What age should kids get a phone(POLL)

[DrMacintosh]

1 minute ago, Sierra Fox said:

They should get just a normal pre-paid text and talk phone when they reach middle school to be able to call their parents and friends and have to buy their own smart phone and have to pay for a plan

Another fun parent 

[Sfekke]

If they have to take public transit to reach school or partake in any hobbies.

But I'm talking about a phone not an iPhone.

In Belgium lets just say 70% of those spoiled little brats managed to get an iPhone. (I take public transit and recently started noticing that)

Meanwhile my first phone was a Nokia C2-01 (Honestly, loved it) and I got it when I turned 12 started taking the bus to school.

Sadly "they" smashed it "It is ancient, and isn't expensive", otherwise I would'v kept it for years.

 

Now I'm using Chinese Imports (by my own request) after trying 2 other western phones.

My € 80 DOOGEE X6 Pro is 2 years old, looks like new, is on its last legs.

So after much debate in my head I got a LEAGOO S8, it is held by customs right now but is released soon.

 

TL;DR

Either when they are 18 and pay for their little iPhones themselves or when they have to take public transit or go to hobbies where reaching a parent/relative benefits them.

 

This is my opinion on this matter, feel free to disagree but so can I with others.

[NumLock21]

6 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

Most have grown up and went to school before smartphones. 

 

You clearly don’t realize the level of technology integration that is required in modern education that simply can’t all be satisfied with a laptop. 

Like what exactly that a laptop can't do where a phone can?

 

[TacticlTwinkie]

I'm fine with someone around age 13 getting a basic phone or a hand-me-down. If he or she wants a new iPhone or Galaxy or whatever, either they need to pay for it or suck it up. Whenever I get around to having kids, they will get my 3-4 year old phone or a new, cheap, basic phone. When they get a job, they can get whatever phone they want.

[Arika]

3 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

Another fun parent 

Not a parent and never will be. I know many people who use a smart phone as a baby sitter and have made their womb spawn a selfish little monster and then blame technology instead of their bad parenting

[DrMacintosh]

6 minutes ago, NumLock21 said:

Like what exactly that a laptop can't do where a phone can?

 

1.) Make phone calls. Believe it or not Phone calls can keep you and your child in communication and the GPS in them can even allow you to track them. 

2.) Be portable. Carrying around a laptop in order to do anything is a major hassle for students who already have to carry a lot of stuff

3.) Internet access where WiFi simply isn’t available. 

 

Those are just 3 things I thought of while on the can.......

[DrMacintosh]

1 minute ago, Sierra Fox said:

Not a parent and never will be. I know many people who use a smart phone as a baby sitter and have made their womb spawn a selfish little monster and then blame technology instead of their bad parenting

Not really sure how this is relevant.

 

You can’t take paranting out of the equation and then blame the phone for making the kid a “selfish little monster” 

 

But that is what you just said so you obviously know that it doesn’t have anything to do with this......

[keavlar]

You want that your kids with good grades , then make a deal. 

But it is better to have phone only after school, specially, if they are irresponsible .

Other wise, they will be playing with phone instead of studying . 

But if you need them too be connected , so that you be assure that they safe, then just a regular phone. 

[DrMacintosh]

Just now, keavlar said:

You want that your kids with good grades , then make a deal. 

But it is better to have phone only after school, specially, if they are irresponsible .

Other wise, they will be playing with phone instead of studying . 

But if you need them too be connected , so that you be assure that they safe, then just a regular phone. 

Kinda how it was with me. 

 

Maintian a 3.5GPA and I get an iPhone. Not the top of the line iPhone but I wasn’t complaining. 

[Arika]

4 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

Not really sure how this is relevant.

 

You can’t take paranting out of the equation and then blame the phone for making the kid a “selfish little monster” 

 

But that is what you just said so you obviously know that it doesn’t have anything to do with this......

what? you must have misread

 

Parents will give a child their phone to play on so they can do what ever they like without having to worry about the kid, ergo; bad parenting

 

the child then asks for the phone constantly because they get addicted to it and then complain that they dont have their own when all their friends have one, see: "selfish little monster" and will keep pestering the parent until their break down and get them one.

 

the parents will then blame technology because their child got addicted to it because they were ignoring them since they can never do anything wrong with their own child

[NumLock21]

16 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

1.) Make phone calls. Believe it or not Phone calls can keep you and your child in communication and the GPS in them can even allow you to track them. 

2.) Be portable. Carrying around a laptop in order to do anything is a major hassle for students who already have to carry a lot of stuff

3.) Internet access where WiFi simply isn’t available. 

 

Those are just 3 things I thought of while on the can.......

1. Where do they need to go, on a date?

2. 11.6" and 12 inch 2 in 1 are extremely light weight and more powerful than any smart phones

3. They're at school, the school will have wifi. Need to continue to do homework, then do it at home cause home will have wifi too.

Just giving and buying items for your kids will create them into spoil brats, who will eventually start asking for more expensive items, as they get older.

 

 

[DrMacintosh]

19 minutes ago, NumLock21 said:

1. Where do they need to go, on a date?

2. 11.6" and 12 inch 2 in 1 are extremely light weight and more powerful than any smart phones

3. They're at school, the school will have wifi. Need to continue to do homework, then do it at home cause home will have wifi too.

Just giving and buying items for your kids will create them into spoil brats, who will eventually start asking for more expensive items, as they get older.

 

 

No, no, no, and defienlty no. 

 

You sound just like my Dad did before my Mom convinced him that a cell phone is a necessity. 

 

Unless your our kid is driven and picked up from school he or she gets around. Meaning you don’t know where they are.

 

if that alone isn’t reason enough to at least give your kid a basic call/text phone then I don’t know what is. Because to me that just sounds like a parent who doesn’t care about their kids. 

[GDRRiley]

In my family you get a cheap 'dumb' phone in 6th grade as you are the expected to walk to and from school and the in high school you pay for 1/2 of your smart phone (my sister may have complained enough for this to only apply to me  ) 

[RyanEsau]

I'd probably say 7-12 the kid could get a cheapo flipphone that can just make calls and texts. Namely to keep some sort of reach, so if something happens at school they can call home for example.

 

Maybe once they're a teenager and I deem them responsible/mature enough, then they can have a smartphone.

[Wrb]

They should have a 'phone' when they really start to need it, which for me was about 5 months ago, but most people it will be when they start secondary education. Reason I said 'phone' is because I would start out by giving them something really low power (I currently own a Nokia brick type thing), then if they would like a smartphone, it should be organised with the parents.

[KyberKylo77]

4 hours ago, SansVarnic said:

When they get their first job and can pay for it.

You'd feel left out since every other kid would have their own phone and also phones arent just for games and fun, its also for researching things on the go, calling parents when you need it and having emergency contacts just in case. Imo, you should at least get a handed down phone from your parents by 13 years. Personally, My first phone was an s3 when i was 14 

[Cohacq]

When they start hanging out with their friend without parental supervision.

[TetraSky]

Whenever they start leaving home alone to go on errands or school.
But I wouldn't get a kid an iPhoneX or some other ridiculously expensive phone like that. Max $75 CAD for the phone(used or new phone) and the cheapest phone plan, without texting or any data.

Some people would pay $50+ for their kids phone plan, I sure as hell wouldn't.

I've seen how many kids use their phone, they are always on the damn thing, texting each other at every hours of the day and the night, instead of studying for school.

A phone for a kid should be a device that lets them reach you in the case of an emergency(and vice versa), it's not something for them to "have fun" or "talk" with their friends.(text, because we all know nobody call anyone these days..)

[BuckGup]

14 but it can't be a smart phone. Smartphone is 16+

[Zando_]

7 hours ago, DrMacintosh said:

No, no, no, and defienlty no. 

 

You sound just like my Dad did before my Mom convinced him that a cell phone is a necessity. 

 

Unless your our kid is driven and picked up from school he or she gets around. Meaning you don’t know where they are.

 

if that alone isn’t reason enough to at least give your kid a basic call/text phone then I don’t know what is. Because to me that just sounds like a parent who doesn’t care about their kids. 

 

15 minutes ago, BuckGup said:

14 but it can't be a smart phone. Smartphone is 16+

Im gonna agree with y’all, if the child goes to public school and has to take a bus and stuff, then defo get them a basic phone at 12-13, when they’re competent enough to use one, and independent enough to be going places you’d want them to have one. And then a smartphone at 16+ like BuckGup said, since they’ll be more responsible and also probably be looking for a job, where they’ll need to be able to be contacted easily, and also be needing to check their email and stuff on the go, something flip phones can’t do or can’t do very well. 

 

I think ink I got my first phone at around 15 or so, then got an iPhone 6 Plus around 16, but I don’t remember when I actually got cell phone service to start using my phone as a phone instead of an iPod. 

[michaelocarroll007]

9 hours ago, TrevMCC38 said:

I am in 7th grade, and have an iPhone X only because I offered to pay for it. I agree about the responsibility factor, as I have seen preschoolers smarter than some 30y/os ive seen I originally got a hand-me-down right before middle school, and I was only upgraded because my mom lost it 

i think it should really just depend on the situations Mainly.

 

If a kid plays sports/ after school activities goes to a friends house after school because you cant get out of work early enough to get them/ watch them.

In these situations A very young 6-8 years old is some times reasonable.

 

Without mainly any real reasons besides just because id just get them a tablet when there young and then a phone at 9-13. Not everyone can afford a cellphone for a 10 year old kids they are not very Cheap to have and some people are just struggling to eat dinner everyday then pay for a phone. 

 

No way would i give any Kid a phone more then $250  at 15 or older id consider a more $ phone but budget phones are pretty good now days. plus at least when i went to school kids stealing phones and or loosing them and breaking them was pretty normal.

 

Its cool if you have a job or something and were able to offer to pay for the iphone but If its from Birthday money or Presents youll understand one day that barley counts as offering to buy it as it wasnt earned or worked for money. 

[michaelocarroll007]

8 hours ago, DrMacintosh said:

Not really sure how this is relevant.

 

You can’t take paranting out of the equation and then blame the phone for making the kid a “selfish little monster” 

 

But that is what you just said so you obviously know that it doesn’t have anything to do with this......

 Yeah he was a little off point.

 

But there does seem to be a connection to the type of parent who gives a 6 year old a $700 phone just because. and also sucking at parenting and creating a selfish monster lol. 

[Eduard the weeb]

I am 14 and I have a job if I can afford my own phone and phone plan let me thats my choice if you wanna buy your kids phone plan be my guest.

[You_are_a_cunt]

Feature phone at around 14-15. Smartphone when they're 18.

Location tracking watch as soon as they start wandering about unsupervised (aka when they start school)

[handymanshandle]

a cheap flip phone makes sense for a 9-10 year old, which is why I answered that. Although depending on the kid, later might be more appropriate.

9 hours ago, SansVarnic said:

When they get their first job and can pay for it.

Perhaps for a smartphone sure.