Short answer: not necessarily.
My daughters are 8 and 9. I've bought one for both of them, primarily for use in case of an emergency or communicating with them concerning delays going to/from school or work. One rides her bike to school, the other catches the bus. My wife works nights now and gets off right at the time they both go to school and sometimes a little later. Additionally, both girls participate in activities outside of school that we don't have to be present for. It makes it convenient for them to call for a ride or in the event of illness.
At they're age, they don't use enough minutes for me to worry about usage, although they are free to call their friends whenever they like. Also, I don't see the point in paying two phone bills, so we don't use a land line. Just another reason to get each of them their own line.
2006-12-26 09:44:06
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answer #1
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answered by Leroy 5
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Personally I think 8 is too young. My daughter got her first Cell phone when she was around 12. The main reason was for her to be able to call home incase of an emergency or for a ride home.
I dont take this lightly though, we have a family plan, and everyone has a certain amount of minutes they may use, I keep a close eye on how many minutes are used. She knows that if she abuses her cell phone it can be taken from her just as easily as it was given to her. I think though if the cell phone usage gets abused than the trust issue has been violated, and should be taken away. I tell ,my daughter it is a privilege to have a cell phone, not a necessity, and so far she has not abused her cell phone privileges. Its up to the parent to enforce the rules.
2006-12-26 09:18:19
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answer #2
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answered by Anonymous
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Funny you should ask...my sister was actually thinking about this too, and her son(my nephew) just turned 9 last week. My personal opinion is that it is too young. Really how often are you away from your 8 year old that they should need to call you? And even then, they should be somewhere that there is a phone. It just seems like an 8 year old would not understand the responsibility of a cell phone just yet. Hopefully you decide what's best for you and your child! Happy Holidays!!!
2006-12-26 10:01:54
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answer #3
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answered by Jennifer S 2
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Dear God YES
What is wrong with people today? Just because a child asks for something does not mean that they should have it.
At 8 years old, a child should still be playing with barbies or hot wheels. A cell phone should be a tool of convenience or necessity in a grown up world-for people who have jobs, responsibilities, errands to run, kids to pick up, etc. Giving a young child something like this just because it's supposed to be "cool" is sending the wrong message. People let their kids grow up too fast now-not to compare your question to this, but we see little girls with makeup, cell phones, and dressed like hookers so much now it's starting to be viewed as normal. It's easy to fall into the gap when the request is something as simple as a cell phone, but it will open up a whole new world to them.
Some people use safety and convenience as an excuse to do these things. How will I know if he needs to be picked up at ____? What if there is an emergency? An eight year old should not be alone enough to NEED a cell phone...and as far as the rest of it goes, have we forgotten how we ever lived without them?
2006-12-26 09:24:30
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answer #4
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answered by dragonlady 4
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I think 8 is way too young. You might want to do a search on Google about cell phone micro waves and brain development... apparently the micro waves emitted from cell phones although not necessarily high enough to cause damage to a fully formed brain, can cause damage to an unformed brain.... and at 8, your brain is still not completely formed.
My daughter is 13 and asking for one. The answer is no.
2006-12-26 09:39:48
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answer #5
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answered by The ReDesign Diva 7
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Unless the 8 yr old is involved in after school activities and needs to contact someone for a ride home or there are shared custody issues, I would seriously think this one out. 8 year olds (most of them) are not responsible enough to take care of a cell phone, like remember where they left them, be careless with them etc. If it seems as if it is a must, I would definitely go with the pay as you go cell phone, so you don't get surprises with text messaging charges or downloads for ring tones etc that will knock your cell bill through the roof if not in responsible hands.
2006-12-26 09:08:46
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answer #6
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answered by Dino 4
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The only real reason for an 8 yr old to need a cell phone would be if they spend a lot of time somewhere that it is difficult for them to contact parents, or for the parents to contact them. Other than that, it would only be for status. Most 8 yr olds aren't responsible enough to have a cell phone.
2006-12-26 08:51:44
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answer #7
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answered by PDH 4
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Yes definately. No 8 yr old is really responsible enough to look after a cell phone. It would be just like a toy to him/her . I really can't understand why a child so young would need one as they should never really be without an adult supervising them anyway. My 11 yr old granddaughter just got one, she is very responsible but l feel that she is really even a little young but all her friends seem to have them these days. They seem to be a trendy thing all kids want or think they need.
2006-12-26 09:17:39
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answer #8
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answered by kazzadanni 4
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Why would an 8 year old need a cell phone? You as the parent should either always be with him/her or know exactly where they are at all times.
2006-12-26 08:47:54
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answer #9
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answered by steelnpleasure 2
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Are you kidding? I wouldn't give my 17 year old a cell phone. Let me ask you 2 questions. 1. Where would a child be where his parent doesn't know where he is and he needs a cell to contact them? 2. Where would he be that there wouldn't be an adult who has a cell as a chaperone?
2006-12-26 09:29:26
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answer #10
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answered by adam f 2
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