What age should a child be given a cell phone?

Answer 1

I think a reasonable age is when the child starts to drive.

Answer 2

My 4 and 6 year old kids both have phones. Not the ones with only my number on it they are Razars. In the phone book I have my cell phone, my step dads cell phone, my moms cell phone, the home phone, 911, the fire department, the closest hospital, all my siblings numbers, and my boyfriends number. I want my kids to feel that they are responsible enough for a phone or they will think you treat them like little babies when they get older. I don't let my older child take it to school and they get some money cleaning up around the house or something. I mean I live in the ghetto and if my little kids get grabbed I want them to call the cops. Mostly nobody in any of the ghettos I live in would take them cause everybody is there friends and my friends. I got my first cell phone at age five cause my mom wanted to know where I was. You should get your child one right now.

Answer 3

A child should be given a cell phone when they are capeable of paying for it also they should be responcible. My parents didn't let me have a cell until I was 13 and they made me get a summer job to pay for it. It taught me responciblity. It also depends how old a child is ,they shouldn't be under 13. Young children will most likely loose their phone and that is not good. So I think a child should be over or the age of 13.

Answer 4

Believe it or not, whole generations of people survived without call waiting, voice mail, or cell phones! When I was a child I had very few emergencies that could not wait until I saw a parent. If there was something urgent, I always had teachers or other adults that my parents trusted to assist me.
I think a child should have a PREPAID cell phone when they are working and can replenish the minutes themselves. They usually just use the phone to talk to friends about nothing of real importance. Why should you foot the bill for that? When children have to pay for their own luxuries, you'd be surprised how frugal they can be!

Answer 5

I believe that a child should be given a cell phone when that child can pay for it. If given to soon, the child runs up the parents phone bill and that causes arguments. Waiting allows the child to learn responsiblity for the phone and the time using it.

Answer 6

Every situation is different. My daughter got her first cell phone at 9 because her visits with her dad were not always safe. But she did pay for 1/2 of the cost because she had been asking for a phone. She is now 12 and has purchased every upgrade with her own money. But for general circumstances, she would not have had a phone at that early age.

Answer 7

11

Answer 8

A CHILD should never be given a cell phone

Answer 9

It depends on the individual child and their maturity level. Also you would want to take in to account what the cell phone was going to be used for. If it is to keep in contact because of family circumstances then its great, if its just to talk to friends or whatever then it should be dependent on their maturity level but on that note why would a nine or ten year old need a cell phone for if it was to just talk to their friends....Couldn't they just use the home line, it would save you money and you could regulate their phone time.

Answer 10

I think it depends on maturity and whether or not the child really needs it. I was 13 or 14 when I got mine. My Mom wanted to be able to contact me whenever I went out with my friends. I was very responsible and didn't talk on it like it was my house phone. I knew not to use up all of our minutes in 2 days. Some kids can't handle the responsibility. If the child is driving at 16, they should definately have one by then!

Answer 11

I think it depends on the child. If the kid is involved in activities where he/she is without their parents then get them one. They make cell phone specifically for children where only parents or other caregivers can call the phone. I know a lot of kids 7 and up that have the radio phones and they are very responsible with them. They are also just a click away from their parents.