at what age do you think children should be given a cell phone?

I personally don't think that there is an age for giving kids a cell phone, I think there is a maturity level. My 13 year old has a cell phone on a pay and talk plan. She uses her allowance to put time on her phone. If she doesn't have time, she doesn't talk. She takes it with her when she goes out, that way she can reach me in an emergency. I bought it for her last year when there was a lock down at a school in the city. I told her, against school rules, to keep it on her during the day so that if there was ever, god forbid, a lock down at her school, she could reach me or I could reach her. Thankfully, she hasn't had to use it yet and I hope she never will. As long as there are rules that the child has to abide by, and they do, there shouldn't be a problem.

It seems the new "IN" thing is mobiles for ages between 9-16.. i think its rediculas. If a child needs a phone for emergancy they can use the parents mobile say if they were going to a movie or to a friends house.They dont need there own mobile.It is alot of responsibility and they shouldnt have one until they understand money,expences and what is and what isnt important. In school they destracted me..i would have been better without one so when my boys older and its the "IN" thing ill be saying here have my old mobile *which only can recieve calls* hehe nasty but logical.

I think that there is no set age for all children in general; you really have to look at each case individually and make a determination about everyone separately. It has to do with the child and the parents and the level of trust and responsibility. Sometimes, a child might have a lot of extracuricular activities and need a phone in case of emergencies. Of course, other times a child might abuse a phone and get in trouble at school or overuse the phone. I think that parents need to make the determination, but in most cases I think that can happen around the junior high/early high school years.

i think 16 years old is appropriate age.not any younger because kids just are not resposible enough. i know they lose there stuff and cell phones are not cheap. my sister got her dauther a cell phone when she was 12 years old paid over 200.00 which is crazy then she lost it the next day...no way would i give a cell to a child that young let alone pay that much........

My 10 year old has a cell phone. He doesn't take it to school. He only takes it with him when he goes to a friends house.