# data[].attributes.body
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R-This relates to my topic because in the picture there are different aged kids all on their phones.
A-By Getty Images.

A-It is for my claim because kids should get a phone when they are mature enough.
P-It shows parents how phones are making kids that are mature immature.

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C- This article was posted february 10 2014.
R- This relates to my topic because it explains when your kid should get a cell phone.
A-The author is MLC Singapore.
A-It is for my claim because it explains when a kid shows they could get a phone.
P-To show when the right age and the right time to give your child a cell phone.

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C-This article was posted march 21 2018.
R- This relates to my topic because it explains the different aged kids with phones.
A- The author is Stacey Stein.
A- It is for my claim because it shows the age difference with phones.
P- To show that you need to make sure your child is mature enough.

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Marni Rebelo held off on giving her daughter, Mia, a smartphone for as long as possible. Then, just before Mia's 13th birthday, she received one as a gift from her grandfather. "She was the last of her friends to get a phone-by over a year, at least," says Rebelo, adding that she and her husband were concerned that the phone would "overtake" their daughter's life.

And to a degree, it has. "It feels like she is on the phone a lot, either texting friends or looking at Instagram," says Rebelo. "I think parents might want to seriously consider holding off because apps tend to be addictive in nature, and other previously loved activities tend to drop off because of phone usage."

These days, the average age when kids get their first smartphones is around 10 years old, according to Calgary-based parenting expert Judy Arnall, author of Parenting with Patience. But exposure to mobile devices often begins at a much younger age: It's becoming increasingly common to see toddlers wielding smartphones in strollers and preschoolers zoned out in front of iPads at restaurants.

So should parents think twice before handing smartphones to their little ones or buying phones for their 10-year-olds so that they can fit in with their friends? Here's what the experts have to say on age-by-age guidelines.

Ages four to six
6 simple ways to get a handle on your kids' screen timeThe experts are unequivocal: Kids in this age group shouldn't be using smartphones (or other mobile devices), period. When it comes to screen time in general, the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) recommends limiting it to less than one hour a day for children ages two to five years old (screen time for children younger than two years old is not recommended at all), while the American Academy of Pediatrics advises placing consistent limits on media consumption for children ages six and older. Smartphone use at a very young age is damaging to developing brains, according to Michael Cheng, a child and family psychiatrist at Ottawa's Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario. He explains that mobile devices cause the brain to become wired from an early age to crave easy dopamine, referring to the "feel-good" chemical released by the brain. The constant overstimulation from screens gives the brain hits of dopamine (and adrenaline), which is why they're so addictive.

Cheng says it's not the technology itself that's bad for kids but the way it's being used that disconnects them from basic needs (such as sleep, nutrition, fresh air and physical activity), as well as higher needs (such as a sense of belonging and meaning in life).

"If kids get used to screens at an early age, the brain loses its ability to work for its dopamine," cautions Cheng. "Why would you want to go outside to get your dopamine when you could just get it from a screen?"

Social skills are also learned in person. "Kids should be interacting face to face, looking into the eyes of another human being so that they can learn to develop empathy and read facial expressions-what makes another child happy or sad," says Cheng.

If you are going to allow screen time and smartphones at this age, Arnall cautions against letting young kids watch ostensibly harmless videos on YouTube unmonitored because children can end up being redirected to inappropriate content without parents' knowledge. "The danger is that parents are not monitoring what their kids see," she says. "They're using [mobile devices] as babysitters."

Ages seven to nine
According to a 2014 report by the non-profit group MediaSmarts, 24 percent of Canadian children in grade four-some as young as eight years old-own mobile phones. Cheng says his advice for younger kids also applies to this age group: no phones. However, if some parents want their kids to have phones to keep in touch when they're away from home, he says an old-school flip phone without Internet access will do just fine.

To underscore this point, Cheng says that it's very telling that some of the biggest leaders in tech are wary of letting their own children use the products they helped create. The late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs limited his kids' use of technology and even prohibited them from using the iPad when it was released. Bill Gates, former CEO of Microsoft, didn't allow his kids to have their own phones until they turned 14.

When it comes to social media for this age group, Arnall is emphatic. "It's absolutely not recommended," she says, explaining that kids at this age don't understand the permanence of posting things online because those critical-thinking skills don't kick in until age 13. She also points to other pitfalls, such as cyberbullying. "It's an added stress in their lives that isn't age appropriate," says Arnall. The MediaSmarts report notes that, of those kids in grade four who have mobile phones, about one-fifth use social media networks like Facebook and Snapchat, even though their policies require users to be at least 13 years old.

In terms of screen time in general for this age group, the CPS guidelines only address kids up to age five. The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology says that children ages five to 11 years old should limit their recreational screen time to no more than two hours a day, while lower levels are associated with additional health benefits.

Ages 10 to 12
Cheng says parents should place strict limits on phone usage at this age and not give children Internet-enabled mobile devices. "Kids should only be allowed to use phones to call their parents," he says. When it comes to screens in general, Cheng notes that excess screen time is associated with unhealthy habits, such as consuming more junk food. "When we see people in our obesity clinics, one of the first things we do is try to get them off screens," he says. He notes that there are issues with younger kids that stem from video game addiction. "You see kids who are on screens from the moment they come home until they go to bed," says Cheng. "Then they don't have any friends and they become overweight."

Working on the front line in mental health services, Cheng sees the emotional damage of smartphones and social media networks on kids, noting that they promote an over-reliance on peer validation. Cheng's hope is that a minimum age for owning a smartphone will eventually be legislated. Such a movement is already afoot in the state of Colorado, where there is a proposal to make it illegal to sell smartphones to children under 13.

"Do we let 12-year-olds drive cars?" asks Cheng. "No. Why? Because cars are dangerous. But we let 12-year-olds have cellphones, and using cellphones improperly can actually do far more damage than cars."

The reality, though, is that many kids are getting their first Internet-enabled smartphones around age 10. A recent British study shows that girls in this age group are particularly vulnerable, with more time spent on social media associated with more emotional and behavioural problems in later adolescence. Arnall recommends installing parental controls and advises parents to refrain from using the phone as a discipline tool. She says kids who fear punishment of any kind (such as having their phones taken away) are less likely to open up to parents about their problems. Instead, Arnall recommends drafting a non-punitive and respectful contract between parents and children that lays down certain rules about safe and healthy cellphone use.
Teens

Cheng says that he would try to push back the age at which kids get their first smartphones to 16 years old, noting that he sees kids on a daily basis who are addicted to technology and suffer from depression, anxiety and thoughts of suicide.

"There is such a high incidence of mental and physical health issues among youth that is associated with technology overuse," he says. He notes that most "official" recommendations are that a child is ready for supervised use of a smartphone by age 13. But another approach is for parents to consider the maturity level of their child (for example, if a child has healthy connections to people and activities that engender a sense of belonging and is inclined to talk to his parents if he gets into trouble online).

As for screen time guidelines, aside from the link between increased screen time and sedentary habits, parents might also want to consider other factors, such as the impact of electronic screens on their child's vision. A 2014 survey of 200 American children between the ages of 10 and 17 found that 80 percent reported burning, itchy or tired eyes after using portable electronic devices (the Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends that teenagers have no more than two hours of recreational screen time a day and include breaks after 60 minutes of use, with 30 minutes being encouraged).

During the teen years, parents should try to manage phone usage while keeping an eye out for signs that their teen may be a victim of cyberbullying. "Kids want to constantly be on their phones to make sure that no one is talking about them," says Arnall. "Social media is stressful, and kids need parents to help them deal with that stress."

Cheng's advice is that teens should only use social networks to connect with friends they have in real life. "Studies show that if you're a teen who already has face-to-face friends, social media can help you strengthen your connections with those friends," he says. He cautions teens to avoid using social media to meet new people because this can lead to delusions of having friends who aren't "true" friends.

Cheng sees first-hand the link between increased usage of mobile devices among teens and a spike in mental health issues. He says that there has been an unprecedented demand for mental health services at the hospital where he works, including a 50 percent increase in mental health crisis visits to the hospital's emergency department over the past two years and a 146 percent increase in mental health admissions from emergency visits over the past five years.

Given these alarming statistics, parents should consider taking a more active approach to ensure that their teens are using smartphones responsibly. In Rebelo's household, there are restrictions around Mia's phone use: It gets turned off at 9 p.m. is not stored in Mia's bedroom and is verboten during family meals, homework time and family get-togethers. Rebelo says that parents should also consider screen-free weekend time, where they set aside a day (or even part of a day) to focus on other activities. She also advises parents to follow similar rules for themselves and to stick to their values.

"It's important to not be swayed by what other parents are letting their kids do," she says. "And you have to keep on top of it-it's very easy to let it slip and take over."
More tips for parents

Don't cave in to pressure to give your child a smartphone at a young age. "If your child gets a cellphone at 16, he'll catch up really fast," says Arnall.

Social media can be one big popularity contest, and kids are especially vulnerable. Teach your children that it's OK to not get likes on their posts, and encourage them to maintain outside interests.

Band together with other parents who are concerned about the increased use of smartphones among young kids (check out waituntil8th.org).

Read more:
Your baby might love your smartphone but it can lead to speech delays
Touchscreens are bad for toddlers' and babies' sleep

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An age-by-age guide to kids and smartphones

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Marni Rebelo held off on giving her daughter, Mia, a smartphone for as long as possible. Then, just before Mia's 13th birthday, she received one as a gift from her grandfather. "She was the last of her friends to get a phone-by over a year, at least," says Rebelo, adding that she and her husband were concerned that the phone would "overtake" their daughter's life.

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C-This article was posted on May 17 2015 and was updated may 30 2018.
R- It relates to my topic because it shows and explains the pro's and con's of kids with phones.
A- The author is Niche.
A- It is for my claim because it shows the pros and cons.
P- To show people who are undecided between yes or no to give young kids a phone.

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There’s a lot to weigh when it comes to getting cell phones for kids, including everything from costs to cyber bullying. Here are some points to consider.

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C-This picture was posted about 5 years ago.
R-It relates to my topic because its not only little kids who want to be on their electronics all the time its all ages.
A- I found it on boredpanda.
A- It is for my claim because most tennagers are addicted to their phone.
P-To let parents know to make sure there child is mature enough to have a phone but not to be on it all the time.

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C-  This video was posted on February 21 2010.
R- It relates to my topic because it explains when a kid should get a cell phone.
A- It was posted by ABC News.
A- It is for my claim because if immature kids had phones it would not turn out good.
P- To let parents know what to look out for to allow their kids to get a cell phone.

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C- This article was posted on June 7 2019.
R-This relates to my topic because it explains the ages or phones and other stuff.
A-Posted by panda security.
A-It is for my claim.
P- It explains everything you need to know about getting your child a phone.

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These days, it's not uncommon to see kids with their eyes glued to smartphones when eating out at a restaurant or attending local events. The digital age is upon us and these Gen Z individuals have never known a time without the Internet. Now, with the power of the Internet at their fingertips, parents have to consider an important question: "When should kids get smartphones?"

Jump to the infographic.

When Should Kids Get Smartphones?

Everyone has a different style of parenting, and as kids grow up in a digital age, technology will undoubtedly influence parental decisions. To help us better understand the trends in these decisions, we asked a group of 1,000 Americans, including men and women of all ages, when kids should get smartphones.

The results showed that 40% of Americans think kids should wait until middle school (age 11-13) before getting smartphones.

Close behind, one-third of the respondents said that parents should wait until high school to give their kids smartphones.

Although a majority of people think kids should wait to get smartphones, this isn't necessarily the reality of today's world. have shown that the average age kids get cell phones is 10 years old. It has also been that 25% of kids under the age of six have phones and half of them spend up to 21 hours a week on them. This trend of kids getting smartphones before they are ready is a cause for concern.

What Are the Concerns of Kids Having Smartphones?

There are many fears when it comes to giving kids their own smartphones. To find out the main concern of kids having smartphones we asked a group of 1,000 Americans what their biggest worry is.
A third of the respondents cited too much screen time as their biggest worry about kids having smartphones.
As you can see below, the additional responses varied between smartphones being addictive, the potential for cyberbullying, exposure to nudity and violence, health issues, and other concerns.

The Dangers of Too Much Screen Time

The fact that people are more concerned with their kids having too much screen time than they are with exposure to nudity and violence goes to show the severity of this issue. Too much screen time can contribute to many negative effects such as obesity, sleep problems, behavior problems, education problems and increased violence.

Common Sense Media reports that American children aged zero to eight use screen media for an average of 2 hours and 18 minutes per day. 35% of this screen time is spent on mobile devices. This amount of screen time is over twice the daily limit that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends for children aged two to five years old.

Brain Development and Smartphones

Screen time also impacts the brain development of children. Analyzing kids by age can help us gain insight into how their brains develop and the impact smartphones might have on the process.

Ages four to six (preschool and younger)

This is a time when young brains are still developing. Screens on mobile devices cause overstimulation, producing dopamine and adrenaline in the brain. This makes them highly addictive at this age. In addition, this age group is just starting to learn social skills that should be taught in person rather than on a screen.

Smartphone use at this age isn't suggested and should be limited. The respondents of the survey back up this belief, with only 3.3% responding that kids should get smartphones at preschool age or younger.

Ages seven to eleven (Kindergarten - 5th grade)

At this age, kids are starting to gain independence. They are at school all day and joining extracurricular activities after school. This independence may cause parents to consider getting a phone to keep track of their child.

However, this is also an age when bullying may start to become an issue and phones with Internet access and social media can contribute. These sites promote an over-reliance on peer validation and can have a negative impact.

Ages 12 to 14 (middle school)

The transition to middle school is one that is often done with a smartphone. 40% of survey respondents agreed that this was the best age to introduce this technology to kids. In terms of brain growth, this is a time when adolescents are developing skills like problem-solving, critical thinking and impulse control. If these skills can be seen in a child, they are probably ready for supervised smartphone use.

The founders of this technology also agree with waiting to give kids possession of a smartphone until they are older. Co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, reportedly limited his kids' use of technology and prohibited them from using the iPad when it was released. Former CEO of Microsoft, Bill Gates, waited until his kids were 14 to give them phones.

Ages 15 to 18 (high school)

Although a high schooler may think they are fully grown, their prefrontal cortex still needs 20% more growth. The prefrontal cortex controls cognitive function and can influence planning, organization, impulse suppression and weighing consequences. Add in hormones and these high schoolers can be unpredictable.

Technology in this mix can be a cause for concern, especially when smartphones provide unsupervised Internet access. It's important that parents teach and model good smartphone habits that their high schoolers can pick up on. Monitoring smartphone usage is also an important factor.

Teaching Smart Phone Use

Regardless of what age you decide to give your child a smartphone, it's essential to teach smart phone use. Kids should understand the responsibility of having phones and what will happen if they abuse the privilege.

Suggestions for teaching smartphone use:

Start by giving your child a cell phone that doesn't have Internet access.

Choose when to give them a phone based on how mature you think they are rather than when everyone else their age is getting one.

Openly discuss the dangers of smartphones.

Create a family contract that establishes smartphone rules and sets a consequence for breaking the contract.

Monitor your kids' screen time (most devices have a feature that tracks this).

Set aside family time without technology to encourage human interaction and non-digital learning.

Smartphones have many benefits if used properly. Following these tips will help you decide when your child should get a smartphone and help ensure they use the device in a safe manner. For added protection, try Panda Security's antivirus which offers a parental control feature so you can manage your child's Internet use and app access.
Methodology:
This study consisted of two separate questions conducted using Google Surveys. The sample for each question consisted of no less than 1,000 completed answers. Post-stratification weighting has been applied to ensure an accurate and reliable representation of the total population. The survey ran in May 2019.

Sources:

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When Should Kids Get Smartphones? (Survey) - Panda Security

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These days, it's not uncommon to see kids with their eyes glued to smartphones when eating out at a restaurant or attending local events. The digital age is upon us and these Gen Z individuals have never known a time without the Internet.

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C-
R-It relates to my topic.
A-Posted by Lindsay Hutton.
A-It is for my claim because it explains everything you need to know about the right age to give your kid a phone.
P-It explains what age to get your child a cell phone.

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At what age should you get your child a cell phone? According to PewResearch Center, the average age is between 12 and 13, but when to get your child a cell phone is a personal decision, and can vary from kid to kid based on maturity and need. Before you decide to add your child to your family plan, ask yourself these questions.

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Age to Get Your Child a Cell Phone | When Should Your Child Get a Phone

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At what age should you get your child a cell phone? According to PewResearch Center, the average age is between 12 and 13, but when to get your child a cell phone is a personal decision, and can vary from kid to kid based on maturity and need.

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C- This article was posted January 6 2017.
R-It relates to my topic because its explaining why young kid should not have a phone.
A-It was posted by John S. Kiernan.
A-It is for my claim because it shows little kids having phones..
P-To show what age is appropriate for kids to have cell phone.

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Becoming too connected used to be an issue kids had with stuffed animals and pacifiers. Now it's a matter of smart phones and tablets. And whether this is a positive development remains to be seen.

Sure, growing up in the technology age has its fair share of benefits: instant access to endless educational possibilities and preparation for the jobs of the future, just to name a couple. But it also exposes young people to a host of issues far less benign than anything even the Velveteen Rabbit could throw at you. From radiation exposure and childhood obesity to cyberbullying and sex crimes, kids these days must run a gauntlet of technological issues in order to get into a good college, earn a decent wage and ultimately lead a happy, healthy, prosperous life.

Among the important decisions parents must therefore make - along with screen-time limits and whether to monitor social media - is when to give a child his or her own cell phone. Is there an ideal age? What parental rules and restrictions should accompany the privilege? And, perhaps most importantly, should phones be allowed at school?

Researchers from the London School of Economics found that students in high schools with cell-phone bans received about a week's worth of additional education each year and scored over 6% better on standardized tests. But how far can we extrapolate such findings, both in terms of younger children and beyond school grounds?

For additional insight that may help guide parents, we posed one simple question - "should kids have cell phones?" - to a panel of leading experts in the fields of education, family studies and technology. You can check out their bios and responses below. And if you'd like to join the discussion, you can share your thoughts in the comments section at the end of the page.

Why Kids Should Not Have Cell Phones
Highlights:

"Infants, toddlers and preschoolers should not have cell phones. The argument has a few simple points - cell phones are expensive, screen time is bad for kids this age, and the kids don't know what to do with the phones."
Ross Hunter // Director, Washington State Department of Early Learning

"There are several reasons why kids should not have cell phones. Kids with cell phones are likely to spend too much time on them, keeping them from doing more productive things like exercising and reading. There is increasing evidence of addiction to electronic devices, which like any other kind of addiction is destructive. Many kids with cell phones lose sleep because of talking at night or because of being anxious that they do not miss a call, and as a result suffer from headaches and sleepiness during the day, which interferes with learning at school."
David O. Carpenter // Director, Institute for Health and the Environment & Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany

"Kids should not have cell phones. I may be alone on this, but I don't see a real need for them, and I certainly don't see the benefits for young children. I actually know of a five-year-old child who owns a cell phone. Children's excessive use of cell phones can lead to issues with both health and safety."
Georgia S. Thompson // Vice President of the Programs and Affiliate Network, National Black Child Development Institute

"We go to great lengths to protect the child brain with car seats and bike helmets, yet we are exposing them now to an agent that many governments control/ban/restrict. Due to their thinner skulls and unique physiology, children can receive twice as much radiation into their brain and up to ten times as much into their skull compared at an adult. Children's developing brains are the most vulnerable."
Theodora Scarato // Clinical Social Worker & Director of Public Affairs and Educational Programs, Environmental Health Trust
Why Kids Should Have Cell Phones
Highlights:

"As digital natives, many kids begin using technology at a very young age. Having a cell phone seems to be a natural extension of that. Does that mean a kindergarten student should have one? No. Does it mean it should be automatically ruled out? No. Rather than simply answering no or yes to a child having a cell phone, one must consider the purpose for having it. As kids and society become more technologically savvy, the answer will often be yes, a cell phone will be a benefit for the child."
Jan Urbanski - Director of Safe and Humane Schools in the Institute on Family & Neighborhood Life at Clemson University
"I think age 9 is a good time for a cell phone-the student is in the 3rd or 4th grade and they are learning about the world. However, it is key for students to be given training around using a cell phone. For example, students should know about turning on/off the cell phone in school as well as lowering or muting the volume of the ringer during classes."
Beth Rosenberg // Director, Tech Kids Unlimited
"The real issue is not a question of yes or not but instead one of how. In other words, what we should be focusing on is whether young people are using cell phones responsibly and judiciously and how well we are teaching them to do both."
Robert Crosnoe // Chair of the Department of Sociology, University of Texas at Austin & President-Elect, Society for Research on Adolescence
Why It's a Situational Decision
Highlights:
"If the question were whether teens should have cell phones, I would answer yes in most circumstances. However, children are receiving cell phones at younger and younger ages, and I am not a fan of elementary school children owning cell phones. While there is not a magic age or a one-size-fits-all for when a child is ready for a cell phone, there is often little reason to rush toward ownership. While children may very well need access to technology at school, there are a variety of devices (tablets, for example) that can allow internet access without opening a young child up to the continued distraction and pressure to be 'always available,' which is what cell phone ownership often demands."
Patti Agatston // President, International Bullying Prevention Association & Co-author, "Cyber Bullying: Bullying in the Digital Age"
"To answer this question, I consulted a 16-year-old who uses her phone extensively for texting and social media. I expected a resounding "yes" from her, but her first reaction was "No, it's too distracting and addictive." But then she began to think of the positive uses - ability to reach parents easily, consulting with friends about homework, etc. - and she concluded that it's a complicated question. I agree. The answer varies by the age of children and their needs."
Joan W. Almon // Co-founder and Director of Programs, Alliance for Childhood
"It depends on a multitude of factors. For example, how old is the child? A two-year-old does not need a cell phone, but a six-year-old might. So now ask yourself why does the child need a phone? If s/he is a child that is left alone often either at home or at series of scheduled practices/events, having such a tool can be quite handy for the family as well as make everyone feel safe. If having a phone is simply a fashion, social, or economic statement, I would say no."
Christopher P. Brown // Professor of Education, University of Texas at Austin
Image: g-stockstudio / iStock.

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Should Kids Have Cell Phones? Experts Pick Sides

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Becoming too connected used to be an issue kids had with stuffed animals and pacifiers. Now it's a matter of smart phones and tablets. And whether this is a positive development remains to be seen.