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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask if YOUR 7 year old has a mobile phone?

242 replies

Wellhellooothere · 30/01/2020 11:01

So a report out today reckons that HALF of 7 years olds have a mobile phone - nearly 50% of 5-10 year olds with phones, most by 7 years old.

IS that true?? I can't think of a single 7 year old with a mobile, and I work in a school... the age seems to be Year 6 going onto Year 7 where we are.

So tell me, am I wrong, does your 7 year old have their own proper mobile phone? I don't mean access to a tablet or one of those vtech toy things, I mean a real phone as this report says??

YABU - yes they have a phone
YANBU - no way, too young

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/mobile-phones-children-kids-a9308266.html

OP posts:
FoxInABox · 30/01/2020 15:21

My eldest got her first phone when she turned 11, so she would have it for secondary school. I will be doing the same when my other DC turn 11. I can’t understand why such young children need a phone- the ones I know who do have a phone don’t play out, don’t spend much time away from their parents etc so I just don’t see the need for it. They pretty much all have a tablet as well so it’s not for gems etc. My younger daughter is 9 and a few of her friends have one. My youngest is 7- I don’t know of any of his friends that have one but it wouldn’t surprise me.

FoxInABox · 30/01/2020 15:22

Games not gems Confused

CanICelebrate · 30/01/2020 20:24

My 7yo has an iPod as he loves to listen to music and play games and he can also FaceTime family. It feels a bit grown up but he has teenage brothers and wants to be like them! My older dc didn’t have anything like that until year 6!

Bee2828 · 30/01/2020 20:30

Well for my sons 8th birthday we bought him a second hand IPhone SE.

Now, he doesn’t have a sim in it so he cannot make phone calls and texts via the mobile network but he has worked out now to I-message and face time other iPhone users 😭

He mainly uses it for games, YouTube and making his own videos. He has autism and he likes to take videos of everything. So much my phone was full of his videos so I had to sort his own for my own sanity and get my phone back.

Medicaltextbook · 30/01/2020 20:56

I’m not surprised at the findings in the report as it is based on a survey completed by children themselves. Given what a lot of you say a lot of children may think they have/had a full phone age 7 but actually have a phone used as a tablet with no sim

IwantToDatePicard · 31/01/2020 13:09

Both mine got phones for secondary school.

Bringmethesunshine · 31/01/2020 13:30

Mine did. She visited her dad who was 250 miles away regularly. I wanted to be able to contact her as and when and not try and go through him.

Classof66 · 31/01/2020 13:38

No child under 18 should have a phone that can do more than make and receive voice calls.Anything else and you expose them to the perils of the online world.Similarly,internet access on a home computer should be closely supervised. and parents made legally responsible for online activity.All simcards should be registered.The latter will stop mugging for phones and other illegal online crimes including "county lines" and other drug related activity and grooming.If user will not register,then service is withdrawn.

FishCanFly · 31/01/2020 13:58

No child under 18 should have a phone that can do more than make and receive voice calls
philosophically, i would agree. We don't let kids drive cars or buy cutlery. However, i don't think its possible to police and enforce such things. Let's ban phones? ok. But phones aren't the only devices that connect to online world.

FthisS · 31/01/2020 13:59

No, my 7yr old is in year 2 and doesn't even play in the street.

JacquesHammer · 31/01/2020 14:47

No child under 18 should have a phone that can do more than make and receive voice calls.Anything else and you expose them to the perils of the online world

I think that’s a dangerous attitude. I far prefer to allow my DD to navigate the online world and know how to deal with the “perils” with full, engaged parental support from parents who know what they’re doing.

PhilomenaChristmasPie · 31/01/2020 14:50

My 8yo won't be getting one until his 9th birthday, as he'll be walking to and from school on his own in yr5. It's just to stop me panicking.

ShakespearesSisters · 31/01/2020 14:57

YANBU. 7 is way too young. My child wouldn't be anywhere without a responsible adult at that age so if there was an emergency they could call me.
They don't need to be calling friends. Although we do use FB or WhatsApp for video messaging cousins and grandparents but only supervised.

ThatThereWoman · 31/01/2020 15:00

mine don't get a mobile phone until they're 11 and need them for secondary school. My ds11 leaves his at home, uncharged, most days.

My 7 year old dd uses mine to play sausage run sometimes and that's it.

Zurina · 31/01/2020 15:00

Mine is 4 and doesn't have her own but she uses mine and the tablet every day. Can still write her name Hmm

Hoppinggreen · 31/01/2020 15:02

My 11 year old will get one just before the end of Y6

ETDidntCall · 31/01/2020 15:04

My 8 years olds don't have phones.

sugarbum · 31/01/2020 15:10

I can categorically say that none of the children in my sons class (he is now Y5, so they are 9 and 10) had phones in previous years.

A couple of them do this year, but that's only a couple out of 25.

I can't comment on other gadgets though.

Acunningruse · 31/01/2020 15:30

Hahahahahaha

No.

Rutennotou · 31/01/2020 16:43

My daughter turned 13 just before Christmas and got her first phone Christmas day. Her friend turns 13 tomorrow and her mother is doing the same. I dont really see the need before that. They are starting to get to the age of wanting some more independence and I think its time enough until then. She has had a tablet for a few years though with usage monitored.

CheshireDing · 31/01/2020 16:47

My eldest is 8 years old and isn’t getting a phone at any point in the foreseeable future.

Why would they need one anyway ? Mine is always with us or at school.

PanicAndRun · 31/01/2020 16:54

My 8 yo has one.

She has a few friends/classmates that had phones for at least a year or two. There are also a few y3's at my school with phones, a lot more y4s, nearly all the y5s and 6 have one.So there are 7 yos with their own phone.

SkinnywannabeKBH · 31/01/2020 16:55

Our kids won't be having phones until secondary school either.
Our eldest got a kindle thee Christmas she was 7yrs old (much to my disgust - OH got it as a surprise santa present). Youngest is wanting one of her own now, we have said no and maybe when she is 7yrs old.
They are very good at sharing and I'd like to keep it that way for as long as I can. They are only allowed it at weekends and only an hour each day between them.
Other family members gave their kids fancy phones age 6 and they were each given ipads and laptops because schools require this apparently... I was told wait until yours are this age you'll be buying all of this. Eh no, we wont! 6 is way way too young I think.

Penguin82 · 31/01/2020 16:55

Yep. My dd is 7 and she needs it to tell me where she is after school. We live in a very tiny and safe place. All the kids her age go to park/nursery/shop after school depending on how they feel what weather is like etc.
Dont be shocked. Its not the UK and really is very safe Smile

thepeopleversuswork · 31/01/2020 17:04

Over my dead body.

If I had my way she wouldn't get one until she turned 20. I know that makes me a snobbish and technophobic old bag but I don't care

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