What age should a child get a cell phone? | Parenting in a Digital World - Verizon Communications

This article was authored by staff at the Family Online Safety Institute, a nonprofit organization that works to empower parents to confidently navigate the digital world with their kids. It was originally posted on their Good Digital Parenting blog and republished here with permission.

---

Some parents say it’s the modern-day riddle to their existence, as Verizon Communications reports.

Photo: Verizon Communications

Today in the US, 45% of kids between the ages of 10 and 12 have their own smartphone with a service plan, according to a recent Nielson Report. But, for many parents and experts, asking the question, “Should kids have cell phones?” has nothing to do with what other parents and children are doing.

For example, both Bill Gates and Steve Jobs didn’t give their kids a smartphone until the age of 14—an age when kids can understand the value of face-to-face communication, according to an assessment by Gates and Common Sense Media. However, this too does not answer what age a child should get a cell phone.

Ultimately, like most parenting strategies, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to when kids should have cell phones. It’s difficult to assign a specific age; it depends more on a child’s individual level of responsibility and maturity...

If the conversation is a hot topic in your house, here a few things to consider from parents and experts:
Read more...

Source: Verizon Communications