What’s everyone’s opinion on children having cell phones?
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Depends on the kind of phone and their maturity level and if they truly understand certain dangers of the internet
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A basic cellphone, yes. Absolutely no social media however.
My six year old certainly does not need a phone. When he gets a phone it will very basic, no internet.
Mine only has one for app games and YouTube.
A basic cell phone or maybe something that only allows you to only call a few numbers? Possibly. Something with social media? Absolutely not.
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Too late to ask that question. They all have them now. Even babies sit around watching them.
I think they need a cell phone for calling but should not have social media on a cell phone until they get a little older. They can use a home computer for school work, but as far as a child, they only need a way to contact parents or parents to contact them
My 13 year old does, yes.
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I only let my child use it for the pbs kids app since it is deactivated. But if you are talking about for phone calls then it depends on how responsible they are.
It depends on their age and what kind of phone. I was 9 when I got my first phone, it was a flip phone and I got it because I walked home from school every day. I didn’t get a smart phone and social media till I was an 8th grader
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I mean my almost 19 year old is still my child…so what age are we talking about here
If child is at a very young age, a trac phone just for contact purposes, no internet! To many Pedifiles today!
Got my stepdaughter a 8 plus didn’t turn it on tho it only runs on WiFi
My 12 year old does, his 12 year old friend does, my son has had one for a long time… my 4 year old does not have his own but he watches YouTube kids on my phone
Basic tracfone no data 
my son had one since 6 years old . Daycare so he could contact me if need be
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I have latch key kids, the phones are locked to only call and text a few numbers/emergency numbers. Camera use is even locked down. It’s an emergency phone, and that alone. My kids use it if they miss the transit bus so I can track the next bus. I can also track their movement if they are late and I haven’t heard from them. That’s it…
My daughter is 12 she’s had one for over a year now only because she started walking to school. It’s a basic plan with no internet. We also have restrictions on it and time limits. Also not an iPhone it’s a cheap phone.
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I’ve decided to remove electronics from the house.i have watched the outcome of a summer online and believe it’s time for back to basics
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My 7 year old just got her own phone. She isn’t allowed social media, she can play games and listen to music. It’s mostly for emergencies she is left along for 45 minutes to an hour on school nights. And the phone e isn’t allowed to leave our property
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All of my kids have cell phones. My oldest is 19 & my youngest is 8.
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All mine older kids have their own on our plan except the 6 year old doesn’t have service and uses wifi
I think if they are over 10 and going places without you. Practice, over to a friend’s house, s#it public school then yes. Definitely for safety reasons. It Doesn’t have to have internet or games. But Definitely able to call in an emergency big or small.
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My 8 year old has a cellphone. But it’s an iPhone synced with my iPhone so I can monitor everything she does. Her father and I are no longer married and I’m not really fond of him so he communicates with her and her little sister through her phone
My son isn’t getting one until he can pay for it himself.
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My children have phones. They were 6,7 & 9 when they got them. If you think it’s ok for a child to have a tablet a phone isnt really different. It’s just smaller for their hands. Easier to carry, less obvious. But ppl say kids shouldn’t have access to make phone calls. Come on. Most of us were raised with landlines. We learned how to call grandma, neighbors, friends etc before we started school. Today kids don’t know how to dial a phone. They don’t know proper etiquette. This is a life skills they’ll need to know through their lives. Why should they do without knowing how to & how to be safe because the devise has changed?
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My son is 8 and has an old deactivated phone that only works on wifi.
Kid’s have phones just for safety .
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For safety reasons yes they should have a cell phone.
Nope my kids are not aloud
My oldest is 11. Most of her classmates have had phones since they were like 6 years old. 
I find that utterly ridiculous honestly but I guess I’m just more old fashioned? Even though my kids do have their own tablets but they are restricted and the only app they have to contact others is Facebook KIDS messenger so that I can monitor who they have contact with. The earliest I might consider letting her have a phone is 13. But we’ll see when we get to that point.
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My daughter is 2 and has a tablet when she starts school she will get a phone so she can call me if she needs to
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Now days kids have to know how to use a phone they teach that in kindergarten now.
I would say when they start when they start going places alone. Probably around 11-13.
you all got off subject and didn’t. answer the question
I feel like they need them when they’re at the age they’re being left alone for any amount of time. My 7 year old stepdaughter just got one but even though she’s a good kid I would never leave her alone for any amount of time. Not knocking u tho. Everyone’s circumstance is different.
I think a child does not need a phone as long as they are with the parents or with an adult most of the time, when they are old enough to go start going out with friends, or places where their parents are not going to be with them then it is time to get them a phone.
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I think it depends on the parents and the child. No 2 parents nor 2 children are the same.
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Not until high school
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I guess this is why I LOVE the USA!!!
My kids, my choice!!!
It’s about responsibility and maturity… not age!!
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A child should always have a means to contact a parent. If you don’t have a house line and the child is ever home alone, then the child should have a cell phone. If a child is old enough to leave the immediate neighborhood with friends, then the child should have a cell phone.
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I didn’t get a phone till my senior year of high school. My kids are not getting a phone till middle school , but that’s if they decide to do sports and that way I can know when practices are over and when I need to get them, or if something happens and they are out of town for a game or something. If they don’t do sports than in high school is when they’ll get one.
Phones are for high schoolers in our house
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Mine can have a flip phone for call and text that’s it cause that’s what I had till I was old enough to work and buy my own phone. I would have them check in and incase of emergency but nothing fancy that can have phone apps
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I feel like you should start with a basic phone that does texting and calling first for emergencies. If they are responsible with it then I feel middle school is a good age for a smart phone as long as you know how to work parental controls etc. and they understand they have no right to privacy on it. I also think it depends on each kid. Some kids are more responsible and capable of having them younger. Some need to be older.
Worked in wireless for 20 years.
If you plan on handing them phones they can lock and you are not allowed to see. No .
If you have parental apps, share passwords, etc, it is manageable.
As much as I would have liked to hold off, with activities and walking to and from school, it just wasn’t safe for them to not have them.
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My oldest got one in 4th grade. Mind you I just had her little sister & she was starting to do things without me: sports, 4H, Girl Scouts, school & alot of sleepover. She was going with her bestie family on vacation for a week. When my younger children start to do things without me they too will get cell phones.
From what I’ve known and seen there’s children between 3 to primary aged that have phones to watch their cartoons and play their games. It really comes down to the parent themselves. I myself as a mother would not allow my child to have a cellphone until atleast college years. More because kids these days spend more time on devices and technology that they don’t even bother to play outside and throw tantrums when they don’t get their devices
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My daughts do. They are 11 and 12. They have had them about 3 years. They get them tue, thur and sat. And Road trips since we live out in the country.
They earn that time by doing chores .
They know there is 0 privacy on any phone or electronic and i check regularly.
My oldest just matured enough to take it to school. But she knows our ruels and the school rules and any broken rules means no more phone for 6 months.
They can’t learn responsibility and truat without giving them a chance.
Technology is not evil, it’s lack of supervision and lack of parenting thats the problem.
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I didn’t have a cell phone till I bought 1 with money I worked for. That was at the age 18
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Depending on reason, situation and maturity.
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No I dont believe they should.
My children have 1 they 10 13 14 and 19
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My 13 year old has one he goes to school by himself it reassures me that if he is in trouble he can call anytime. My younger children don’t have one because they don’t need one.
This is what I have been looking into for my son
I got a cheap Walmart smartphone phone $35 for my kids to share. I didn’t get a plan or anything. Just the phone. They ask to play on my phone constantly. So I got them that and they only use it at home with WiFi.
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I think this depends on many different things. Every home is different.
In our home when we were looking to buy my oldest boy a new tablet, we opted for a phone. Because he was beginning to be home for a few mins alone once in a blue moon. He was 11.
The youngest got one much younger because he would get off the bus occasionally and stay home with the older brother after school for 30 mins sometimes if I had a dr appt.
Both were mature enough to take care of the phones. And responsible enough.
Each child is different.
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My daughter has a tablet that can be used as a phone of she wanted to buy her own service. As far as a cell phone, she can get one when she can buy it herself and pay her own bill. It’s a good way to teach them responsibility.
My daughter has had one since K.
We gave our 4 girls phones on their 13 birthday, with defined limitations and if they abused their privilege they’d loose it for a week and if they lost/broke their phones they’d get a new one on their next birthday! They’re all grown responsible, respectful adults and know children need boundaries and consequences with everything in life! Parenting is a teachable time-great way to learn responsibility and appreciation!
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My grand kids did when they where ii and 13 now her son has one and hes 10. If they are responable enough they can come in handy if trouble came near
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My daughter got her first cell at 10. Her father gave it to her so he could contact her without having to go through me. It was monitored and given to her only when he called or when she wanted to call him. I feel kids need phones when they are mature enough to handle them, that would be up to the parents discretion.
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Depends on the age, the situation, the type of phone, etc.
Watch the social dilemma
About the time my oldest turns 10 I will probably get a simple phone so they can have some feeling of independence and I have security knowing they can always call and I can track them. No games or internet on it though. It is a tool first and when they can buy their own they can do what they want
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It depends on the home dynamic. Some families need kids to have them
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I think it’s probably not really necessary until they have friends who can drive. Until then, adults driving them places can have phones. But there might be reasons to give them a phone before that.
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Both mine have them they are 13 and 16 I got them one for my piece of mind when I’m not around when I’m working or like now when I’m trapped at the hospital. I think it’s really just a personal decision that you have to make for your family based on the benefits
My 10 and 11 year old shared a flip phone, they got this when they started walking back and forth to school alone. They called when they made it to school and right before they left to come home, only an 8 min walk but I felt better knowing.
Nope, not until they’re in highschool.
The only way they will get one before hand is if they walk/bus to and from school
My 12 year old has a phone and she’s had one since 10 years old it makes me feel better and a little safer and she knows the dangers of internet I talk to her all the time about it and she has a I phone 11 that me and her dad pay for but she has to do chores to keep it and it’s my child and everyone believes in different things
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My daughter does dance competitions and I think in the next year or two I’ll probably get her one for that reason. Easier to find her and communicate when we need to in a huge setting.
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I let my son have one and he started acting out. Throwing tantrums all the time and fighting more, even if it was only for 1 hr. I ended taking it away. Hes 5
My 5 year old son has one. We supervise him with it. The only numbers on it are family members. We want him to be able to use a phone incase of emergencies. He also uses it to watch YouTube and play kid games. The only time he has it in his possession, is when we are in the car going somewhere or when he wants to play his games that are on there. He likes to use his phone to call his dad and talk to him when hes at work!!
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Only the kids phone with GPS and they can only call 911 or their parents
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My 5 year old has one. HOWEVER, it’s a trac phone to take with her to kids camps to call me and when she’s out riding her horse on our property. She also has a tablet, but is only on it maybe an hour a week. We are fortunate to live in Montana so there’s lot to do besides electronics.
I say no smart phone until they show they’re responsible enough to be trusted with one. They make phones that can only be used to make and receive calls
My son is 13 he may use my phone to call/text his friends. But until he proves himself attitude/responsability/chores/school work he ain’t getting his own phone. If I have to work for what I want so does he.
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No phone until they can do responsibilities around the house to earn one & only for calling/txtn me in an emergency.
My 2 oldest kids got one as a gift for graduation grade 8 but they always pay the bill.Now my third child he has my old phone play games and YouTube he is 12 years old
I have a step daughter who has a phone so she can get in contact with her dad and me . And she’s only 12 very responsible and she’s a great kid .no issues with it .I guess it really depends on the situation.
not till there old enough to absolutely need one but young no. my older daughter when she was in school didnt have one till about jr.high high school for after school events if couldnt get to a phone.any younger no thats my oppion
I got one when I was 16 bc my first car broke down all the time and I was constantly stranded. My mom didn’t want me walking through town after dark (I got off work at 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays). Seemed like we repaired everything on that damn car 
i lived in town and my parents always told me, i can get a phone when i can pay for it and that didn’t happen till grade 11. honestly at the time i hated not having one but looking back it didn’t matter. i had an ipod and everywhere has wifi. my bf on the other hand had just a cheap phone at age 11 but he lived on a farm and took the bus to school and such. so in my opinion it depends what your situation is
5 years old let get real
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I got my first one when I was 8 so I could walk home from school. Just a little pay as you go, and texting wasn’t so big back then so I didn’t have that. Now that’s smartphones are everywhere it’s different. But just a simple phone for emergencies seems okay nowadays.
Its a luxury you earn. I provided the laptops. When they can pay for a phone bill, they can have it.
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For me it depends on age, maturity, how rough the area is you live in, and behaviour. Mine take to school and back so I can contact them and vice versa then they go straight in the drawer until they have done their homework and had dinner and then they will have 1/2 hours leisure time on them, but if they misbehave they lose their device the next night
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I think it’s kind of a neccessity once they hit school and start going to friends houses. I would like to know where my kid is and if they need me. Not a smart phone but like a flip phone so they can call me.
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That depends, this day in age it’s safe as long as you monitor what they do and track them . Too many child kidnappings
We do tablets for ours since we home school since 2013. As they get older we will do phones.
Depends you gotta be careful…for example that man who shot himself on Facebook live…lots of kids saw that
Once they go to high school yeah thats fine but before that is a no go
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Middle school if they start sports or high school. It has worked for us not any younger.
Depends on the ages tbh and reasons. When I was growing up I wasn’t allowed to have one until I could pay for it alone. However, with the way things are in the world I would have a cheap prepaid for my daughter so that should anything happen where they need help or are in an uncomfortable situation they would have a way to contact me
I allowed my three kids cell phones after they got a job to pay for them. All three did and bought their own. One was 15, the other two were 16.
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At my house the rule is 13 years old with NO social media. Social media only after you can get your own cell contract.
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If they’re old enough/mature enough to be going out with friends further than just in front of the house or in the close neighborhood, they should have a cellphone to be contacted or to contact you if necessary. HOWEVER, I do not believe they need a data plan or facebook/IG/snapchat/tiktok until at least 15 or 16 years old.
Once they are in high school. And once they start working they contribute to the bill
My oldest is 16, she has one so she can call or text since she goes back and forth her dad’s and my home on the school bus. My 7 year old has one for her games and has imessage so she can contact family. My 3 year old has a old one of mine that is set in kids mode all he can do is use kids YouTube and his puzzle games. My 7 year old and 3 year old do not have sim cards in their phones. They cannot call or use text message
Only when they are responsible enough to have one. And then only for calls and texting in case of an emergency.