.
@Java09 (3075)
• United States
6 May 10
yeah,you would have to be very trusting for any younger than that.Alot of teens over use it for fun.They need to be responsible to have a phone.
• United States
8 May 10
I made my kids wait until they had a job and could pay for it! But now I am sure things are a little different and it is more needful. I think maybe they would need to be responsible that would be the main test!
• Mexico
6 May 10
Hi Java: I must admit that I don't like the idea of kids manipulating cell phones at all but at the same time we can not escape of our reality. Kids nowadays want to receive a cell phone as a present so your question is a 'question fo the moment'. I think it's ok after 10 years old, because at that age, I expect that my kids have agood sense of responsability and they'll know that they can't waste their time using their cell phones but at the same time if there's a negative response to them in their atitude because of the cell phones I would control how much time would they use them, for example, when they're out of the house and they must call me. Thanks for asking us this question. Have a nice day. ALVARO.
• United States
6 May 10
I have two young children ages seven and eight. I would never think of getting them a cell this young. However, I have taught them both how to use mine because I want them to know what to do in a situation where I cannot operate the phone myself. I do plan to get them phones when they start going out with friends and exploring the world without me. The phones will have very limited functionality at first and I will have rules about usage. If they break the rules they lose the phone. I just can't imagine my children going out to the mall or something with their friends and not having a way to get in touch with family and emergency services. I imagine my kids will get their phones at around twelve or thirteen years old.