The right age to give kids their first cellphone is really up to you. Age isn't as important as your kid's maturity level, ability to follow rules at home and school, and sense of responsibility as well as your own family's needs.
Max Stossel, the founder and CEO of Social Awakening, a group that promotes healthy use of technology and social media, recommends that parents hold the line on giving kids smartphones until at least eighth grade.
“There is such a high incidence of mental and physical health issues among youth that is associated with technology overuse,” he says. He notes that most “official” recommendations are that a child is ready for supervised use of a smartphone by age 13.
At the end of the day, pediatricians say that waiting until 13 to give children cellphones is a good rule to follow as a general guideline, but since “parents know their children and their level of maturity and ability to handle a cellphone the best ... that takes precedence over general recommendations,” according to ...
Generally, a kid who always has adult supervision does not necessarily need a phone. The adults, such as you and an after-school care provider, might already be communicating with each other as needed. Once your child is spending unsupervised time with peers, getting a phone may become more necessary.
The eighth grade is second, third, or fourth (and typically final) year of middle school. Students in eighth grade are usually 13-14 years old.
Taking away a teen's phone interferes with their social life, which can drive a wedge between parent and teen. It's helpful to make the punishment related to the misbehavior, so taking away your teen's phone for a misbehavior like breaking curfew doesn't usually make sense.
Eagar advises not allowing single dating before age sixteen. “There's an enormous difference between a fourteen- or fifteen-year- old and a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old in terms of life experience,” he says. You might add or subtract a year depending on how mature and responsible your youngster is.
Research director at Childwise -children and young people's research specialists – Simon Leggett says: “ Most advice is to wait until children start secondary school to get them their first phone, when they'll need it to keep in touch, but there are benefits from using digital technology at a younger age, such as ...
The average age kids get a phone is between 12 and 13. With that in mind, it's up to the parents to be the best judge of whether their child is ready for a cell phone.
Typically, it's best for children under 13 not to engage in romantic relationships as they are still developing emotionally and cognitively. Healthy friendships are encouraged for teenagers between 13 and 15, but romantic relationships could be too much for them to handle.
What age is TikTok recommended for? Common Sense recommends the app for age 15+ mainly due to the privacy issues and mature content. TikTok requires that users be at least 13 years old to use the basic TikTok features, although there is a way for younger kids to access the app.
Yousuf said pediatricians generally recommend the following guidelines: Under 2 years old: Zero screen time, except for video chatting with family or friends. 2-5 years old: No more than one hour per day co-viewing with a parent or sibling. 5-17 years old: Generally no more than two hours per day, except for homework.
The experience of having a crush can begin as early as preschool, and crushes can continue to occur throughout one's life. Usually crushes are one-way, though sometimes they are reciprocated. In any form, crushes are common among prepubescent kids and satisfy important needs.
Between 2015 and 2021, regardless of their age, the share of children owning a smartphone in the United States grew. During the 2021 survey, it was found that 31 percent of responding 8-year-olds owned a smartphone, up from only 11 percent in 2015.
Common Sense Media rates Snapchat OK for teens 16 and up, mainly because of the exposure to age-inappropriate content and the marketing ploys, such as quizzes, that collect data.
That's because screens and sleep do not mix. The light emitted by the typical screen inhibits the production of melatonin in our brains. Melatonin is the chemical that allows us to fall and stay asleep. In other words, a screen is like a wake up call for our brains.
First crushes may occur at any time, but generally start at around 10-13 years of age. They are an important step in developing normal and healthy romantic relationships, and provide opportunities to learn how to compromise and communicate.
“Dating” can certainly imply sexual contact, which is illegal between a fifteen-year-old and an eighteen-year-old. This obviously can be a big problem. For more information about problems of dating a minor, please click on the following articles: What Is Statutory Rape?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, kids start dating at an average age of 12 and a half for girls and 13 and a half for boys. Every teen — or preteen — is different, though, and your child might be ready sooner or later than their peers.
"Sometimes the assumption is that looking up content like this is a sign of abuse, but it could indicate many things. For some, it eases stress; for some, they want to be like other kids," Dr. Santos says.
Giving your child time and privacy to think and explore is an important part of supporting their growing independence. That's because part of growing up is learning to handle new ideas, emotions and interests with independence and responsibility.
When you give a kid a device will determine how long a parent is going to be monitoring them, though not all parents agree on when they should give up control. As we showed in our previous survey coverage, parents tend to agree that they have to monitor kids up to about age 10.
In the United States, ninth grade is usually the first year in high school. In this system, ninth graders are also often referred to as freshman. It can also be the last year of junior high school depending on state. The average age for the U.S. 9th grade students is 14 to 15 years.