What is the ideal age for a first phone? Your children could be ready for a smartphone or similar device anywhere from 10 to 14, or during middle school. A sixth-grader (typically 10 to 11 years old) could be a good start for considering a phone or a wearable.
Ages 10 to 12
Cheng says parents should place strict limits on phone usage at this age and not give children Internet-enabled mobile devices. “Kids should only be allowed to use phones to call their parents,” he says.
Apple's iPhone SE is the best phone for kids because it has long software support and offers the best performance you can get in a phone under $500. Battery life and camera performance are just bonuses.
5-17 years old: Generally no more than two hours per day, except for homework.
At what age should a kid get a phone? Experts suggest that you should wait to get your kid a smartphone until at least 8th grade. Along with age, a kid's social awareness, understanding of technology, and maturity should be considered.
Is TikTok appropriate for kids? TikTok can be a kid-friendly experience if you supervise your kids, use safety settings, and stick to songs you already know. But TikTok's emphasis on popular music means many videos include swearing and sexual lyrics, so it may not be age-appropriate for kids to use on their own.
Having a phone of their own may help kids socialize and build friendships. Older kids and teens may also use their phones to plan group schoolwork and social gatherings, or even play games together. "Phones can be a tool to promote social skills, such as using them to FaceTime with friends and family," says Reena B.
The right age to give kids their first cellphone is really up to you. Age isn't as important as your kid's maturity level, ability to follow rules at home and school, and sense of responsibility as well as your own family's needs.
Sleep: what to expect at 5-11 years
At 5-11 years, children need 9-11 hours sleep a night. For example, if your child wakes for school at 7 am and needs approximately 10 hours sleep per night, your child should be in bed before 9 pm. Some children fall deeply asleep very quickly when they go to bed.
For this reason, the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) recommends keeping children below the age of two away from digital screens of any form. It is also recommended that parents limit children between the age of two to five years to less than one hour of screen time a day (CPS, 2017).
Apple iPhone SE (2022) – Best iPhone for younger kids
If you have a grade-school aged kid who's mature enough to handle a phone, you should look no further than the iPhone SE. It's got the same A15 processor used in the iPhone 13 range, so you know it's going to perform well and get software updates for years.
How much do phones cost for kids? The price of cell phones for kids will vary greatly depending on the type of device and additional features, but in general, they can cost between $100 and $430.
What is the Gabb Phone? Gabb phones are the world's safest smartphone option for kids, free from internet, games, and social media. It has GPS tracking, unlimited talk and text, bluetooth connection, and 14 kid-safe apps.
Nearly two thirds of children own their own smartphone by the age of 10, Ofcom has revealed, despite more than a third seeing something “worrying” or “nasty” online.
Kids between 8 and 12 are called “tweens” because they are in between children and teenagers. It's very normal for kids this age to start to move from being very close to parents to wanting to be more independent. But they still need a lot of help from their parents. Kids this age go through big physical changes.
There is no agreed-upon age when a child can stay home alone safely. Because children mature at different rates, you should not base your decision on age alone. You may want to evaluate your child's maturity and how he or she has demonstrated responsible behavior in the past.
Take a 10 year old with a wake up time of 7 A.M. To get the recommended 10 to 11 hours of sleep, they should go to bed between 8 and 9 P.M. A note on bedtimes: earlier bedtimes are essential for proper rest. Have you ever noticed that once your kid stays up late that it's challenging to get them to fall asleep?
Recommendations for parents
The guidelines suggest that children younger than 18 months should avoid screen media other than video chatting. Children aged 2 to 5 should be limited to one hour of screen time a day.
Common Sense Media rates the game as good for ages 10+ (and it tends to be conservative in its age recommendations). Since the game is easy enough to learn and fun for adults too, you may want to try playing as a family first to see how your kid manages before letting them play online with friends.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child defines child as, "A human being below the age of 18 years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier.” This is ratified by 192 of 194 member countries.
About 25% of children received phones by age 10.7, and 75% by age 12.6. Nearly all children had phones by age 15 years. Among children who owned phones, 99% had smartphones by the end of the study. The timing of children's phone acquisition was similar to what has been recorded in cross-sectional U.S. samples.
Is Snapchat safe for preteens and teens? Most kids use Snapchat to goof around and stay in contact with their friends—end of story. Yes, there's some mature content, but it's appropriate for most teens 16 and up.
According to the Snapchat Terms of Service, no one under the age of 13 is allowed to use the app. That said, it's extremely easy for kids to get around this rule when they sign up and many younger children are using the app.
Age 13 is the minimum age to sign up for Snapchat. This Snapchat age requirement is lower than the minimum age of apps like Instagram, which require users to be 16+. There's a higher Snapchat age requirement of 18 to use certain features, like payments or attaching one's name to a global Spotlight video.