My nephew has been bought a mobile for Christmas. I'm not too sure why his parents have bought him one other than all the other kids in his class have one! He doesn't even really go out on his own!!
They know next to nothing about what to do to make sure he's not looking at things he shouldn't be!
What do teh STW massive think about 8 year olds with mobiles? Am i terribly out of touch? Am i right to be concerned about radiation, inappropriate content etc etc?
Ta!
Radiation?
How do you know they know next to nothing about online safety or is that just your assumption?
No to radiation, but yes to inappropriate content.
I have no truck with the idea that an 8yr old needs a smartphone. If all the other kids have them (a big if, he could be telling porkies) then all* of their parents are idiots.
*Well most, there may occasionally be a good reason for them to have one.
Yes. you do sound massively out of touch.
Very few 8 yr olds *need* a mobile.
For some parents (me) who's 8yr old is very active, out a hell of a lot, has a lot of freedom, lives between two parents and older siblings homes, has sleepovers at many friends etc. it's incredibly handy for their child to have one and be contactable.
I don't *need* a mobile either
pissed uncles, eh?
Short answer: no they don't need them
Long answer : no they don't need them
Kid is likely to end up up on a register for showing porn to the reception class
Just makes it easier for paedos to groom him.
IMO no. In our home No1 son got his first phone at 10 , it wasn't a smartphone and was good for text and calls only. After 12 months he'd proved that he was capable of looking after a phone and we bought him a cheap Chinese smartphone for £75 that lasted 18 months till it was replaced last Christmas.
The 1990s called and want their thread back.
Nah, we all aspired to pagers in the '90s.
Don't do it. Gave my eldest daughter first mobile at 10. Worst thing we ever did. She's become, probably like most kids her age, completely addicted. There's no way we couldn't have given her one at that age as most of her friends had them and she wouldn't want to be the odd one out. I hated the fact that we had to do it though. The removal of said phone is now the main threat in terms of punishment. If she had the choice, thankfully she doesn't, she'd be on it all day and night and have minimal contact with everyone else. She's 13 though so we do heavily ration it's use.
Sometimes we take it away for a day here and there and she becomes a much nicer more engaged person without it. They have such a detrimental impact on their moods, motivation etc.
Got a 9 year old who now also wants one. I feel.sad knowing that probably at 10 we'll have to give in and lose a bit of her too.
Makes me sad just thinking about it.
Definitely don't give them one at aged 8.
Nope.
Our 8 yr old has one of our old iPhone SE’s.
He gets on the school bus and does a 15 mile journey each way every day.
Before he got one it’s all he wanted, and we always said no. We have it to him the day before he started school but not as a present.
We use it to track him, make phone calls, texts etc. It’s been very useful so far. He doesn’t use it at all for looking at porn/inappropriate content because 1 the phone is locked down. 2 he’s 8! I’m sure this will change when he’s 10/12 but for now it’s fine.
Smartphone? No. No way in hell.
Wee basic thing just for calls and texts? Maybe depending on the kid...
8 is too young, but not uncommon.
If it’s a iPhone then the new screen time function is good. You can limit how much time they spend on it, plus the parent has to approve every app they download, restricts adult content, etc. All our kids have some sort of Apple device and we find this feature stops them turning into zombies.
Haha pissed Uncle - nope!
Concerned for an 8 year olds welfare - yup
If you are concerned there are resources at https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents
Designed to help parents and kids with tech based concerns. I've never used them but understand they're quite well done
I have an 8 year old, he hasnt ever asked for a phone.
Our daughter had a basic phone (job tough job) when she went to secondary school, she rarely used it and most of the time left it at home after it went off in class one time and she got in trouble.
Yesterday she got a smart phone, she's 12 almost 13, even then it's restricted a little.
Shes probably the last in her class, certainly her friends to get a phone.
The reason she's got one so 'late' is that she's broken 3 tablets and a laptop in the past......
Personally I couldn't dream of giving an unrestricted smart phone to an 8 year old, but if the parents think it's appropriate for the child, fair enough.
No. But that is not the same as shouldn’t have. Our youngest had an iPod touch at 8 which is very similar to a phone without a monthly bill/payg. As stated above Apple let a parent control what gets installed. She uses it much the same way as I used a ZX spectrum in the 1980s with the added ability to communicate with friends (much the same as I did with a landline). She also watches YouTube/Netflix etc which both have some degree of age restriction.
There is talk of getting her a phone now at nearly 11 (probably a PAYG dumb phone) as on once a week she just started walking over a mile to the local high school and back for a “club”. In the 80’s I’d have been able to use a phone box and reverse charges if there was a crisis. There are very few phone boxes now.
I’m not convinced peados are the threat schools teach them a lot about internet safety. If you wanted to groom kids you could just spot the ones without phones and give them a “secret” phone so their parents don’t know. The vulnerability is being “different”, not being connected. Running up in game purchases would be more of an issue if you ignore parental controls/common sense. The biggest issues is apparently online bullying - although neither of ours seem to have encountered this (or are robust enough not to care).
Depends entirely on the parents and the child. There's no real strict right or wrong in these sorts of questions.
**** no.
Want something to listen to? Walkman, etc. The ipod touch does sound good though.
Our 8 year old asked for a phone for his 8th birthday and we told him he would probably get one when he turns 11/12 when he has sat his 11+ and gone to high/grammar school.
There seems to be a consensus among the other parents in his class that this is the right thing to do (WhatsApp discussion which is hardly all-inclusive or definitive) - what is interesting is that the naughtiest kid in his class has apparently received a phone this term which I'm sure won't help with whatever issues he has.
My lad is 10.5 he has a phone for Strava and tracking etc. Also for emergency call use if bike has an issue. Apart from that he very very rarely needs a phone. If he goes to the park for a few hours with mates he takes one too.
He has an android tablet for gaming in the car etc but not on a chargeable data plan etc.
All his devices used are locked down with full reporting via qustodio.
I have an 8 year old, he hasnt ever asked for a phone.
Same here. I’m gobsmacked that this is even a thing, at 8. I thought that this would be a secondary school age issue. My family and I must lead a sheltered life. Blimey.
Yes, mine had them since about that age. Youngest now 13 and was rolling around at Kevin Bridges last night..... 😜
Aw man... Rolf Harris.. and now Kevin Bridges?
oldest child got a phone so we could call and track him. He started walking home from school but never asked for one. It was a hand me down iphone5. middle child doesn't have one or asked for one. Wouldn't trust him not to loose it TBH.
Up to the parent if their give the child one. I couldn't care less who has or hasn't a phone.
The average adult apparently touches their phone 2600 times a day. My 9 Yr old who has had a smartphone since 8 hasn't touched hers since the day before Christmas eve when she texted me.
Some of you here are admitting to using your kids phones as emotional tools to punish them. Would it not have made more sense to teach them at a young age how and when to use the device. Ie. In moderation. Her phone is charging now as she leaves for France in a few hours. No doubt she'll use the phone for YouTube, Spotify and games to occupy her self during the long journey. But also to let me know how she is over the next week apart. Much like many of the concescending adults browsing here. Only far more sensible.
[ironically sent from my smartphone]
Our kids got phones when they went to secondary school - before that, we relied on their common sense to stay safe when playing out and they had second hand tablets for playing on.
We still use the right to check and get their phones now of course, aged 15 and 12
There’s no way we couldn’t have given her one at that age
Rubbish, says more about your ability as a parent more than anything else. You are the boss, you tell them what they can and cannot have.
Geex has a very balanced view of this, though I would say the only time our kids don't use their phones to contact us is when they are away from home on trips - we all kind of assume they are ok unless the group leaders or Police tell us otherwise. Think the eldest has done 35 nights away this year with different groups!
We certainly have a range of opinions. The smartphone has a lot more uses than just as a comms. device. Music/video player, ebook, camera, loads of handy apps. Why wouldn't you want your child to have access to those?
Am i right to be concerned about radiation
Unless you’re prepared to get rid of the microwave, stop eating bananas, and cover the entire house with copper mesh or aluminium foil, then no.
The OP just says a mobile phone, not specifically a smartphone, and I’d be fine with an 8 yo having something like a Nokia 3310, which is what I bought for my g/f to replace her knackered old Alcatel. She has no need or desire for a smartphone, and I would argue that neither does an 8 yo. From maybe 11-12, then yes, some sort of cheap smartphone or second-hand old iPhone, which is locked down, and tracking enabled.
The smartphone has a lot more uses than just as a comms. device. Music/video player, ebook, camera, loads of handy apps. Why wouldn’t you want your child to have access to those?
Perfectly agree, but I would suggest that a degree of maturity is required before allowing a child to have access to what is a pocket computer with mobile modem built in.