What age do you think is good for cellphone??

[ButterflyWings]

  My daughter wants a cellphone she is 13...I still feel she is too young and really not responsible enough..She is a good kid and student..and I trust her but she really has no use for it at this time I think..So what age you think is good for a Kid to have cellphone?

Also I was in the beeper age LMAO and well I did not get one til I bought and paid for the bill..So I kinda feel that is how it should work with my kids...

[marlenen]

i say after graduating college bc texting distracts people too much i know it distracts me in school all the time

[vitaliymitityuk]

i'd say once they get a car

[supptrashcan]

I would say it depends on the kid.
I got one when I was 14 or 15, I can't remember.
I needed it so I could call my parents to get picked up from the golf course, because back then.. I would walk to the golf course with my friend and play.
When I had it though, texting wasn't big yet, I hardly had anyones number, it was strictly for calling my parents.

I would say around the ages of 14 - 16

[Mikhol]

I think between 13 & 17, it really depends on when they begin to stay over at friends or get a job and such. That way when their at work or at a party or sleep over or whatever they can stay in touch with you.

[ejholt]

 I am 69 years old and only have had a cell phone for a few months.  I lived without one for a long time but I will be on the road alot and broke down and get me one.  Now I have peace of mind now when I am out by byself.

[lywb2168]

It really depends.  My 17 years old daughter got her 1st cell phone when she started middle school (age 12), our district has a Secondary School (7-12) with about 3,000 students, so I got really worried a let her have a phone as soon as she moved to the bigger school.  NOw with my youngest I gave her a phone at age 8 for the only reason that our neighborhood started having break ins and a sexual predeator hanging around, and I wanted her to have a phone at all times.  I really do not regret any of the 2 decisions, since both girls are responsible and both of them are different.

But I think that your daughter being 13 and responsible is a good age, once they start HS they will really need a pone for after school.

[Nana923]

depends on how long they are away from you

[greybyrde]

yeah it's not so much a matter of age as it is about practicality. many carriers offer phone plans that restrict the phone to only be used to call certain numbers. if you're daughter is in after school activities or stays with friends often you may want to consider getting a phone that lets her call you and/or other family members. and all of those plan will let her call 911 in case of an emergency

[sommap]

I like greybyrde's  answer.  If she needs the phone to get in touch with you for rides, etc., I would consider getting one now. 

[U2BMATH]

Okay, cellphones. They are annoying as hell. And to see kids walking around with them (kids defined by me as anyone not yet out of high school), frustrates me even more. But let's not forget when the real push for these "toys" began. Do you all remember 9-11? Need I say more? Okay, I will. Many people were trapped in those buildings, and phone lines were jammed as loved ones called loved ones for their final words to each other. Disaster strikes, and usually, unknowingly. To have a cell phone in your pocket gives you the same sort of relief for such an instance, God forbid it should happen to anyone - but it does happen.

Here's the question I would tack on to your initial question. How would you feel if your child did NOT have a means to contact you in such a situation? And is AGE the only consideration when giving a cellphone to a young one? I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who thought it was just a matter of AGE.

Okay, enough philosophy, however timid. Here's my 2 cents on the issue, for whatever 2 cents is really worth these days. Ready? It's not the age of the person. It's the LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITY that should be considered. If you feel your little one is responsible, than I would say equip them with the tool, and teach them how to use it responsibly. If you cannot say with a definitive level that your child is responsible, than perhaps you ought to stay with the beeper method. Regrettably, you're probably the only person who can judge on this criteria, but I think it's the best criteria to work from.

And remember, no 2 people are the same. What might be right for one 13 year old, may not be right for another one. The problem here though is PEER PRESSURE. Kids want what other kids have. And they'll bug the snot out of you to get it. Good Luck in your decisions with your kids.

[angsilva2000]

hi ,   ithink a good age to have a cell phone is 16

[angelhome]

My daughter wants a cellphone she is 13...I still feel she is too young and really not responsible enough..She is a good kid and student..and I trust her but she really has no use for it at this time I think..So what age you think is good for a Kid to have cellphone?

Also I was in the beeper age LMAO and well I did not get one til I bought and paid for the bill..So I kinda feel that is how it should work with my kids...

I would say older than 13 unless she is in areas where  you can't get her at times, even then she could just not answer her phone? - today texting is big for teens. will get caught texting in school and get in trouble? Texting has become addictive but seriously since I don't know your daughter, I should not make that judgment. We all think our children are 'good' but mom, you really have to be the real judge of that. Ask some her teachers what they think?

[rigo23]

Well age does not matter the truth is the way you use a cell main reason I use it is to keep in contact with my family and friends my plan is a metro pc and it's great I would not go back to contacts because it's only one bill every month. Do you know how much my sisters used up a month cell alone $500 not including tax.so if all fails use metro pc

[U2BMATH]

Hey rigo, thanks for your last comment. It made me think of one other "option" to consider.

To the person posing the question. You could do a little "trial & error" experiment with your kid. Get them a Trac Phone, or a NetZero phone. Tell your kid you'll pay for the first 300 minutes (usually comes with the phone purchase), and that if they want more time, they have to earn it in some way. Or tell them you'll buy more time if they get good grades in school, or for their birthday, or Christmas, or whatever. You can also encourage relatives to buy Minute Cards as presents.

Of course, if your kid is old enough to afford their own minutes in addition to all this, then let them go for it. Hey, it's no more money out of your pocket, and the decision is no longer yours to make. Just an added thought. I think this way teaches Responsibility too, especially if used in the manner of a Rewards system to earn minutes.