Giving a 7 year old an iPhone 5S 16gb

[leebroath]

We are 'thinking' of getting our 7 year old an iPhone which she hasn't been asking for ages now

She is Pokemon absolute daft and this is the ONLY reason we would give her one, but in later years add the functions to allow her more access, it's also her birthday soon turning 7, and she also wants to add some of her pocket money to it.

The only time she will be using the phone, playing Pokemon, would be when we are out with her, my partner is hooked on this fad also! The phone would then be placed away until we went back out again. My partner would also go into the settings and make sure what needs turned off is def off

Question is, do you think it's too soon or has anyone else in our shoes and caved in??

 

[Apple_Robert]

As long as you and your partner make the appropriate restrictions and both agree on monitoring and rules, I see nothing wrong with giving her the phone.

 

[eyoungren]

Question is, do you think it's too soon or has anyone else in our shoes and caved in??

I would have to say "it depends."

Used solely as a device I don't believe it's too early. My son got his first Mac when he was 5, my daughter when she was 6. Both of them shared an iPhone 3GS for a while (about a year) but it was WiFi only as we don't have AT&T service (it was locked to that carrier).

However, except for weekend visits to our local coffee shop neither of them were porting around their computers or the 3GS.

Right now my daughter is 8 and she's been using a WiFi only LG G-Pad tablet. That's all she's been allowed to use since putting a dent in my iPad Air 2 over Christmas.

From my viewpoint, I don't have an issue with my kids using devices for things like games and such. It's never really bothered my kids because they've always had access to a computer at home. So putting the device away isn't such a horrible thing as it may be to others.

My son turned 13 last October and now he has an iPhone 4s. He's involved now in a few things that require contact with him so we got him this phone for his birthday. But his plan caps out at 2GB a month. I see a purpose for him being on our cell plan so that was why I was okay with getting him the 4s.

He was told that if he can manage things and take care of the device (i.e., not breaking it) that there would be an upgrade in a year. So far he's been taking care of it.

That to me is another consideration. How well do they take care of the stuff they have now? Are they mature enough to be responsible with the device?

Right now…there is no WAY in HELL I'd hand my daughter a cellular enabled device. She's already proven (via my dented iPad) that she isn't paying attention to what she's doing. And I can't trust her to not try and make an in-app purchase or app download without asking me first.

 

[a-m-k]

I would honestly start her off with an iPod touch, if the only thing she's going to do is play Pokemon, pretty much, why add all the "bells and whistles" when she's older. An iPhone is a pretty sophisticated smart phone. Will she get uses out of it making actual calls, or is that part going to be "turned off" until she's old enough to make calls.

If you are worried about contact with her, I am sure you are well aware of the iPod touch being able to text and play games, just not make calls....

 

[leebroath]

The iPod can't play Pokemon though outwith a wifi setup?

Everything will be turned off until we say so

 

[silverblack]

When she was 5, my daughter had an iPod touch, which was later upgraded to an iPhone 5S since Pokémon Go was released. The iPhone without data plan was essentially an iPod touch with GPS.

Besides Pokémon Go, she also uses it for kiddy games, music and cartoons.

 

[harlenmm77]

My 7 year old has a 6 and my 5 year old has a 5. Both were hand me downs. Keeps them entertained when we are out and I'm able to track the older one when he's on the bus in case it's running late.

 

[nox5]

Yes if you want your kid to wear glasses in 10 years

 

[borgsauce]

iPhone 7 for 7th birthday

 

[Reno Raines]

We got that exact phone for our daughter but when she turned 12.

 

[Beards]

The iPod can't play Pokemon though outwith a wifi setup?

Everything will be turned off until we say so

My granddaughter has an iPod Touch and she uses hers out and about playing Pokemon.
I thought Pokemon used GPS.

 

[Mlrollin91]

I would honestly start her off with an iPod touch, if the only thing she's going to do is play Pokemon, pretty much, why add all the "bells and whistles" when she's older. An iPhone is a pretty sophisticated smart phone. Will she get uses out of it making actual calls, or is that part going to be "turned off" until she's old enough to make calls.

If you are worried about contact with her, I am sure you are well aware of the iPod touch being able to text and play games, just not make calls....

The iPod can't play Pokemon though outwith a wifi setup?

Everything will be turned off until we say so

My granddaughter has an iPod Touch and she uses hers out and about playing Pokemon.
I thought Pokemon used GPS.

Pokemon Go requires a device with an internet connection and a GPS chip. This is why WiFi iPads are unable to play Pokemon Go (even at home and connected to WiFi) because Pokemon Go uses the device's GPS chip to determine location and not WiFi to do so. The latter would make it very easy to spoof location. So the only iOS devices that are capable of playing PoGo are iPhones and Cellular iPads.

 

[bufffilm]

Put the phone is a nice protectice case assuming you think he/she is mature and responsible enough.

Once you opened that door however...you can't close it easily again. So be reasonably sure before embarking.

 

[eyeseeyou]

Once you opened that door however...you can't close it easily again. So be reasonably sure before embarking.

Agreed regarding opening that door. We live in a society where where staring at our phone posting on social media is more important than actually being social.

Conflicted on basically encouraging a young child to stare at a screen like us adults although I guess it isn't that much different staring at a phone vs staring at a game boy.

I have an 8 year old my self and fortunately she'd rather stick her nose in a book than play video games and the iPad although she did go through a period of binge watching Barbie unboxings on YouTube.

 

[leebroath]

Conflicted on basically encouraging a young child to stare at a screen like us adults although I guess it isn't that much different staring at a phone vs staring at a game boy.

That is actually a good point, it's no better than a child playing a game boy! Back in the day I loved playing the Gameboy spent days/weeks/months playing Mario over and over, then came my Gamegear, Shinobi WOW!

Putting it that way I think we will go ahead and purchase it, fire in a few games also and take it from there

 

[harlenmm77]

Yes if you want your kid to wear glasses in 10 years

Read a study not too long ago that said using a device does not lead to eye problems like they used to think. Let's see if I can find it.

 

[Mlrollin91]

Yes if you want your kid to wear glasses in 10 years

As others have mentioned, how is this different than a game boy throughout the years?

 

[leebroath]

Hmmm, had a play with my own iPhone 7 Plus and can clearly see within restrictions there is no way of stopping calls outgoing/incoming

Maybe not so good idea

 

[eyoungren]

I have an 8 year old my self and fortunately she'd rather stick her nose in a book…

LOL!!!

I laugh not because I disagree (I agree with this) but because I was always getting yelled at for "anti-social behavior" when opting to read a book versus engaging on the playground as a kid.

I've been staring at monitors and screens of various sizes since 1980 when my dad brough home a TRS-80. This generation has no monopoly on staring at screens - the technology is just far more mobile now.

 

[bufffilm]

Reading books now is a fading art...to be encouraged whenever possible.

 

[eyoungren]

Reading books now is a fading art...to be encouraged whenever possible.

Yeah…

…it's just done on an iPad or iPhone or some other device now.

 

[eyeseeyou]

Yeah…

…it's just done on an iPad or iPhone or some other device now.

Lot's of reading taking place but not necessarily books lol.
[doublepost=1489080257][/doublepost]

I laugh not because I disagree (I agree with this) but because I was always getting yelled at for "anti-social behaviour" when opting to read a book versus engaging on the playground as a kid.

I also somewhat have this concern but this is also part of the challenge of parenting. Lots of benefits to "forcing" your child to engage in team-oriented, outdoor activities. in the adult world you actually have to know how to interact with other human beings lol.

Go outside and get into some trouble or go outside and do something that will get you some scars lol.

 

[eyoungren]

Lot's of reading taking place but not necessarily books lol.

Yeah, I guess that depends a lot on the person.

 

[bufffilm]

Yeah…

…it's just done on an iPad or iPhone or some other device now.

I'm not convinced that is true for the younger generation i.e. kids.

You can borrow books from the library with a Kindle and other devices, but I have to believe the percentage that do it electronically is small.

 

[D.T.]

Our 8 year old (soon to be 9) has an iPhone 6S, it was a year old hand-me-down from my wife, and since we always keep the packaging (and our devices are generally pretty mint), it was like new for Christmas

This is her second phone, the last one was an iPhone 5, the same scenario.

- We don't activate the cellular service (so it's a WiFi only device)
- She doesn't take it to school
- She's not allowed to use it bed during school nights

Since this is a "techie" household, we've always made a point to introduce the use of various technology, but with a STRONG emphasis on care, proper usage etiquette, etc. She doesn't have any unmanaged accounts (we have a shared YT), no social networking accounts.

She's awesome with technology, her phones look as new as if one of us used them, she's also super interested in how things work, so we've even done a little HTML on the Mini (it's "hers", but also the main media server, archived machine).