Mobile Phones - When is it too young to have one?

Biggins · 22-07-2010 12:48PM #1

Was collecting two of my kids from cresh a while ago and a parent was informing me that she knew another parent who gave their child aged 6, a new mobile phone to keep and use.
To be honest I was shocked. I though that 6 was way too young to be even contemplating giving a child such a thing at that age.

Am I right in being shocked, am I just out of date (not "with it") or right in any way in thinking the parents should have waited a few more years before just handing over a phone to their child?

I'm in two minds as to what's right or wrong!

kfallon · 22-07-2010 12:49PM

Maybe at 15-16 I'd think about letting them have one

Chuchoter · 22-07-2010 12:50PM

Its handy for picking kids up from school. Its probably one of them Firefly things.

Maybe at 15-16 I'd think about letting them have one

Didn't know the amish were allowed Internet.

Banned Account · 22-07-2010 12:51PM

crayolastereo wrote: »

Its handy for picking kids up from school.

My parole officer would have something to say about that:(

22-07-2010 12:52PM

maybe if it was one of those restricted children's ones... but still...

MIRMIR82 · 22-07-2010 12:53PM

Biggins wrote: »

Was collecting two of my kids from cresh a while ago and a parent was informing me that she knew another parent who gave their child aged 6, a new mobile phone to keep and use.
To be honest I was shocked. I though that 6 was way too young to be even contemplating giving a child such a thing at that age.

Am I right in being shocked, am I just out of date (not "with it") or right in any way in thinking the parents should have waited a few more years before just handing over a phone to their child?

I'm in two minds as to what's right or wrong!

Your dead right Biggins- 6 years of age is way too young to have a phone. My sister-in-law bought her young lad(9) a phone for christmas-he rang us all on x-mas day to tell us he had a phone and now it just lies on the bedroom floor!!
Its just people with too much money and time on their hand.:( grrrrrrr

Mint Sauce · 22-07-2010 12:54PM

when thier a teenager or when their going out with their mates, no reall need for one before that

or like one of those firefly things as pointed out, think they only accept calls from 2 or 4 preprogramed numbers and can only call 2 or 3 numbers as well.

storm2811 · 22-07-2010 12:54PM

I'd give them one of those Firefly phones where than just ring their mum or dad,would be handy but at that age I'd say it's be more of a toy to them.

Got my first phone when I was 12.

WindSock · 22-07-2010 12:54PM

I'd say give them a Firefly until they are in Secondry school.

MIRMIR82 · 22-07-2010 12:56PM

storm2811 wrote: »

I'd give them one of those Firefly phones where than just ring their mum or dad,would be handy but at that age I'd say it's be more of a toy to them.

Got my first phone when I was 12.

Well if you got your 1st phone when you were 12 - you are obviously too young to worry about whether kids should have them or not!!!

Sykk · 22-07-2010 12:56PM

Why lag behind with modern day technology. If a 6 year old has a phone and knows how to use it, what's the problem?

It adds some safety when they're out playing with daddy on speed dial when the latest law protected parole walking paedophile comes by for a chat. Or in any other, less drastic case.

Cookie_Monster · 22-07-2010 12:58PM

whenever they have enough money to buy and put credit on it them selves

Dravokivich · 22-07-2010 12:58PM

bloody hell when i was 6 my dad wouldn't even let me have a walkman for fear I'd break the blooming thing...

I dont see the point in kids having them at all... Adolescents / teens from about 15 / 16 up... so you can keep tabs on them when you're letting them go out that little bit later...

Anyone who lets a kid younger then that have a phone "for peace of mind" so the kid can keep in contact with them is a fúcking moron. Kids that young shouldn't be further from you then you can shout at them...

mikemac · 22-07-2010 12:58PM

Not until secondary school realy.
And even then, they are supposed to be switched off in school hours or it'll be confiscated and given back at the end of the day.

BluesBerry · 22-07-2010 01:01PM

Its good children having mobiles and ring when you need them back home or for collecting them from school to let them know your running 5 mins late and to just wait

10 year old went missing recently in a shopping center she rang me to say where she was and she didnt panic because she knew she had her mobile and felt safe, also the same child was walking home from school and there was 5 boys walking behind her messing with her calling her names she got very scared and texted me and I came down to collect her

I personally think all children should own a phone and know how to use them for safety reasons

Biggins · 22-07-2010 01:01PM

Dravokivich wrote: »

Kids that young shouldn't be further from you then you can shout at them...

To be honest that the way my mind was swaying.

If they are that young, they are either with you or with someone you should absolutely trust.
Having a standard phone at age 6 to me is a bit overboard.
Never out of reach long enough anyway to warrant a phone because of distance to the nearest guardian.
(It was standard phone the child mentioned in the first post, had. Not the Firefly type)

storm2811 · 22-07-2010 01:04PM

MIRMIR82 wrote: »

Well if you got your 1st phone when you were 12 - you are obviously too young to worry about whether kids should have them or not!!!

Why?:pac:
I know a lot about kids,I used to babysit fulltime and help out in the local creche.
I know two 8 year olds who got phones for christmas and all they did was ring their relatives for a few months and play games,it was soon forgotten about,like any other childrens toy.

Mint Sauce · 22-07-2010 01:05PM

Sitec wrote: »

I think when they start secoundry school its ok for them to get a phone. Might make them a bit easier to make friends socially.

can also be used as a bullying tool

although its a bit sad that we are now that dependednt on mobiles, that they are being used as a social requirment.

Mint Sauce · 22-07-2010 01:08PM

storm2811 wrote: »

Why?:pac:
I know a lot about kids,I used to babysit fulltime and help out in the local creche.
I know two 8 year olds who got phones for christmas and all they did was ring their relatives for a few months and play games,it was soon forgotten about,like any other childrens toy.

+1

all one of my little cousins did was play snake, and soon got board of that

Dravokivich · 22-07-2010 01:10PM

Biggins wrote: »

To be honest that the way my mind was swaying.

If they are that young, they are either with you or with someone you should absolutely trust.
Having a standard phone at age 6 to me is a bit overboard.
Never out of reach long enough anyway to warrant a phone because of distance to the nearest guardian.
(It was standard phone the child mentioned in the first post, had. Not the Firefly type)

Yeap... was the same thing for me as a kid and when I get round to having kids, will be taking the same approach.

syklops · 22-07-2010 01:17PM

Sitec wrote: »

I think when they start secoundry school its ok for them to get a phone. Might make them a bit easier to make friends socially.

Never before in human history has it been easier to make friends socially, why would it be easier if they have mobiles?

It adds some safety when they're out playing with daddy on speed dial when the latest law protected parole walking paedophile comes by for a chat. Or in any other, less drastic case.

A 6 year old should not be playing anywhere where it is faster to take out a mobile phone, dial daddy, and wait for him to answer, than to run into the house and find him.

Also, it makes kids a target by both adults and older kids to have the mobile stolen off them, and it opens another route by which they can be bullied.

The age at which you let the child in town on their own, is the age they should be ready for a phone.

Biggins · 22-07-2010 01:19PM

syklops wrote: »

A 6 year old should not be playing anywhere where it is faster to take out a mobile phone, dial daddy, and wait for him to answer, than to run into the house and find him.

Also, it makes kids a target by both adults and older kids to have the mobile stolen off them, and it opens another route by which they can be bullied.

The age at which you let the child in town on their own, is the age they should be ready for a phone.

Some very good points there. Cheers.

beccabeccabecca · 22-07-2010 01:23PM

I don't see the need in giving a child a proper mobile phone until the start of secondary school. However, I wouldn't be opposed to a child over ten getting one of the Firefly phones purely because at that age they are starting to travel further or even have overnight stays with the extracurricular activities they're involved with so it would be handy to have some way of contacting them if anything goes wrong during these, more for peace of mind than anything else.

I got my first phone when I was ten. It was my uncle's old one and all I did was learn how to play Snake and then left it there. Didn't use it again until I was twelve and all of my other friends had phones too.

deman · 22-07-2010 01:29PM

My kids all got their first mobile phone when they were 8. At this age, (as the law says here), they are old enough to walk/cycle to school if they live within 2kms of the school. The mobile adds an extra sense of security to both parent and child. The phones they got were bottom-of-the-range cheap phones costing no more than 30 euros. We also had the network operator put restrictions on who could phone them, and who they could phone. It also teaches them to be responsible with things. Don't underestimate kids please. They have a massive learning ability and take to being able to use phones much faster than older people.

Dravokivich · 22-07-2010 01:39PM

deman wrote: »

My kids all got their first mobile phone when they were 8. At this age, (as the law says here), they are old enough to walk/cycle to school if they live within 2kms of the school.

I wouldn't let a kid that young walk up by themselves, they'd have to be with a big bunch of other kids from my area, or with a group of parents taking it in turns to go up and down.

deman wrote: »

Don't underestimate kids please. They have a massive learning ability and take to being able to use phones much faster than older people.

Its not the ability to use phones, the issue is how it can become a scapegoat for responsiblitly.

alwaysadub · 22-07-2010 01:47PM

I know loads of kids under 10 with a mobile. Personally, i wouldn't think of giving a phone to a child until they were 12 at the least.

deman · 22-07-2010 01:53PM

Dravokivich wrote: »

I wouldn't let a kid that young walk up by themselves, they'd have to be with a big bunch of other kids from my area, or with a group of parents taking it in turns to go up and down.

To tell you the truth, if I lived back in Ireland again, I wouldn't either.

The kids don't walk alone. They walk and cycle in groups. And it's only in autumn and spring. Winters, they take a taxi (free until they reach 13).

Everybody here, over the age of nine, has a mobile. It's nothing new or strange.

Dravokivich · 22-07-2010 01:55PM

deman wrote: »

Winters, they take a taxi (free until they reach 13).

Bloody hell ye have it made!

starbelgrade · 22-07-2010 01:58PM

I think they should have Bluetooth installed on their heads as soon as they are born.. that way you can go out to the pub without the expense of a baby sitter. If anything is wrong, sure they can give you a buzz.

seamus · 22-07-2010 02:01PM

syklops wrote: »

The age at which you let the child in town on their own, is the age they should be ready for a phone.

Yeah, pretty much +1.

I used to think that my kids would never get a mobile until they were at least 16, but with the absolute dependence on them I've realised that secondary school is about the right age; 13/14. Even at that they'll be required to pay for their own credit out of their pocket money and they can get a new phone once a year on their birthday or christmas. No way I'm paying for 50,000 "lol" texts a year or the latest phone every 3 months.

I'll be a pain in the ass Dad though. Until they're at least 16, I'll be locking down their phones - who they ring/text, what they can access, etc. I'll even set it up so that when I ring they can't hang up or stick it on silent and it won't go to voicemail. It'll just ring and ring and ring at top volume until they pick up the phone to their Dad.

Corkfeen · 22-07-2010 02:01PM

I lived a kilometer from my school so walked home every day etc.... Society has become far too paranoid imho. Anyway I'd say the fairest age is when they're entering the 1st year of secondary school.

I'd say those of ye saying that teens not having a mobile till they're 15 are being highly unrealistic, the times have changed and not having one till that age would be liable to result in bullying.....

Mobile Phones - When is it too young to have one?

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