It's not all about games, facebook and tracking your kids. Some families are in a unique situation where maybe the father works out of town for extended periods of time, and the mother may work nights. The child is then able to text or call the father when they want to, keeping in touch with the father and being able to text with the parents on the way home from school while on the bus, at night before they go to sleep or whenever they aren't with their parents. Not all of us want to track every movement of our children, we just want to be able to stay in touch and stay close.

Every family is different, and sometimes (no matter the age), cell phones are a great way for a parent and child to chat when they can't sit down and talk on the phone or talk in person.

Want to see the smile in your child’s face? Well, I usually see that every time I come home from work. My child would always tell me that he appreciates it that I answer his voice calls when I’m at work. Well, thanks to Just5 mobile phone. This has simple features for him to use it easily. It has big buttons for his little fingers to dial easily. Check www.just5.com for details.

I think the best age is around 11, just when they enter middle school. I bought my boy his first cell phone hen they graduated from 5th grade but I suggest it's best to started him off with a prepaid plan -TracFone to be exact. It's super economical and easy for them to manage their own time. They become responsible and learn the basics of budgeting and management. While I only pay $20 for 150 minutes, he learns how to actually use a cell phone the frugal way. There's no reason why they shouldn't, other than finances, but with TracFrone's low rates and ease of use in terms of getting the minutes and getting real good quality phones, it really isn't a deal breaker any more Check out WalMart for the best plans and cell phones from this provider.

Cell phones are incredibly detrimental for children. If Mom is never more than a button press away, you no longer have to solve your own problems, plan out your day in advance, or think for yourself. We're crippling our children's ability to think for themselves. Cell phones steal their independence and sidestep problem solving opportunities. When at school, there's a phone in the office. When at home, there's a landline in most rooms. Cut the apron strings, helicopter parents, your children will be better for it!

http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/

I'm amazed by the weak excuses people use to justify cell phones as necessary & vital. Have you paid attention to what they're using them for? It's very often laughably trivial stuff that could've easily waited. Just because you CAN have instant communication doesn't necessarily mean that you SHOULD have it. Most adults, much less children, barely have a legitimate need for cell phones.

We walked and biked to school, arcades, the Mall, etc. when i was a kid and all without any sort of communications device in tow. Times aren't worse, society is just more skiddish, reactionary, and overprotective in needless ways.

The "everyone else has one" argument was never viable reasoning for anything before. Why should it be justification enough for all of the digital doodads that kids want now?

So just what does a child under 13 need a cell phone for? Absolutely nothing if we're honest. Unless you like opening your wallet to funding the risk of txt bullying. A child under 13 will generally always be at school (where phones are not allowed), with their parents or with other parents/adults and their kids that the child's parents trust and who they can contact via these adults mobile phones. So where's this angst over 'for their safety' - parents who succumb to this advertising gimmick are just weak crowd pleasers who haven't thought this through.

Thanks for these interesting statistics.

An important point I think this article fails to address is whether or not it is healthy for children to have cell phones, and these other devices.

I understand there are numerous studies indicating that the harmful effects of cell phone usage are greater for those under the age of 16 (I think that was the age). I understand this is due to the fact that the skull is less developed than that of an adult, letting through a greater degree of radiation. I understand it was also due to the fact that the brain is undergoing a great deal more neurological development, more so than in an adult, and thus the possibility for mutation of DNA and tissue structure from cell phone usage was considered to be greater in a child than in an adult.

As for studies on the detrimental effects of children watching a lot of television (something they are typically more likely to do if they have their own TV), there are many.

Again, thanks for an interesting article. It certainly opened my eyes to just how much acceptance these devices now have within the American population.