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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:
TAKESNOSHITSHIRLEY · 31/01/2020 19:13

my 9 y old has had a monthly mobile contract since he was 3

it started off being needed for disabilities as he needs to watch videos or listen to music with head phones on while out a he cant cope outside

then at 6 it was used for home educational purposes at home and out and about

he takes photos and videos when out,if we talk about a subject he googles it and if you use the speech bit google reads it out to you

he has a new model ever 2 years atm he has a p20 ad he looks after it

,hes never dropped it or lost it

he obviously has no social media,he cant read full or write at all (mentally 5)so hes cant search or come across inappropriate stuff with out me hearing him,he uses google speech search for what he wants to search for and as hes with us 24/7(needs constant supervision because of disabilities)we know what hes doing

besides hes semi verbal so only used a few words a time

and he had only family as contacts

alexa and google has helped him to learn to read a bit and recognize letters

so used the right way phones can be a great asset to kids if its supervised
its not all social media and inappropriate websites

mummyof2boys30 · 31/01/2020 19:15

No, 9 year old and 7 here and no phones though we age considering it for eldest birthday as he's going into final year at primary

ScarlettBlaize · 31/01/2020 19:15

I have a 9 year old and a 6 year old and neither them, nor any of their friends afaik, have phones.

My daughter (9) has an old phone of mine that she's allowed to use occasionally for apps, sending emails, Whatsapp etc. (not social media). But it's not connected to a phone network, and she doesn't generally have access to it.

bombaychef · 05/02/2020 23:15

No but both my DC have one of our old phones that they can play on. No SIM. No apps without us knowing. Use occasionally. Common in Y5 and almost all Y6 have one.
I don't get the paranoia around walking home. More likely it nicked or them run over with one

Classof66 · 07/02/2020 12:35

I hope you are all taking note of the news re the Scottish MSP and his grooming of a 16 year old boy.Could not happen if the boy was not on social media.

JacquesHammer · 07/02/2020 12:37

I hope you are all taking note of the news re the Scottish MSP and his grooming of a 16 year old boy.Could not happen if the boy was not on social media

I hope you’re taking note that having a phone doesn’t have to equal unfettered access Hmm

And don’t be daft. People have been grooming young people for years. When I was at Guides the vicar of the church we were attached to was found guilty - he’d been sending notes/pictures to underage girls.

Laurendelight · 07/02/2020 12:40

3 children out of 30 have a phone in yr3. That I’ve seen them using. I’d say maybe another 2/3 have phones at home.

It shocks me to be honest. We all know how much time we as parents waste on our phones.

FudgeBrownie2019 · 07/02/2020 12:44

I hope you are all taking note of the news re the Scottish MSP and his grooming of a 16 year old boy.Could not happen if the boy was not on social media

Because paedophilia didn't exist until social media came along, right?

DS1 had his phone when he went to high school and we've installed rules and regulations including monitoring and limiting social media. It's worked well so far; he's made occasional mistakes on instagram that he's learned from. DS2 is 9 and is desperate for a phone, I think mainly because he wants to be like DS1, but won't have one til Year 7. Until that point he's either with us, at school, at sports clubs or with friends and I worry about early exposure to social media.

Classof66 · 07/02/2020 12:48

Social media makes contacting children so much easier,in fact please tell me how they will contact children as easily and unobtrusively as they do on social media.

JacquesHammer · 07/02/2020 12:54

Social media makes contacting children so much easier,in fact please tell me how they will contact children as easily and unobtrusively as they do on social media

I already gave you an example.

Why are you obsessed with social media. Why are you so sure phone = social media? What a strange thought process.

Glitterblue · 07/02/2020 13:22

Year 5 seems to be the norm here but we have first schools up to year 4 then middle schools years 5-8 and most of the kids either walk on their own or get the bus so I guess that's why.

BumbleBeeFlower · 07/02/2020 13:27

I got one when I was around that age, maybe 8. However, my parents only relented as I had ponies so they wanted to be able to get hold of me if I was out riding with a friend or had an accident while in the field.
Otherwise they would have held off until year 7.

SooticaTheWitchesCat · 07/02/2020 13:34

No, they both got them when they started secondary school

mummydoingamasters · 07/02/2020 13:39

SS got one from BM when he was 7. If it was down to DP he wouldn't have one until high school and for this reason we do not contribute to cost in any way.

Our visits and trips out are now ruled by WiFi and data and being able to charge it somewhere which isn't a priority for me let alone a 10 year old!

Juanmorebeer · 07/02/2020 13:42

Nope. Dd age 8.5 year 4.

I have said she can when she is 10

Thurmanmurman · 07/02/2020 13:43

No. My view on it is that if they are old enough to walk to school alone and to the park etc then I want them to have one so I can get in touch. My DD is 10 this year so she'll be getting one then as I will allow her out in our village without me at that age. I know my DS 7 will be mighty pissed off though as he won't be allowed one.

TurquoiseDress · 07/02/2020 13:51

A mobile phone for a 7 year old is just bloody ridiculous! (IMO)

Why???

DC1 is turning 6 very soon, I could not imagine them with a mobile phone within the next year or so.

I'll continue to encourage them to do their jigsaws, boardgames and colouring in etc before technology takes over their life!

Cant we all go back to the 90s?! life (& childhood)seemed so much simpler then Smile

JacquesHammer · 07/02/2020 14:09

I'll continue to encourage them to do their jigsaws, boardgames and colouring in etc before technology takes over their life!

DD enjoyed (in still does at 13!) all those things. She also had a medium whereby if she wanted to tell the other parent something, or show them a picture etc she could just do that.

For us, when two parents are living together a child wouldn’t have to say “can I just tell Dad this” or “please can I show mummy that” so when we were separated we wanted to ensure she had the same immediacy of communication and agency of relationship with each parent.

ScatteredMama82 · 07/02/2020 14:12

Nope. My DS is 10 and still doesn't have one. About half of his friends do, but at the moment he's not bothered that he doesn't have one.

BlingLoving · 07/02/2020 14:23

I hope you are all taking note of the news re the Scottish MSP and his grooming of a 16 year old boy.Could not happen if the boy was not on social media.

Victim blaming much? It's not social media's fault. Nor is it the boy's fault. it was the fault of a disgusting old man who thought his desires and wants trump anyone else's. This makes me so angry.

nameymcnamechangeagain · 07/02/2020 14:30

Mine have them. Made a big deal and got my oldest a phone when he turned 10 this year because he’d expressed interest in going to the local shop on his own etc and I wanted to be sure he could do that and be safe.....then “d”p couldn’t possibly bare for his just turned 7 year old to not have the same so she got given one which I think is beyond the levels of ridiculous and then obviously when my 8 year old turned 9 at the end of the year - you’ll never guess what she asked for?! At this point I just gave in because it’s a bit difficult to say no when the 7 year old has one. None of them use them as actual phones, they are used as miniature bloody iPads and it’s stupud and gives me rage.

Dagnabit · 07/02/2020 14:33

My DD had her first phone for her 10th birthday and tbh, she's hardly used it! It's very basic so a bit slow and she's rarely at a place without us where she would need it. She's having my iPhone when I upgrade so may use it more then. Ds will have one for his 10th if he wants one but not before. They both have tablets though.

EmeraldShamrock · 07/02/2020 14:34

Nope. DD is 11 soon she will get her first phone then, she isn't very social so has never asked, the majority of her class have one.
I think 10 is more the average age.

EmeraldShamrock · 07/02/2020 14:39

Both of mine have iPads but no social media on them only apps. Age 5 and nearly 11.

Logfootlightoe · 07/02/2020 14:42

I just think that survey is nonsense. Or they counted any kid with access to an old handset that didn’t actually work properly with a SIM etc.
Of the older children I know 11+ age NONE are allowed to have them all night in their rooms either. So I call BS on this survey - god knows who they actually spoke to