At what age should a kid get a phone? 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.
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.
Ages 12-13
If you're wondering when your kid should own their first phone, the vast majority of Australians agree that the age of 12 to 13 is the right time.
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.
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.
“Ten to 12 is a great range because kids are still very connected to their parents and into their parents being in their phone and in their business,” says Catherine Pearlman, a licensed clinical social worker and author of “First Phone,” a guide for kids.
Apple iPhone 12 – Best iPhone for older kids
More importantly, photo-taking and social media start to become an important part of their social life. So if you're willing to spend more on an iPhone with a more capable camera, Face ID, and a full-screen display, we recommend looking no further than the iPhone 12.
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.
Parents need to know that The Black Phone is a horror movie about a kidnapped teen (Mason Thames) who gets supernatural help while trying to escape from his maniacal kidnapper. It's a solid, visceral thriller, albeit one that's full of peril and violence involving young teens.
Parents will have to decide this for themselves, but new research has shown that two in five kids under 12 own a smartphone.
Ages four to six The experts are unequivocal: Kids in this age group shouldn't be using smartphones (or other mobile devices), period.
Having a phone of their own may help kids socialize and build friendships. Older kids and teens may also use their phones to plan group schoolwork and social gatherings, or even play games together. "Phones can be a tool to promote social skills, such as using them to FaceTime with friends and family," says Reena B.
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.
Your 8-year-old now
Some of your child's friends may have one already. Should you join in? Most developmental experts agree that the longer you can hold off on a phone for a child, the better. There's also the question of whether certain items are best delayed as privileges of age.
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.
We'd expect an iPhone 11 to last about 2 to 3 years, so until about 2025. This is fairly standard for the lifespan of Apple phones.
The iPhone 11 was released in September 2019 and has since been succeeded by the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and iPhone 14 lineups. Although newer series come with advanced features and design upgrades, the iPhone 11 is still a capable device for those who want to buy iPhone in 2023.
An iPhone is an especially good choice for a child if the rest of the family also uses Apple phones and devices. It's easy for the child to learn to use an operating system that the rest of the family uses as well, and using it is safe because parents can easily keep track of what their child is doing on their phone.
The "tween years" can be challenging for both children and their parents. Young adolescents are continuing to explore their community and world and beginning to develop unique identities separate from their parents.
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.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to tween dating. So, ultimately you will need to decide what is best given your child's temperament. If you decide that you are okay with your tween dating in a group setting, make sure you set some ground rules and communicate those clearly and effectively.