What is a good age to get a phone? Many children are ready for a phone at an average age of 12 or 13.
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.
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.
Helps Keep Kids Safe
The easiest and best reason to buy a mobile phone for an 11-year-old kid is safety. Kids face many dangers these days, and having a mobile phone can help protect them. Kids should know how to use their phones in case of emergencies while they're out on their own.
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.
The average age kids get a phone is between 12 and 13. With that in mind, it's up to the parents to be the best judge of whether their child is ready for a cell phone.
The average age at which children received their first phones was 11.6 years old, with phone acquisition climbing steeply between 10.7 and 12.5 years of age, a period during which half of the children acquired their first phones.
iPhone 11: Great all-rounder that introduces kids to Face ID. Dual 12MP rear cameras, A13 Bionic chip, IP68 water resistance and nice colours make this an excellent choice.
Why Android beats iOS for parental controls. After researching, testing, and comparing parental control apps, Android is the safer bet if you want to stay on top of your child's online activity.
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.
Getting a cellphone, or a smartphone, has become a milestone for many kids, allowing them to fit in with their classmates and build trust with their parents through frequent communication. As far as safety goes, smartphones are helpful in emergencies and can even help you locate your child using the GPS function.
What age should a child get an iPad? The American Academy of Pediatrics says to wait until after 2 years old to put a tablet in their hands. PBS encourages you to wait until preschool.
iPhone SE. The iPhone SE is the absolutely cheapest iPhone you can buy new at $429. Despite rocking an old design that's been around since the iPhone 6, this handset features Apple's latest A15 Bionic chip.
The Apple Watch offers phone and messaging capabilities, which can be an excellent way for kids to stay in touch with their parents. This is especially useful for kids starting to spend more time away from home, like when they're at school or out with friends.
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.
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.
Many researchers do not recommend that children under 3 years old use computers (e.g., Hohmann, 1998). Computers simply do not match their learning style. Children younger than 3 learn through their bodies: their eyes, ears, mouths, hands, and legs.
Around age 10 is a great time to buy a computer for your child. As they get older, they will definitely need one. But at age 10, they are young enough that you can still supervise and teach them how to stay safe online.
Ages 12 to 14
At this age, most adolescents have developed vital skills, such as problem-solving, impulse control, and critical thinking. In addition, 73% of parents in the U.S. think it is acceptable for children above the age of 12 years to own a smartphone (Pew Research Center, 2020).
Kids with cell phones are likely to spend too much time on them, keeping them from doing more productive things like exercising and reading. There is increasing evidence of addiction to electronic devices, which like any other kind of addiction is destructive.
You have to enter your birth date to set up an account, but there's no age verification, so it's easy for kids under 13 to sign up. Common Sense Media rates Snapchat OK for teens 16 and up, mainly because of the exposure to age-inappropriate content and the marketing ploys, such as quizzes, that collect data.
Generally, for anyone but the youngest child, a phone running the latest iOS or Android 10 (or later) is a safe bet. Both operating systems have excellent parental control features that mean you can control pretty much everything if need be, while still giving your kids features they can explore safely.
The Gabb Phone Z2 is a kids' cell phone that lacks internet, social media, and games but makes up for it with 14 safe, pre-installed apps, Bluetooth capabilities, and more. We also recommend the GizmoWatch 2, which technically isn't a phone but offers kids what they need to stay in touch.