What Age Should You Give Your Child A Cell Phone?

Cell phones have no doubt changed our world for the better overall, but as the world becomes more complicated in the technology we use, so does parenting as well. Something like a cellphone, which gave the possibility to make sure you knew your children were safe, also lead to the rise of nude selfies on the internet. Im sure every parent wants their child to make sure they are using, what can become such a powerful tool, in the ways that don’t have the possibility to hurt them down the line. Which makes me ask the question, what age do you think you should give your child a cellphone?

I believe that rather than a specific age, a child should be able to show responsibility to be given a cell phone, but I would think this would be around age 13 or so. While I want to be able to stay in contact with them, I dont want them to believe a phone is a necessity, but rather a privilege. I would say that I would probably not give my child a smart phone, but in all reality, by the time I have children of age to be given a phone, all phones will most likely be smart phones.

The smart phone question for me is particularly tough, because admittedly, as a parent , giving your child the freedom that such a device brings, versus the trouble such a device could bring. At my high school, there was an incident where someone compiled a large folder of photos that boys in the school contributed nude cell phone pictures of ex girlfriends and it was spread around the school, causing a large amount of embarrassment for the girls involved.

I can honestly say that I was partly raised on the internet, being a child of four and from an early age playing online games where I interacted with people of various ages in many countries across the world. I believe this was an education that was paramount to how I turned out today, but I will admit I abused the freedom I was given at times. It is a type of education I want to give my children, but I know most likely they will abuse it as well.

As a parent, I believe that I can only warn them of the dangers that our interconnected world poses and the consequences of what can happen if you make bad decisions. In our world where everything can be saved permanently, one dumb mistake in your teenage years might haunt you for decades to come. That being said, other than general education, I want to give my children the freedom to make the mistakes I did and learn from them in the same way. I can only hope as a parent that they will use their best judgment when using this technology.

-Calaber24p