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youngest age for a child to be using an iPhone
- Thread starter techiegeek1225
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As a 15 year old I have to say that kids or teens shouldn't have an iPhone until they can buy it themselves. I've bought myself with my own money the 3GS, 4, and 4S. Because I used my own money I am a lot more appreciative of my phone and take care of it. My iPhone 4S, which I got on launch day, still doesn't have a single scratch! Admittedly my parents do pay for the monthly bill and trade me their new upgrade for my old iPhone.
Our son is 5 and has an iPod touch in a survivor case. He's pretty good with it but has the tendency to leave it places in the house or car and not remember where he put it.
Our daughter will be 9 in October. She has a regular keyboard phone for emergencies only since we have no home phone. She also has a galaxy tab which I'd like to replace with an iPad for her birthday or Christmas this year. She is much more responsible with her electronics than her brother.
As for a smart phone, it depends on how responsible they are and how they behave. I think as I get older I'm more concerned about other children stealing their stuff than them actually losing it.
Our daughter will be 9 in October. She has a regular keyboard phone for emergencies only since we have no home phone. She also has a galaxy tab which I'd like to replace with an iPad for her birthday or Christmas this year. She is much more responsible with her electronics than her brother.
As for a smart phone, it depends on how responsible they are and how they behave. I think as I get older I'm more concerned about other children stealing their stuff than them actually losing it.
Daughter had access to an iPod Touch at eight and now has an iPhone 4S at eleven. Its insured against damage loss and theft. No issues yet, touch wood.
My soon to be 11 year old son has an iPhone. He's not allowed to take it to school so his phone is at home most of the time. He texts and calls his friends from home or takes it with him when he goes to his friends' houses. We haven't had any issues with it (knock on wood).
My 9 year old girl does not want an iPhone and prefers her touch. She can Facetime me when she needs to get a hold of me or calls me via Talkatone.
My 9 year old girl does not want an iPhone and prefers her touch. She can Facetime me when she needs to get a hold of me or calls me via Talkatone.
"should" is a bit of a strange concept, as if there's somewhere a "right" and "wrong" answer.
Using is different to owning, I'd say.
My 15-month-old uses our iPad regularly; there are a decent number of baby apps, story books, flashcards, etc. which we enjoy using together. He knows how to unlock it and knows which are "his" apps to launch.
It's in no way a substitute to other non-electronic stuff, but just another 'toy' with some educational value to add into the mix of activities.
What I should have added to my comment was that she has been instructed time and again not to walk down the street holding the iPhone in her hands. My biggest fear is some bully will knock her down and run off with it, and it doesn't make me feel any better to know that the same thing can and does happen to adults.
My 2 year old son is the same, amazing how quick they work out how it all works.
My 20 month old daughter has been using my iPad and iPhone for the last 4 months or so.
it took her no time at all to learn to unlock the device, scroll across the home screens, open the folder with kids apps in, play with an app and then use the task switcher to change to a different app.
It is a testament to Apple's design team that they can design something which works so well for adults, but is so unimaginably easy for youngsters to pick up and learn on.
The iPad as a learning tool is amazing, by interacting with educational games i'm sure my daughter has picked up a lot of words faster than she would have otherwise.
Having used Android tablets/phones in the past, i'm sure the same would not be said for them. Apple really do have great UI designers.
it took her no time at all to learn to unlock the device, scroll across the home screens, open the folder with kids apps in, play with an app and then use the task switcher to change to a different app.
It is a testament to Apple's design team that they can design something which works so well for adults, but is so unimaginably easy for youngsters to pick up and learn on.
The iPad as a learning tool is amazing, by interacting with educational games i'm sure my daughter has picked up a lot of words faster than she would have otherwise.
Having used Android tablets/phones in the past, i'm sure the same would not be said for them. Apple really do have great UI designers.
My daughter was ~2 when she started playing with my android tablet.
She figured out how to unlock and start angry birds or a Zoo app.
The difference is really not that big.
All depends on how the parents let them use it, iPhone is great when it comes to parental controls and there are options for stuff like that, but if you just let your child be 'free' with it and do whatever; then I personally think you showed them nothing about responsibility or ownership in something.
Just my .02
Just my .02
NO, you just give him what he wants; and that's not always a good thing. I would kill for a 3GS at that age, I had a virgin mobile 'slice' for crying out loud in high school when the iphone was just announced.
I grew up with a Super Nintendo and about a dozen games which would have cost about $800 back in 1990. Or, when converted to 2012 dollars: $1,400.
So, basically, I find it funny when people complain about kids today having $500 iPads or $600 iPhones.
Perhaps your childhood predates all electronic devices so you have the right to complain, but I sure can't say anything about kids who have electronic toys that cost half of what my own did!
You are correct - I am from an era that pre-dates electronic devices...I'm not sure that grants me the right to complain, but I appreciate your understanding.
I suppose my discomfort stems, at least in part, from the idea that children carrying very expensive, very breakable devices at a very young age, with no ability or responsibility to pay for the support or replacement of the devices, seems excessive.
But, as you point out, I grew up in a time, and in the financial circumstances, that would preclude such a phenomenon. I guess I must make the leap (kicking and screaming) into the 21st century soon!
I would agree that the idea of children getting an un-ending supply of replacements is a bit much.
I didn't buy my daughter an iPod Touch. She inherited my wife's when my wife moved up to an iPhone. We made it clear to her (at age 3) that if it broke it would not be replaced. She apparently understood because it's been over 2 years since then and it doesn't have a scratch on it.
Were I to constantly be replacing broken iPods, I would then agree with your original sentiments. But that's not my situation, so I don't feel too bad about it.
I'd say the first year of highschool. Any younger and they could simply do with a 'dumbphone' - and for games and stuff you could always get them a much cheaper Nintendo DS or iPod touch.
That's owning. Letting kids use an iPad or iPhone every once in a while is alright.
That's owning. Letting kids use an iPad or iPhone every once in a while is alright.
From personal experience:
I'm 16 now and have been using an iPhone since the original so I must have been 11 or 12 but before that I used a blackberry for a few years so would had an iPhone earlier most likely should it have been availible (holy **** days when the iPhone didn't exist).
These days it seems lower I see kids 8 or 9 with an iPhone thesedays. My little sister who is 4 has known how to use an iPhone since she was 2 and it really engages her and has her own iPad which I gave to her when I upgraded mine.
Really however it depends on each individual child and whatever the parents think is appropriate and whether it appears the child is mature enough to be responsible physically making sure the device isn't lost/stolen and also virtually, whether they will be responsible having access to the internet 24/7 and whatnot. I generally think parents that watch their kids on the internet 24/7 are doing the child a disservice, kids used to be able to roam the streets exploring on their own, these days kids use the internet and electronics, let them explore. The world isn't full of pedos and sickos as some people think.
I'm 16 now and have been using an iPhone since the original so I must have been 11 or 12 but before that I used a blackberry for a few years so would had an iPhone earlier most likely should it have been availible (holy **** days when the iPhone didn't exist).
These days it seems lower I see kids 8 or 9 with an iPhone thesedays. My little sister who is 4 has known how to use an iPhone since she was 2 and it really engages her and has her own iPad which I gave to her when I upgraded mine.
Really however it depends on each individual child and whatever the parents think is appropriate and whether it appears the child is mature enough to be responsible physically making sure the device isn't lost/stolen and also virtually, whether they will be responsible having access to the internet 24/7 and whatnot. I generally think parents that watch their kids on the internet 24/7 are doing the child a disservice, kids used to be able to roam the streets exploring on their own, these days kids use the internet and electronics, let them explore. The world isn't full of pedos and sickos as some people think.
I understand your feelings about this. Clearly, your little girl had an understanding of responsibility at a remarkably young age. (A tribute to her intelligence and her parents' very positive influence.)
I guess I need to modify my position by saying that the individual child and the child's careful training have to enter into the evaluation of the readiness of a child to have expensive electronic devices.
OT: I don't know, but I think about three should be the limit for this same question that's been asked before. Which means we are at or past the limit.
Wow. I'm actually shocked how "average" my home is compared to the posters in this thread.
My son is 3, and has had my old 3gs since I bought a 4 in feb. He's mastered just about all of its capabilities, with the exception of text/call. I fully intend to hand over my 4 when I purchase the new iPhone.
Kind of a "legacy" thing in my home.
My son is 3, and has had my old 3gs since I bought a 4 in feb. He's mastered just about all of its capabilities, with the exception of text/call. I fully intend to hand over my 4 when I purchase the new iPhone.
Kind of a "legacy" thing in my home.
Our oldest daughter is 17 and she will be getting her first iphone/smartphone for Christmas. Up until this point her mother and I have felt that it was completely unreasonable for someone her age to have a smartphone. But, in the past year she has lived on the honor roll, gotten a good job at a media production company and has colleges beating our door down. After careful consideration we have RELUCTANTLY conceded that she has reached the minimum level of maturity to be handed such a device. This is what has worked for our family, not all parents are the same. We've listened to the "but everyone has one" crap. Our response has always been the same, "go live them then, we'll help you pack and make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for the walk over". I think she'll be quite surprised on Christmas morning when the package she picks up to open rings.
People do overestimate the number of adults trying to prey on children, but the impact of grooming (or worse) can be so awful it ruins a kid's life. My family is now 5 years on from an incident of attempted online grooming that resulted in a conviction, and my kid is still suffering. Parents should be vigilant and monitor their children's online activity - in our case we detected the problem before any physical damage was done, but it only takes a few days for a pedophile to cause huge emotional trauma.