<p>When I see this I get really surprised. I say to myself "why do they need phones." Who are these little kids calling, texting, etc. I don't even have a cell phone and I'm a Sophomore! It's bad when you see them with an iPhone just ready to be stolen. I don't think elementary school children should receive cellular devices. There's no point for a child 5-10 to have a cell phone. My friend's little brother just received a cell phone..... and he's 9!</p>
<p>What do you think? Little kids getting phones, it reasonable or unreasonable?</p>
<p>But even in elementary school kid use their phones to text and call their friends. I’ve seen a lot of kids that age with iPhones and I don’t think there is anything wrong with it.</p>
<p>@CORVIDS Yeah I’ve seen about 4 in my neighborhood with an iPhone.</p>
<p>@almost there I Alright. I think it’s a waste. But it all falls down on the parents. If the parents wants to spend a lot of money on a child that’s them lol. But I see where you are coming from about how they want to talk to their friends. When I was little.my friends and I went outside and talked and played at the local park lol.</p>
<p>I think kids should get phones when they are going to be separated from their parents for longer periods of time and need to be able to get in touch with them. Kids in elementary school don’t fall in this category, at least for the most part. They don’t need a phone to text/call their friends, that’s what home phones are for. They especially don’t need a smartphone! If they want apps and all that, get them an iPod touch. It’s essentially all the functions of an iPhone without the phone. Even as a senior in high school it’s becoming more and more evident to me how kids (even people my age, don’t get me wrong!) are trying to grow up faster and faster.</p>
<p>I think it depends on how their lives work. If they’re independent a lot of time and need to be contacted, they should carry cell phones for people to keep track of them. Of course, the older the children are, the more likely their lives will be independent. I think it depends what type of person you are.</p>
<p>Once they hit 6th grade I think it’s reasonable. My little sister has a ton of activities outside of school and it is incredibly inconvenient that she doesn’t have a cell phone. I myself got a cheap flip phone after 6th grade, and I didn’t use it for anything other than calling my parents and friends occasionally.</p>
<p>Edit: Iphones? I think it’s unreasonable, but it’s none of my business.</p>
<p>A cheap little flip phone sounds reasonable (my parents gave me one in the 6th grade, mainly because “all of my friends had a cell phone”). But an iPhone? Ugh, so unnecessary…</p>
<p>After 9-11, a lot of elementary aged and middle schoolers began to get cell phones in our NYC suburb. Prior to 9-11 the age for first cell phone seemed to be 7th or 8th grade. Post 9-11 it became common for kids as young as 4th grade to have them.</p>
<p>I actually did a study on this before for a school research paper. Well, indirectly however. It was related to the long term radiation effects of technological devices such as the cellular phone.</p>
<p>I feel that elementary school kids and younger middle school kids should have basic phones at most (only have low-res camera and keyboard at most). But, I feel that as they get older, they can be rewarded with smartphones under certain conditions. I got my smartphone by earning straight 100s in my first quarter and my parents have limitations on my use.</p>
besides, wouldn’t it spoil the kids?</p>