What age should a child get a phone?

The topic of mobile phones for children has always been a controversial topic; at what age should children get one? Should they be allowed smart phones? Are parents responsible for monitoring their use of it?

There are no actual laws in regards to the age children can legally have mobile phones but only an age restriction on the purchase age of a contract. Therefore you would assume they have no detrimental effects and it is just due to personal choice however that may not be the case. Research has found just a 2-minute phone call can alter the electoral activity of a child’s brain for up to an hour, and in turn impair their learning ability and other behavioural activity.

Moreover, the WHO have claimed that phone radiation is ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’, children absorb over 60% of radiation they're exposed to into their brains compared to adults and are therefore more susceptible to cancer.

The research I have found has encouraged me to realise the lack of guidance out there for parents, yes policy changes have reserved the use of Instagram and Facebook until the age of 13 years, however there is nothing to enforce this and children can simply change their year of birth. The figures even agree as 50% of 12 year olds claim to be using social media. The culture of social media has only enforced the stigma that children must have cell phones as 51% of six to thirteen year olds reported having a cell phone in Germany. But truly should the average age for children to have phones be 10.3 years?

Children’s growth and development is so important they should have access to alternatives that test their mind and encourage its growth which is vital to development. Phones should not be as important as they are to children who are with the people they communicate with at school; they do not stimulate and can have detrimental effects which can be avoided easily. Surely hold off on phones as long as possible?