What age should children be given a mobile phone?

MSE_Temi

Poll started 22 October 2024

Deciding when to give your child a mobile phone can be a difficult decision. On the one hand, they're a great way to encourage independence, on the other, screen-time can be addictive. So this week, we're asking what age you think is appropriate for children to get their first mobile phone.

Click here to vote in the poll

Did you vote? Are you surprised at the results so far? Have your say below.
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Thanks!

JGB1955

Without a mobile phone my 11 year old grandson would be unable to access his homework.  His secondary school assumes (probably correctly) that all pupils have a mobile phone.

marcia_

 I gave my son a phone at 11 to play pokemon go. Since he has numbers of several school friends so chats and txts with them too. We don't live close to any of the school friends so i like that they can keep in touch weekends and holidays. 

oldernonethewiser

JGB1955 said:

Without a mobile phone my 11 year old grandson would be unable to access his homework.  His secondary school assumes (probably correctly) that all pupils have a mobile phone.

What provision do the school make for children who do not have or cannot use a mobile phone? (If you happen to know)

GrumpyDil

I got my children mobiles when they went to senior school and the local authority decided we didn't qualify for the coach meaning I  needed a way of contacting them if I was delayed in collecting them after school. 

bethanyrs

It's not just about the age of the child, but also the type of phone. I will probably get my children a phone when they are walking to school by themselves in y6/7, but it will be a dumb phone.

A smart phone most likely not until 6th form. If then.

They can access their school homework on a computer or tablet, no need for a smart phone for that.

jackieblack

Poll 'blurb' says "we're asking what age you think is appropriate for children to get their first mobile phone." but doesn't actually ask this question - it asks what age your child got their phone, this isn't necessarily the same thing...

vacheron

jackieblack said:

Poll 'blurb' says "we're asking what age you think is appropriate for children to get their first mobile phone." but doesn't actually ask this question - it asks what age your child got their phone, this isn't necessarily the same thing...

As well as this contradition, the question is asked in a very confusing way, and the result charts have the wrong axis labels. Pretty poor attention to detail for an official MSE poll. 

treadlightly

The results don't match the questions I was asked at all 🤷. I wasn't asked what type of phone I would give my child but that is shown as the third question in the results. I also think this is critical- happy to give my children a brick phone at 11 for contact purposes but absolutely not a smartphone until 16. 

Mother_of_Many

This ‘poll’ made no sense.

Bizarre questions and the last set of results is numbers on both sides of the chart with no actual answers displayed…I assume someone is on a work experience?! 😂

400ixl

Agree, didn't answer the poll as the questions were not what the headline said it was for.

What people provided with their children years ago could be very different today with changes in technology and social aspects.