I Would Love Your Opinion On....

I'd agree that mid teens is a good age. A 5 year old shouldn't need a mobile as they should be in the care of a responsible adult anyway. My daughter got her first phone when she was 15 to keep in contact for school trips so I knew when to collect her from school. What ever happened to making plans by talking to each other and arranging to meet at the bus stop.....sorry just the ludite in me coming out. I've just spent a weekend away at a nature reserve with no electricity, no hot water and not a mobile phone in sight.....awsome

ps anyone want to know how to make a flute? (one of the things I learnt on my retreat)

My daughter got a cell phone when she was 8, she is now 10, because the courts told me to get her one. When she would go to her dad's every other weekend, he kept leaving her at home by herself when she was 8. He would leave her at his place with no phone, since he just had a cell he would take with him. Once she got the cell, he stop doing it, I think because he knew the second he left her alone she would call me and I would come get her. In the 2 years that she has had it, she has only used it a couple of times to call me, just to talk to me, while she is at her dad's. When she is not at her dad's it is turned off and kept in her bag for her dad's house.

Like SyntheticStars I lead a Girl Scout troop, my girls are around the ages of 9 and 10. I have a few that have cell phones. I have told the girls that if they have cell phones that they need to stay in their bags and they cannot use them unless they talk to me. This seems to work, but I do have one girl who is constantly coming up to me trying to give me all kinds of reasons (none of them being good reasons) why she needs to make a call.

I think 5 years old is too young, but I also think depending on the situation and what the is like child, will determined what age they should be given a cell phone.

As long as they know how to properly use it, and not run up your bill by accidentally getting online, I guess anytime. Only because it's good in case of emergency. For example, if they get separated from their parents or guardian they'd be able to call and tell them where they are.

My goodness 5, 6, 7, 8?!?! Waaaaay too young. My mum bought my a phone as a Christmas present when I was about 12/13 years old? I didn't need one then really looking back on it, but then when I was 12 mobile phones weren't as expensive or glamerous as they are now. I think it's right that a child is old enough for a mobile phone when they can afford it really.

I got one when I was 10 but that was because me and my brother would walk home from school and be alone for some time. But it really depends on what there using it for. So if the kid is going to be alone in a house almost every day then its OK to go a little young

I am 13 and most of my friends have cell phones. I really don't see the point. All they do with their phones is text and call eachother...alll the time. It gets really annoying, me and my friends will be playing a game or something and it will take like half an hour longer than it should to get through the game becuase people are always having to yell "Its your turn!" because they are to busy texting. I understand if you have one for safety, but for pete sake, don't be on it all the time! Also, none of my friends have jobs, so their parents pay for everything, I dont get how the parents are ok with spending $150 a month because their kids are texting and calling their friends. As for me, I dont want one, I agree with Martha, I think it makes you more mature and independant that both your parents arent calling you 24/7 to see where you are. I think it gains a lot of trust.

I think that that's way too young! I got one when I was 13, because I had to walk further, and by myself, to my high school, and my mum wanted me to be able to have one in case of emergency. Even then it was my aunt's old phone, and there was no such thing as internet access on it- I couldn't even text because it was too hard! I just got a new phone as a 16th birthday present, and it's a refurbished pay and talk, which means that while the model isn't incredibly old (it has a qwerty keyboard), someone else owned it before me. And since I don't have a job, my parents do pay for it, but even then I only get $10 a month to talk with. If I run that out, then it's gone until the next month. If I want a texting package, I spend whatever money I make from babysitting or whatever to pay for the texts by myself. If I have no money, I don't get the package.

I think having a cellphone does teach kids responsibility, but even then you don't need one until you're entering high school. For me, it's also helping me be more respectful and polite, because if I do something my parents don't agree with, my punishment is definitely to first take away my phone money, and then re-evaluate for further punishment.

I only got my first phone when I was 14. I never even wanted one until then. I think its ridiculous to give someone as young as 5 a phone, what are they going to use it for? I think the best age is at the start of a child's teen years, when they start to go out with friends and might need a phone to be able to contact you in emergencies, etc.

i got mine about halfway through year 7, when i was 11. but it was a ridiculously basic one which i hardly ever used, under threaat of having to buy my own credit!! and only using it for emergencies; since i walked to and from school myself as well as if i went out with friends i'd have to take it along.

I 'kind of' got mine when I was 10.
I say kind of because my older sister (who would have been 13 at the time) was put in charge of 'our phone' . It was purely because dad had started working later and so she'd get off the bus at my primary school and we'd walk home together.

We remained having a 'joint' phone (which I was now sometimes allowed to be in charge of) until I was about 14.

It was placed on a plan for a year paid for by my father so that he could monitor the outgoing incoming calls and texts to make sure I knew it wasn't for chatting to my friends and then I started paying for it myself with a $10 recharge.

Was a good way to not get caught up in the constantly texting hole.