A report released by Common Sense Media on Tuesday found that by age 11, 53% of kids in the US have their own smartphone. And 69% do by the time they're 12.
Tech use is aging down as young people get devices earlier. A majority (53%) of kids have their own smartphone by the time they are 11, and 69% have one at age 12.
Many children are ready for a phone at an average age of 12 or 13.
8-10 years old: Six hours. 11-14 years old: Nine hours. 15-18 years old: Seven and 1/2 hours.
11-Year-Old Social and Emotional Milestones
Once your child hits puberty, you can generally expect moodiness and a roller coaster of both distress and happiness. 1 "Due to hormonal changes and additional challenges, this age group shows mood swings, low self-esteem, depression, and aggression," says Dr. Gott.
Sleep: what to expect at 5-11 years
At 5-11 years, children need 9-11 hours sleep a night. For example, if your child wakes for school at 7 am and needs approximately 10 hours sleep per night, your child should be in bed before 9 pm. Some children fall deeply asleep very quickly when they go to bed.
Experts suggest that you should wait to get your kid a smartphone until at least 8th grade. Along with age, a kid's social awareness, understanding of technology, and maturity should be considered.
Is TikTok appropriate for kids? TikTok can be a kid-friendly experience if you supervise your kids, use safety settings, and stick to songs you already know. But TikTok's emphasis on popular music means many videos include swearing and sexual lyrics, so it may not be age-appropriate for kids to use on their own.
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.
The average age at which children received their first phones was 11.6 years old, with phone acquisition climbing steeply between 10.7 and 12.5 years of age, a period during which half of the children acquired their first phones.
"It's not an overnight shift in thinking," says Laura Lamminen, Ph. D., a pediatric psychologist at Children's Health℠, "and there's no set age where children should know the truth about Santa Claus." Dr. Lamminen says each family and each child within that family will be ready to talk about Santa at different ages.
Apple's iPhone SE is the best phone for kids because it has long software support and offers the best performance you can get in a phone under $500. Battery life and camera performance are just bonuses.
Improved camera and video capabilities
The iPhone 11 has an all-new dual-camera system that allows users to take extra wide photos with superior clarity. Built-in technology also allows iPhone users to easily edit photos and videos, take photos in low light and capture gorgeous, high-quality portraits.
Plus, you still get the great battery life that Apple is known for. While top-of-the-line flagship iPhones can cost into the $1,000 range, this phone is a fraction of that cost, making it one of the best first choices for an 11 year old who just has to have an Apple phone.
What is the right age for kids to have a smartphone? It's a question every parent grapples with. A recent survey of 5,000 kids found that in 2021, 37% of 11-year-olds have a smartphone and 91% of 14-year-olds have one.
According to the Snapchat Terms of Service, no one under the age of 13 is allowed to use the app. That said, it's extremely easy for kids to get around this rule when they sign up and many younger children are using the app. And, there are a few big safety concerns that parents should be aware of.
How old should kids be to use Instagram? According to the terms of service, you have to be 13, but there's no age-verification process, so it's very easy for kids under 13 to sign up. Common Sense rates Instagram for age 15 and up because of mature content, access to strangers, marketing ploys, and data collection.
TikTok is a video-sharing platform where you can watch and create videos, and livestream. The app has an age-rating of 13+.
In Australia, the average age a child acquires a mobile phone is 13.1 years.
Ages 10 to 12
Cheng says parents should place strict limits on phone usage at this age and not give children Internet-enabled mobile devices. “Kids should only be allowed to use phones to call their parents,” he says.
They're likely to stand somewhere between 4 and 5 feet tall at this age. Their weight will probably be somewhere between 70 and 100 pounds. But at this age, your daughter has likely entered puberty and is at the peak of a growth spurt. They might grow as much as 4 inches a year during this time.
The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages media use by children younger than 2 and recommends limiting older children's screen time to no more than one or two hours a day.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov advise that healthy adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Babies, young children, and teens need even more sleep to enable their growth and development. People over 65 should also get 7 to 8 hours per night.
Kids between 8 and 12 are called “tweens” because they are in between children and teenagers. It's very normal for kids this age to start to move from being very close to parents to wanting to be more independent. But they still need a lot of help from their parents. Kids this age go through big physical changes.