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When I was 8 years old you could find me either climbing trees or curled up with a book, more than likely one of The Famous Five novels. My 9-year-old niece has a cellphone. She just seems so much older than I was at her age. It frightens me a bit.
Granted I didn't grow up in this digital age that kids are now experiencing. We didn't have a computer and the TV games we did have required you to blow in the cartridge when it didn't work. So we really didn't bother with it all that much. Now I really love my gadgets and technology. I'm not anti-technology for kids. I think kids should be taught about the Internet and how to stay safe on it. But that doesn't mean that they need to be online all day. And I really can't wrap my head around why an 8-year-old would need a cellphone.
Some parents feel that they would need it in case of an emergency. But surely an 8-year-old will always either be with you or with another adult (who has a cellphone/landline)?
But different families find themselves in different situations. Maybe your kid does need a cellphone because there are parts of the day that he is unsupervised. Fine. But does he need that cellphone with a camera and an internet connection. In my opinion, no.
At what age do you think it's appropriate for a child to have a cellphone?
Granted I didn't grow up in this digital age that kids are now experiencing. We didn't have a computer and the TV games we did have required you to blow in the cartridge when it didn't work. So we really didn't bother with it all that much. Now I really love my gadgets and technology. I'm not anti-technology for kids. I think kids should be taught about the Internet and how to stay safe on it. But that doesn't mean that they need to be online all day. And I really can't wrap my head around why an 8-year-old would need a cellphone.
Some parents feel that they would need it in case of an emergency. But surely an 8-year-old will always either be with you or with another adult (who has a cellphone/landline)?
But different families find themselves in different situations. Maybe your kid does need a cellphone because there are parts of the day that he is unsupervised. Fine. But does he need that cellphone with a camera and an internet connection. In my opinion, no.
At what age do you think it's appropriate for a child to have a cellphone?
