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Youngest age to have an iPhone

What should the youngest age be?

  • 1

    Votes: 17 9.0%

  • 2

    Votes: 1 0.5%

  • 3

    Votes: 2 1.1%

  • 4

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 5

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 6

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 7

    Votes: 3 1.6%

  • 8

    Votes: 4 2.1%

  • 9

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 10

    Votes: 6 3.2%

  • 11

    Votes: 1 0.5%

  • 12

    Votes: 9 4.8%

  • 13

    Votes: 19 10.1%

  • 14

    Votes: 17 9.0%

  • 15

    Votes: 15 8.0%

  • 16

    Votes: 42 22.3%

  • 17

    Votes: 7 3.7%

  • 18

    Votes: 45 23.9%
  • Total voters
    188
macintosh.apple said:
What do you think the youngest age to own an iPhone should be?
Click to expand...

whenever they can afford it themselves. I'm 18, got my first iPhone when i was 15, but I bought it myself (for $600!) and paid for the data plan myself (my parents paid for the $10 charge to get me on the data plan and family unlimited texting) with money from my job. I'm glad they didn't buy it for me, it made me more responsible because it was my money, so I was much more careful with it.

That being said, if your kid is interested in getting an iPhone, and will pay for it themselves, let them. They may learn some valuable skills from dealing with it, and, inevitably, computers because of it. In this modern age, technology skills are invaluable. Its a great learning experience if they're mature about it.
 
I'll probably get my daughter one of those locked down cell phones that can only call my or my wife's cell when she's 8. Like, if she's at the mall with Grandma and wants to to just call me, that's fine by me.

But an iPhone? Impossible to say. She already uses my wife's old iPod Touch and she's 3. But she's not allowed to walk around with it, so does that count as "having one?" I don't think of it that way.

So what happens when, 5 years from now, the iPhone offers even more super built-in child-lock setting where I can restrict who she calls AND exactly what web use she can accesses AND the AT&T data plan is no longer mandatory so she only uses Wifi for data so I'm only paying for call minutes AND the price of iPhones now ranges from $59 - $299 AND I'm upgrading FROM my old iPhone to a newer one so I have an old iPhone sitting around which is worth only about $30 if I were to resell it...?

Will I then give my 8 year old my old iPhone? See why predicting the future is hard? If all those things happen, yeah, I'd probably give my 8 year old an iPhone.

If I had a 8 year old today? No, there's no way I'd give an 8 year old an iPhone today. So this poll is almost impossible. This depends on so many factors which change every year.

(And heck, why will she WANT my stupid iPhone? Her brand new iPad version 6.0 will do way more than my 2 year old iPhone does. She's already video chatting with everyone she knows, why would she want a stupid cell phone? I love trying to predict the future. We're always wrong. :D)
 
I chose 12 for no real reason other than it seems many kids seem to become their own person around then--but I have to say that it might be kind of fun to see a 1yo with an iPhone. :rolleyes:
 
I got my First Gen when I was...14 and a half? I was going to pay my cousin for it (He got the 3G), but he was like no don't worry about it. Then, Come July 11th, 2009, I told my parents I wanted a 3GS. (Actually, I told them wayyy before, like around March). They said work over the summer, and if you earn double the amount, you can buy it yourself. (Basically, half the money I earn goes to my 3GS Fund). I worked that summer, earned close to $700. Got the $300 32gb 3GS. Still have that other $400...lol.
 
I would say that cell phone privileges should be earned with time. Initially I could see a 9th grader having a phone with limited features, parental controls, and a limited to calling only certain numbers (parents, emergency numbers, etc). As she got older and showed herself responsible she might earn easing of those restrictions.

As for an iPhone, she might have one when she was working and could afford it; or if she recieved one as a gift she might have it if she could pay for the required data plan.
 
I have both a 14 year old and 17 year old sons and I trust my 17 year old to take care of the iPhone more so than the 14 year old. 14 year old is not as responsible and careful as 17 year old is.
 
I had a cellphone when I was in 7th grade (age 12 or 13) but the only reason I had one was so my parents could call me if needed while I was out. When the iPhone 3G came out (I was 17) my parents made me pay for the phone itself as it was pretty expensive compared to the cheap-o phones I had been getting.

My thing about saying you have to pay for it yourself to get it is people (kids) tend to treat thing's they bought better than if it was just handed to them.
 
wow, I would have thought the majority would have been around 10. I had my first iPhone when I was 12 and I babied that thing. It was in way better shape than my dads RAZR. Anyways I've paid for my 3G, 3GS, and I even paid for my 17 inch Macbook Pro. I guess that some kids just aren't as responsibly as me though. I wouldn't trust some of those brats at my school with any piece of tech, much less apple tech.:D
 
I say 1 is a great age for any type of technology. Gives them an advantage early on and the brain takes in more at early ages.
 
14 if they can do chores save and pay part for their phone as a responsibility, also it will depend on the kids but I think at 14 they start to learn more about ethics and it also has A LOT to do with Parents...
 
wouldnt you worry that giving a kid an iphone with all these features would be a bad idea?

i dont think id want kid to a. not pay attention during school on fb or whatever. and b. use internet to google answers for tests and such. i know most kids prolly have this now. its crazy!!

so it would have to be very limited...
 
kracker said:
wouldnt you worry that giving a kid an iphone with all these features would be a bad idea?

i dont think id want kid to a. not pay attention during school on fb or whatever. and b. use internet to google answers for tests and such. i know most kids prolly have this now. its crazy!!

so it would have to be very limited...
Click to expand...

It depends on the kid then as a parent you have to decide if you child is mature enough to handle such a device.
 
I don't know if there should be a set age. However, I have seen pre-teens with iPhone's which their parents most likely bought for them. I believe that if a child proves responsibility, maturity, and is able to pay for their monthly bill each and every month, then they deserve to purchase an iPhone. So with that said, I say 16.
 
My son can have when when he can afford to buy one and have 6 months worth of the monthly service contract cost in the bank. Otherwise, I'm happy to supply one of those phones with three buttons to call mom, call dad, or dial 911. He can also use the landline (gasp!) at home.

I'm sure I'll eventually change my tune, but I think it's crazy that kids as young 5 or 6 have cell phones.
 
kracker said:
wouldnt you worry that giving a kid an iphone with all these features would be a bad idea?

i dont think id want kid to a. not pay attention during school on fb or whatever. and b. use internet to google answers for tests and such. i know most kids prolly have this now. its crazy!!

so it would have to be very limited...
Click to expand...

1)The parent can set a limit to how much internet is allowed
2)The parent should also teach them to pay attention in school and not cheat
3)The teacher should make an attempt to prevent kids from using the phone during school
 
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