At what age can a child have their own cell phone? The experts have responded, and parents are giving in far too soon.
Buying your child’s first cell phone is always a headache. If parents often wonder which model will be most suitable, the most recurring question concerns the age at which this step must be taken. This decision is presented to parents earlier and earlier. According to Médiamétriethe average age for purchasing a first phone would be 9 years and 9 months in France.
While the telephone can have advantages as a tool for immediate communication and socialization, it also presents risks, particularly with regard to sleep, and can expose people to cyberbullying as well as cause addiction to screens. It is especially important to support children in their use of cell phones.
“We need to discuss what he is going to do. Explain to him that he is going to come across content that is not appropriate for his age and get him to think about his use of social networks. You always need to to discuss what he saw and which could disturb him with his parents”, explained Séverine Erhel, lecturer in cognitive psychology at Rennes 2 University, with Tech&Co.
She also advises turning off all access to the phone at least an hour before bedtime and not leaving the device in the bedroom at night. It is also recommended that you monitor your own phone usage as a parent. This influences children, while it is necessary to have family time without phones.
In a official reportexperts have recommended a minimum age for purchasing the first phone: it is set at 11 years. This normally corresponds to entry into college. “This age corresponds to an important stage in the life of the young person who gradually leaves childhood and prepares for his entry into adolescence,” we can read there. With this stage can come the use of public transport alone, as well as the multiplication of independent outdoor activities.
For experts, you should start with a basic phone, up to 13 years old. The smartphone should only appear later. He must first be without access to social networks, at least until 15 years old. For his part, the Parenthood & Digital Education Observatory also recommends delaying the acquisition of the first connected phone. He recommends the age of 12, with monitoring of the use made of it. It therefore seems preferable, in all cases, to wait until adolescence.