At what age can a child reasonably be given a mobile phone?

juliescot

I think we gave DS his first phone at 10, I know the neighbours kids got theirs at 11.

Friend gave her youngest a phone at 8.

All depends what you are comfortable with and happy to do.

milliemonster

My daughter who is 10 has a mobile, but yes it's only a basic one with a pretty rubbish camera on, no MP3 or anything, but its purple so she loves it! She was originally on PAYG but she used up £10 of credit within 2 days so I put her on O2 contract which is £9 a month and gives unlimited texts and 500 mins calls a month and she has never gone over this.

My main reason for her having one is that we live in a fairly rural area and now she is becoming more independent going out on her bike to see her friends in the next village etc and its my way of keeping in contact with her so I can get hold of her and she can me and we know she is safe. It works well for us.

I appreciate that we didn't have mobiles when we were growing up and managed fine without them, but our parents managed fine without tv's, cd players, sky tv etc, but they have become the norm now haven't they? it's just the way the world has moved on.

I personally don't think kids need a mobile until they start becoming more independent and getting out with their friends when they're still very young and at home 'under your wing' all the time then it really is unnecessary.

My ds wants one cos his sister has one but he is nearly 7 and I wouldn't dream of getting him one at that age, so he just has an old one to play with

barnaby-bear

DigForVictory wrote: »

This may be on the wrong board, and I apologise if so. I trust Mods etc can shove me in the right direction if needed but hope to be sort of right.

At what age can a child reasonably be given a mobile phone?

As far as I can see the area is strewn with landmines between child, parents & grandparents. There is a generation gap, there is the "good parent" thing, there is the how nice/ many functions/ expensive issue (along with can you insure it & is it worth it) & there is the basic MSE tenet of "Do I need it?"

I ask since I sense it being considered as a Christmas present & I'd like to do a bit of expectation management without being completely sure who or what I'm managing.
So I need to agree to a mobile at some stage - just what is reasonable, when?
And how do you gracefully suggest that this device is reasonable whereas another is a bit heavyweight for a schoolchild, even as said schoolchild whoops "Wow!" etc? I did try to say, clearly, he does not need one yet. I'm not sure it sunk in.

I do not want to upset any loving propositions by getting in first with the lowest spec device my supermarket offers, but that is about the level I think he should be starting at, in another school years time.

There is the additional quirk that whatever rule I lay down for one, I may be expected to apply even-handedly on siblings in future. As I say, Minefield...

All advice (even that which says all eleven year olds should go equipped just to bug their Luddite mothers) appreciated!

Why not go with the science and governmental advice.... choose a low SAR unit and teach them to use it appropriately
http://www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/encyclopaedia/m/article/mobilephonesafety/
http://www.parentlineplus.org.uk/index.php?id=1484
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article6556283.ece
http://www.debaird.net/blendededunet/2009/01/governments-move-to-restrict-mobile-phones-for-kids.html

A mobile for a kid should be a basic emergency device IMO, recognising there aren't pay phones any more. It's a radiating device not recommended for regular or frequent use by a child.

barnaby-bear

kindofagilr wrote: »

I personally dont think children should have mobiles.

I didnt get one till I was 17, I know times are different now and evey tom !!!!!! and harry seems to have one

But I know I wouldnt be buying my 10 year old one for example

I think you do have to recognise society assumes mobiles though - few pay phones and whereas a bus driver might have been concerned for a stranded kiddy in a rural area a few years back everyone assumes they'll have mum and dad on the end of the mobile....

The idea of 500min unlimited tariffs and features and frequent use horrifies me. For children the scientific and governmental safety advise is very clear - minimal usage - mimimal payg and the most basic low SAR phone should cover that.

zzzLazyDaisy

My 4 grandchildren have all had mobiles when they went to secondary school. They are on an inclusive tariff that gives so many free texts and free calls to family numbers. They are also encouraged to text rather than phone for health reasons. If they make non-inclusive calls or go over their text allowances, they have to pay for that themselves, but tbh they never do.

They started with really basic phones, but the elder two now have fancier phones that they got with birthday/christmas money.

I wasn't convinced when the eldest grand-daughter (now 16) got her first mobile, but actually now I have seen how sensible they are, and how much independence it has given them (and peace of mind for their mum as well) I am positively in favour of them now.

OTOH, my friend's 7 yr old has a mobile, and I don't agree with that!

emlou2009

as an ex mobile salesperson, i've seen kids of all ages with mobiles from about 5+, and the younger ones just treat them as toys playing the games on them usually, with the parents not really topping them up.

the only thing i really would advise, and i cant stress this enough, is NEVER trust a child or teenager with a contract mobile - i have seen far too many stories of them "accidentally" running up a huge bill, and the parents obviously have to stump up the cash for it. while the inclusive minutes and texts offers may seem good, never underestimate the amount of usage a child or teenager can actually use!!! if they have a free reign they can and do spend all day and all night tapping away on the things!

Kandipandi

My 10 year old DS has a mobile, but its one of those walkman ones. He uses it more as an mp3 player than phone and he takes the odd photo.
It was about 50 quid and hardly ever gets used as a phone. But his friends all had them and he wanted one so.....

HalfPint

DD aged 11 has one...it's about the most basic model I could find..no music, no camera, no bluetooth, no fancy screen or ability to connect to the net! It cost me less than 20 quid new. At that price, I wouldn't./wont get quite to grumpy when it gets lost/stolen/damaged etc etc.

To be fair, she is very sensible with it and has never had it confiscated by school, she walks to and from school on her own and uses it to contact me and a couple of close friend with whom she walks to school with. It also gives me peace of mind, knowing that I can call her to let her know I'm late/at the shop/picking up xyz iyswim.

I have 3 other children ,12 8 and 3. It goes without saying my 3 year old doesn't have one. My 8 year old doesn't have...he's not old enough, sensible enough and nor does he currently need it. My 12 year old is my step-son (he lives with his mum) and has a good qaulity phone (not the best but certainly not a cheapo) he's mislaid it on numerous occasions, gets distracted by it in school and on trips.

My other worry was theft....in my dd own words "who would want to steal my phone...it's basic, has no gadgets and isn't worth anything!" I've heard lots of stories of fancy phones being stolen.

At then end of day...you know your child, are they sensible enough to look after something like this...or are they likely to have it confiscated for playing with the games etc at school! Plus...DO THEY NEED IT? or is it a "want" due to peer pressure...a "fashion accessory"?

HP x

PS...as someone else said make sure its a PAYG and not a contract...you don't want to be hit with a bill for hundreds!

timmmers

If a kid goes missing. the first and fastest way to locate them is via the mobile if they have one. That alone outweighs all other considerations IMO.

I'm not usually one for bowing to peer pressure, but when your kid is the only one among their circle without one it's going to make their little lives harder as kids can be cruel little sods when someone is different in any way.

The benefits far outweigh the risks.

t

fernliebee

Personally I feel there isn't an age when they need one, but a time does come where it is sensible for them to have one iyswim. I got one when they first became mainstream and I was 14, none of my friends had them yet, but I used to have horses so would spend large amounts of time alone at the stables or out riding and my mum wanted me to have it for safety. It was more a family phone though and we would share it iyswim.

I think until children go out places alone they don't really need one, once they go out alone I don't think they need a great flashy thing until they get to be older teenagers and if they want to save up to get a flashy one or get it for their xmas/ bday pressie then I don't see a problem with it. My main concern is young people with expensive items become a target for muggers, so they need to know to be sensible with it and not flash it about too much, and know that if mugged they are best to hand it straight over etc. It's such a shame we have to consider these things but in these times it is unfortunately a consideration we must make.

Another point is I know my friends who are seperated gave their DD a phone so they could be contactable by the other parent and more to the point their DD could contact the other parent when they wanted to. She was about 7 I think, so IMO a bit too young generally for a phone but in their situation it worked perfectly for all involved.