How old should a child be before they NEED a cell-phone?

Question

i can't see the actual need until they are driving age

Answer 1

I don't see the child needing one at all. The question is do you need them to have one?

We got one for a 15 year old so that we didn't have to sit around waiting for them to come out of the school/theater/church/friends etc. We wanted to be able to get a hold of them, so it was our need, not theirs.

Answer 2

Parents know there kids or should know your kids well enough to gage there maturity in having a phone, in reality none of us NEED a cell phone.

At any rate, my 14 year and 11 year old have one. When they were going to the same school my 14 year old at the time was 11 had a phone. They knew to call me as soon as they got out of school. I could keep up with them and they actually felt a sense of security, because of it. There words not mine!

Being that I have job where I am required to travel frequently, I sleep well at night knowing my children can reach me no matter where I am in the world.

As a parent anything you give to a kid is a privilege. Violate that privilege and you lose it. Grades go down, phone goes away along with whatever I choose to re-posses. As far as driving age, that varies from state to and country to country. Most places I figure are 16 years old. I would think a kid can demonstrate some sort of responsibility at a younger age then 16, my kids have.

Answer 3

You have a point. BUT, it all depends on the kid. Does your kid go out a lot with friends, like sleepovers, to the mall things like that? If so then its a little bit of a need. I got mine when I was 13yrs old. It was a basic phone, nothing fancy and it was just a basic plan. It only cost my mom like 35 dollars a month but in order to keep it I had to make good grades help out around the house every once in a while and I was good. There's times that your child would need it. In case of an emergency. You know what they say, "anything can happen,."

Answer 4

I agree with you a child doesn't need a phone until there driving age, because that's when they really start to get out on there own so if they get in trouble they can use the phone to call someone for help.

Answer 5

ask yourself this question....Did you have a cell phone when you were growing up? And see....you even survived! A believe a child needs a cell phone when they have a place of their own and pay their own bills. There are still pay phones around that they can use to call home. There is no reason for cells to be in school. If your child is not in school then the school will call you.

Answer 6

I don't believe there is a strong need, and it really just becomes a toy for them. Giving an item such as this, IMO, when they are not paying for it, is not generally a good move for young people. They have life so easy these days and parents IMO give their kids just WAY too much. Life has occured for thousands of years without cell phones yet today we seem to think of them as a necessity. Let him get a part time job so he can get his own and make the payments and let him learn the value of a dollar.

Answer 7

Age isn't a factor.

It depends on where the child goes. If it is a kid that goes places and needs a way to contact you then, they need a cell phone.

Answer 8

I've told my children they will get a cell phone when they are old enough to be on their own. So if that's when they start driving or dating, that's when they will get one. My daughter is almost 13 and she does not have one yet.

Answer 9

My daughter's friend (age 11) has one for medical reasons. Other than that, I think when your child starts to get involved in activties that take her away from home a lot. Right now I don't think my child needs one - I know all of her friends and I always know where she is. I guess if you always want to be able to reach your child (besides while they are in school), you should get one.

Answer 10

No one NEEDS a cell phone. But driving age would be an appropriate time for an adolescent to acquire one. Remember when cell phones didn't exist??? We didn't need them then.