Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Friday, July 22, 2011

What's The Right Age To Give Kids A Cellphone?

With back-to-school buying just around the corner, smartphones cornering the teen-age market and word circulating that children may be learning to operate cellphones before they learn to tie their shoes, parents are facing an ever more complex decision:

What's the right age to give kids a cellphone?

Below, we'll ask you to share your policy, but first, here's a brief look at what some experts think.

In response to other stories we've run on msnbc.com, plenty of parents say they keep phones out of their kids' hands until they can drive or until they get to college.  Perhaps.  But study after study tells a different story. Here's one: Research firm IDC says seven out of 10 kids aged 10 to 14 have phones. Here's another:

Pew says one out of three 12-year-olds frequently text their friends, while only one out of four frequently talk face to face.

More

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Never. They should earn it both through action s and working to pay for it.

Anonymous said...

We have a 12 yo boy and a 10 yo girl and they both have their own cell phones and laptops...

Anonymous said...

I think kids should not have them, period.

Anonymous said...

Never!
Why would you want to give your children the keys to sexting

Anonymous said...

We have a 12 yo boy and a 10 yo girl and they both have their own cell phones and laptops...

July 22, 2011 10:22 PM

And?

Anonymous said...

Never!
Why would you want to give your children the keys to sexting

July 23, 2011 7:58 AM

lmao. u watch too much t.v.

Anonymous said...

never, they can wait until they can get their own.

Flerndip said...

We gave our son a cell phone at 12 years old when he started walking to and from school everyday. More for safety than anything.

Anonymous said...

We gave our son a cell phone at 12 years old when he started walking to and from school everyday. More for safety than anything.

July 23, 2011 9:52 AM

We have a winner. Best answer so far.