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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A survey of 13- to 17-year-olds released this fall by the nonprofit Common Sense Media found that 95 percent of U.S. teens have their own mobile device. Seventy percent of them check social media several times a day, up from 34 percent in 2012.
Reading text messages can be a way to ensure your kids are making safe choices, and that you're aware of any possible issues they might be encountering, whether it's with friends or personally.
Responsible parents must protect kids from potential harm. Monitoring your children's phone activities and messages is a significant part of that responsibility. The fact is most of the time children spend using phones will be online, where anyone can publish anything.
When parents were asked why they decided to get their child his or her first cell phone, 31 percent made the purchase for security reasons, 25 percent to communicate with friends and family, and 20 percent to keep up with friends at school.
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).
As a general guideline, Dr. Eagar advises not allowing single dating before age sixteen. “There's an enormous difference between a fourteen- or fifteen-year- old and a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old in terms of life experience,” he says.
For most users, this represents approximately two years of use, which is why most people believe that the lifespan of a phone is two years. However when it comes to iPhones, you can expect between three to five years (maybe more) with proper care.
If you're using an iPhone 11, we recommend upgrading to an iPhone 14 (or even an iPhone 13). In the last three years, Apple has made enough changes to features including battery life, performance, screen quality, cameras and durability to merit buying a new iPhone.
Apple doesn't typically offer sales on iPhones, but other stores do. Best Buy frequently discounts iPhones throughout the year for various sales, including Black Friday.
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.