What age would you get your child a smart phone?

[Allofaflutter]

If they don’t go anywhere by themselves? Would you wait until high school or earlier? Just wondering what people have done. My kids are adults now but I have been asked for my opinion by a friend on when they should let their child have a smart phone. It just got me wondering what people do these days. My kids had very non smart phones at high school only but that was normal then. What have you decided?

Wait until secondary school

from today, probably of interest

That’s what I said to my friend too. Until they go by themselves somewhere is it necessary? The child is 8 btw, which I felt if they were mine is way too young for 24/7 smart phone use. Though I guess parental control is a thing now too.

My poor kids had phones you had to text by pressing the button once for one letter twice for the next etc. things have changed!

The moment they walk out the house with a smart phone is the moment you give them the keys to the universe, everything good and everything bad.

Delay it for as long as you can.

Is my advice.

I just don’t see the necessity at 8. But my friend is well all the other kids have them etc. I’m not sure why she asked me as I’m so out of date technology wise.

I just don’t see a phone as a part of childhood. My friend often asks me about how I managed with mine but there wasn’t TikTok, instagram only facebook in my day. I’m not sure it’s made the world safer for kids.

Our eight year old has my old phone, but its sim free, only has a small number of approved apps and it doesn’t have safari, he only uses it under supervision. We’ll likely add a sim card when he’s 11/12, but the no safari etc will remain in place for quite a bit longer.

Even then I didn’t let mine have fb until they were 14. It’s almost a different world now. And mine are only in their 20’s.

Year 6 age 19 when able to walk to and from school.

I was holding out until secondary school, but my DD got her first phone 2 weeks ago (age 11.5, Year 6) because everyone else in her class had one (not an exaggeration). Most were given for Christmas, although a few were given them at the start of the school year as they are allowed to walk home themselves at the start of year 6, with parental consent. My DD has been feeling increasingly left out since Christmas. Something we hadn't considered beforehand though, she had an hand-me-down Android phone with parental controls, as me and DH are both Android users. She was in tears after only a few hours because all her friends have iPhones, so had group chats set up using iMessage, which she was unable to join with Android.

I shall pass on your thoughts on year 6. Thanks.

Child is 8 atm not sure what year that is.

I don't think they need a smart phone before secondary school as why would they need one?

16. An 8 year old has no need for a smart phone and children are not mentally equipped to deal with social media and its ramifications. We should never have let it get to this point.

It does seem rather out of hand. Social media seems dangerous and damaging for adults nevermind kids.

My 6 year old has one. No sim card and no SM no different to having an iPad/tablet

At late as possible! My daughter is 11 so starting secondary in Sept and she's not got one and won't be anytime soon.

My friend is talking smart phone with sim.

Many of the tech bosses don't, because they know more than anyone how addictive/ damaging they are. I think that says a lot.

www.chron.com/business/article/Why-didn-t-Steve-Jobs-let-his-kids-use-iPads-16468409.php#

Ds was 7 when he got his first smart phone.

Mine were 14 when they first got phones. That was when they started going properly Out out.

My older 3 were in year 7 (aged 11). Since then I've had a rethink and my younger 2 will just be getting a very basic phone in year 7 that does texts and calls only.

12/13

We gave our kids phones in yr5 so that they could have more freedom to head off places without us. Without that aspect we’d probably have waited until secondary as they had all the smart stuff on their computers anyway, it was the portable aspect that was key. Got hit by Covid soon after so they didn’t go anywhere much until secondary anyway! Though was still somewhat useful when we went out on walks, to the park, etc.

A few of their friends, including their cousins, had them from age 8ish to contact non-resident parents, which seemed to work for them.