Current Events > At what age would you give your child a smartphone?

(+) Yeah! (+)

This girl in front of me on the train right now has one, can't be more than 9. I've seen people as young as 6 with them though.
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I'd want to say 13 but it's probably going to be younger because that's just the way it is these days.
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I don't even know what is normal these days. People in this topic are going to say some wild shit like "I'm never buying them a smartphone, my child will learn to use an abacus" or whatever, but I suspect these people might not appreciate the pressure parents face to keep up with the joneses' kids.
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When they're old enough to pay for the phone and their monthly bill.
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Do they still make migo phones?
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pinky0926 posted...

but I suspect these people might not appreciate the pressure parents face to keep up with the joneses' kids.

I've been a parent for 11 years, not once have I given a shit what anyone else gives their kids.

I admit my children are quite spoiled, but within reason, and when they're not misbehaving.
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It's tough to say. I'd imagine that parents would be interested in the "find my phone" or "find my kid" style apps. I wouldn't waste money by getting them a flagship phone, but something fairly contemporary should provide modern conveniences.

I remember my kid sister had a dumbphone when she like 10. Would my parents have gotten her a smartphone had those been available at the time? You betcha.
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YoshitoKikuchi posted...

I've seen people as young as 6 with them though.

I've seen babies that can't talk yet holding phones and watching videos, either in restaurants or while shopping. Sometimes they throw the phone and I kind of wish it would break.
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SkittyOnWailord posted...

YoshitoKikuchi posted...

I've seen people as young as 6 with them though.

I've seen babies that can't talk yet holding phones and watching videos, either in restaurants or while shopping. Sometimes they throw the phone and I kind of wish it would break.

That is fucked

We are rotting kids brains
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She getting a damn Jitterbug till she 18.

I'd give my kid a phone at a pretty young age. If it helps him avoid getting shot at while asking for directions, then I'm all for it.
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bump
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As early as possible. I'm not some fearmongering idiot pining for "the old days", rambling on about how they're terrified of new things.

Get your kid prepared for the future.
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12 or 13.

Hard to say though, as you don't want them to be seen as "the weirdo with loser parents"
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We bought our now 14 year old his first phone at 12. When he started wanting to go to friends' houses and ride his bike further from our house. Mostly for his mother's peace of mind.
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On the very very off-chance I do end up having children, they're getting dumbphones from me. If they want a smartphone, that's on them to deal with. (I'd probably become more flexible on that once they're closer to adulthood but, at 13? Nah. You don't need that.)

Seeing worthless parents pushing strollers around while the toddler inside has its eyes glued to an iPhone is just awful to me. I wish it were a societal norm that people who do that get berated in public.
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As they hit middle school so about 12 or 13.
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Some people give their kids their inactive phone, which basically plays games.
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LinksLiege posted...

On the very very off-chance I do end up having children, they're getting dumbphones from me.

Then you will directly be the cause of them getting picked on.
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At age 0. My kid will have a smartphone and a tablet as soon as it becomes a zygote. I'd do it earlier but I don't have enough money to buy a smartphone and a tablet for every spermatozoon
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1

gotta start them off early and teach them how to be responsible users
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Probably wait until they ask for one of their own and can articulate a good reason why they need it.

It'd have parental controls on until they're 16

Lol. I give all the kids in my family a smartphone when they're about 6 months old. Their parents don't like it but I obviously tell them to use it sparsely as a distraction tool here and there. It has no service outside WiFi and 911, unless the parents want to.

I give it away because I have like 50 sealed smartphones laying around of various flagship models from 2016+. I know the parents are not gonna get the kid one that soon, so I just donate it and make it easy for everybody.

I also think of my tech geek self and how I would have died at the thought of something like smartphones existing when I was a kid. I remember flipping out when I saw someone using Windows CE on a mini PDA type laptop back in the 90s.
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13 sounds about right
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I gave one to my kid when she was 8
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Sixteen because there's really no reason for a child to have a cell phone unless they're away from home a lot or are working.
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Whenever they're old enough to say "I will never use Instagram"
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My 9 year old has a phone but its a standard cell tracphone.

He only has it on him when he walks home from school and calls me if he gets home before i do from work.

WaffIeElite posted...

As early as possible.

This. Whenever they're old enough to not lose or break it they can have a cheap phone, so they're not isolated from their friends.
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Probably 10 or 11.
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WaffIeElite posted...

As early as possible. I'm not some fearmongering idiot pining for "the old days", rambling on about how they're terrified of new things.

Get your kid prepared for the future.

This. People here talk a big game, but when their kids are getting picked on because they don't have a phone, or getting pressure from friends and they're crying about not having a phone all the time, they'll change their tune.
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They can have my old one when they are able to pay for the monthly service bill,.
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3khc posted...

They can have my old one when they are able to pay for the monthly service bill,.

Imagine having a phone service bill 2018
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SageHarpuia posted...

3khc posted...

They can have my old one when they are able to pay for the monthly service bill,.

Imagine having a phone service bill 2018

I don't have to imagine. It's a reality.
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16
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14 before that they will be given a phone with no internet. When they get into high school the floodgates would be open.
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In all honesty probably 13.
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Well you want to give them a phone so if they get lost, you can call them or they can call you or dial 911/999 etc.

But if you buy them those bricks, they will get laughed at and bullied.

And most phones available nowadays are smartphones.
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When they get their license.

The last thing kids need to be able to do is make, distribute and receive CP, but even worse is the thought that they might break down and just be stuck or try to hitchhike.
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Not until they are responsible enough to handle it. My kid didn't get one till a couple years ago. She's 14 going on 15 now. Would start with one of those cheap little preloads. Some kids are more responsible at different ages then others. A kid who was essentially Syd from Toy Story, or under the age of 10 is probably not a good idea.
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I'd probably do like my brother and give them my old phone when I upgrade. With no service, though, because I'm not paying for that when they're going to be on wifi most of the time anyways.
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hopefully never, smartphones are bad enough for my childlike brain, imagine giving it to an actual kid
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I'm sixteen, still have never owned my own phone. Not a landline in my house either. If I need to make a call, I have to go to somebody else. So I'd probably get my kid a phone at sixteen, because if I've made it this far, so can they.
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rahasperj posted...

I'm sixteen, still have never owned my own phone. Not a landline in my house either. If I need to make a call, I have to go to somebody else.

that is bizarre
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16.
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