MoneySaving Poll: At what age should kids be given their own mobile?
Comments
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I voted for 11 but was very surprised to see that get the highest % of votes, as in reality I look around at my kids friends and they have all had phones since 7/8 or so. Mine will not get a phone until secondary school. I think a better poll may have been 'at what age DID you roll over and give your kid a phone?'
I think it is important to expose children to technology rather than bury head in the sand and pretend it is still the Victorian days where only paper books exist and there are no calculators or spell checkers. Times change, and accordingly so do skills required to thrive.0 -
I voted for 11 but was very surprised to see that get the highest % of votes, as in reality I look around at my kids friends and they have all had phones since 7/8 or so. Mine will not get a phone until secondary school. I think a better poll may have been 'at what age DID you roll over and give your kid a phone?'
I think it is important to expose children to technology rather than bury head in the sand and pretend it is still the Victorian days where only paper books exist and there are no calculators or spell checkers. Times change, and accordingly so do skills required to thrive.
From my experience with my daughters friends, most that had access to a phone when younger, it was a family phone, not the child's.
In the last 6 months it seems have gone from none owning a phone, to about a quarter owning one now at the start of year 6, and most parents are talking about buying their child one for Christmas, or next September for starting secondary.
Totally agree with exposing kids to technology, it is how we can best prepare them for the future, although I do think screen time needs to be limited too.Zebras rock0 -
Mine got theirs on starting senior school0
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Not had kids, but my fiancee has 2 adult kids. Her tribe are from rural North Yorkshire. They bought their own phone, using Xmyth and birthday money saved up.
My opinion is similar. If I had kids, they could have a phone when they can afford it AND the bills. If circumstances dictated the NEED for a phone, I would get them an absolutely basic phone (or give them one of my old basic phones) and a PAYG sim and put £5 per month on it. However, as soon as they were old enough to get a part-time job, they would have to look after their own costs.0 -
I'm amazed some people are voting "Five or under".
I voted "17+" as I don't believe children should have mobile phone or indeed, unsupervised access to the Internet.
Parents: Do you want your child to have access to hardcore pornography?
If so, give them a mobile phone.
Do you want your child to be available to !!!!!philes?
If so, give them a mobile phone.
Do you want your child to be bullied?
If so, give them a mobile phone.
Do you want your child to be mugged?
If so, give them a mobile phone.
Mobile phones make parents feel they are making their child safer.
In fact, mobile phones make children a target.Wow, lots of space here!0 -
Queen.For.A.Day wrote: »I'm amazed some people are voting "Five or under".
I voted "17+" as I don't believe children should have mobile phone or indeed, unsupervised access to the Internet.
Parents: Do you want your child to have access to hardcore pornography?
If so, give them a mobile phone.
Do you want your child to be available to !!!!!philes?
If so, give them a mobile phone.
Do you want your child to be bullied?
If so, give them a mobile phone.
Do you want your child to be mugged?
If so, give them a mobile phone.
Mobile phones make parents feel they are making their child safer.
In fact, mobile phones make children a target.
Because kids were never exposed to !!!!!! or !!!!!philes before mobile phones?
Because there was no bullying or muggings before mobile phones?
No mobile phone at secondary age would put a child more at risk of bullying, and it also gives them a means of getting help if they are in danger.Zebras rock0 -
Queen.For.A.Day wrote: »I'm amazed some people are voting "Five or under".
I voted "17+" as I don't believe children should have mobile phone or indeed, unsupervised access to the Internet.
Parents: Do you want your child to have access to hardcore pornography?
If so, give them a mobile phone.
Do you want your child to be available to !!!!!philes?
If so, give them a mobile phone.
Do you want your child to be bullied?
If so, give them a mobile phone.
Do you want your child to be mugged?
If so, give them a mobile phone.
Mobile phones make parents feel they are making their child safer.
In fact, mobile phones make children a target.
Apart from the fact, that a phone doesn't necessarily mean internet access and that we live in a world, where internet access is a completely normal thing, I believe that education is always better than prohibiting them from using something.
Telling a child that there are dangers and what not to do is way more important than potentially ruining their future by putting them in a situation where they don't know how to navigate the internet by the age of 17+.
Phones and the internet has increasingly become a big part in our communication, so even if you don't feel like the internet is a necessary part in becoming an adult, your child's teachers, employers and friends might think that way.
I saw my first hardcore !!!!!! film on my friends computer by the age of 12. Trust me, my parents could have done nothing to prevent that. A pedophile could live around the corner and target my child. I'd rather have them call me, instead of being to scared to give them a phone because that could make them a target. I don't see the mugging bit an issue, if I am constantly scared of that I should probably also not give them money, a wallet or trainers.July 'Take Your Lunch To Work' challenge 3/120 -
My children are adults now but I think these days a basic phone is a useful tool for when your children want to go to the park with friends etc. as a way of them making contact if they need to or for parents to contact them. My boys used to have to come home every 2 hours to check in as mobiles weren't around then.
A smart phone is entirely different and should be for 12 upwards in my opinion with parents keeping check on what they're used for and a strict limit on how much they may spend monthly.0 -
Being from a non phone generation and never having kids I didn't really know what to vote. I agree with the sentiment that times have changed and children need a phone to contact parents. If I had been taken ill at school I have no idea how they would have contacted my mother as we didn't have a phone at home.:(
I would like to see some common sense instilled in children so they understand while they are walking and texting they must also be aware of roads and traffic. Just yesterday we drove past our main secondary school at 8.45 and witnessed a very near miss where a child was so busy texting they crossed the road in front of the school, completely ignoring the crossing, didn't look at the traffic and were very lucky the driver they nearly walked into had good reflexes and good brakes.0 -
So, let's make it easier?Because kids were never exposed to !!!!!! or !!!!!philes before mobile phones?
Because there was no bullying or muggings before mobile phones?
I didn't say that, and you know it.No mobile phone at secondary age would put a child more at risk of bullying, and it also gives them a means of getting help if they are in danger.
If no child had a mobile phone, then bullying by that route would be eliminated.Wow, lots of space here!0
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