People often ask me what is the right age to get a child a cellphone. My answer: that depends on the child and the parenting they are receiving. Imho, kids shouldn’t have a phone until they need them as a helpful tool for their life. For example, they are in a school group that sends important event messages this way or requires a phone for assignments or projects. Another reason might be that the child is now doing things away from home (babysitting, sports, etc.) where they need to contact you when they are ready for a ride…or you need to be able to contact them to say you are running late for said ride. Parents should be wary about looking at a smartphone as a toy. Once you put this device in a child’s hands, you have now given them access to another “world,” the virtual one. And, this cyber reality has an endless supply of distractions that will seduce them away from engaging in the real one. And yes, it’s all designed to be this way. (Watch the Social Dilemma to understand this issue.)If you have come to the point where your child “needs” a phone for making contact with people IRL, one option is to try something like the Gabb phone. Consider it like training wheels on a bike. They can still ride but the chances of them crashing are lessened. Click here for ten bucks off: www.gabbwireless.com/promo/CHERYL10
