What is the best age to give a cell phone to children?. Are you thinking about giving your child a cell phone but don't know if the time is right? Don't worry, we came to help you.

What is the best age to give a cell phone to children?

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Are you thinking about giving your child a cell phone but don't know if the time is right? Don't worry, we came to help you.

Technology is such an element in our daily lives that it is natural for children to want to enter this world too. Games, social networks and videos on YouTube are some of the attractions that most attract the attention of the little ones. And the interest in virtual connectivity only tends to grow when they enter the pre-adolescent phase, where the issue of socialization becomes more important. But how to find out from what age the child can have a cell phone? We put together a guide with some tips to help you on this mission.

Each age group has different requirements and care, parents should be aware
Each age group has different requirements and precautions, parents should be aware (Image: MotionArray)

When should a child have a cell phone?

Is there a correct age to give your child a cell phone? The truth is that there is no consensus among psychology specialists and pedagogues about what the right moment should be to give children this freedom. Each child has their own maturation process and upbringing influences this process.

Cell phone for children, what is the right age?
The decision must come from those responsible, who need to be prudent and guide their children regarding care. (image: MotionArray)

It is a consensus that parents and guardians should be prudent at this time. It is clear that children aged 4 to 6 years old do not have the necessary tact to deal with the exaggerated use of cell phones, the same goes for older children, in the 7 to 9 age group, because, despite being more mature, they still they can be quite naive and sometimes careless. Therefore, in these cases, it is always more indicated that the contact with technological devices is brief and supervised, so as not to compromise the psychological development of the child. In this age group, contact with the real world is crucial so that it can create connections and develop creativity.

In the case of children over 10 years old, it is a situation that must be analyzed by their tutors. At this age, the little one can better understand the risks and even have a certain maturity to take control of their own device. Surveillance at this stage, however, should be more lenient, as privacy is a right to be respected.

Why should I buy a cell phone?

It might be a good idea to buy a cell phone in cases where the child spends a lot of time alone or away from the parents. This is a safety measure for those responsible and a way for the child or pre-adolescent to feel more independent and develop responsibilities.

What parental controls can I use on a cell phone for kids?

The first step to be taken, of course, is education. Explain to the child what to do and what not to do while browsing online🇧🇷 The risks of talking to strangers, passing on personal information and making inappropriate in-app purchases must be addressed. This is the time to also talk about taking care of the device itself, avoiding falls, always putting the device away after use and not exposing it too much to the public, in order to avoid theft, for example.

As a parental control, you can install applications that restrict some accesses, such as Google Family Link🇧🇷 In it, you establish usage schedules, access the location in real time, decide which apps the child can download and still manage to create a group with all family members.

Google parental control app offers interesting tools
The app offers numerous security and navigation features (Image: play.google.com)

Rules for cell phone use by children

Always be aware of who she talks to on the Internet, always remembering, of course, the privacy rule. It is interesting to always check search history and have the password of social networks and emails, if the child uses them.

Establish Schedules

Make it clear at what times she should or should not use the smartphone, explaining the reasons well and offering rewards. Thus, she associates the rules with something positive.

Talk about cyberbullying

If your child has social networks, know that he will be exposed to all kinds of public and that he can be attacked by someone with bad intentions. Talk frankly about it and ask your child to let you know if they see anything strange on their networks, if you prefer, allow the child to keep private profiles until they reach a certain age.

Monitor your child's social media and talk about cyberbullying
Talk to your child about cyberbullying and keep an eye on social media (Image: Isan Kamil)

What is the best cell phone plan for kids?

Putting your child on a family plan may not be the best option, after all, the little ones are not responsible for money and spending control. The best option, in this case, may be a control plane. These plans already have a fixed price — which can vary, on average, between R$ 40 to R$ 60 — and a limit on the use of the Internet, calls and SMS messages.

Best cell phones for kids

If you've already decided to give a smartphone your child, but you still haven't chosen a suitable model, here are some tips.

Choose the right cell phone for each age group
Choose the right cell phone for each age group and avoid unnecessary expenses (Image: Techreviews)

Cell phone for 10 year old age group

At this age, the child does not need a device with thousands of resources and Gadgets technological. In this way, it is worth opting for a cheap cell phone that can receive and make calls and send SMS messages. Already the games online can be accessed at home, on the tutors' cell phones or on a tablets.

Simple devices are a great alternative for the child to learn, little by little, about responsibility.

Nokia 110

Blue and pink Nokia children's cell phone, ideal for children with parental controls and educational functions.
Nokia 110 is a practical and cheap cell phone, ideal for little ones (Image: Magazine Luiza)

A basic device, it doesn't have Internet access, it's ideal for receiving and making calls, listening to music on the radio and it doesn't attract attention, it comes with some games installed. It is compact, has 4 MB of memory, 1 core processor and rear camera of 0.08 megapixels🇧🇷 It can be carried in your pocket or backpack without any problems. Values ​​from R$ 105,16, at Amazon.

Samsung Galaxy A23

What is the best age to give a cell phone to children?. Are you thinking about giving your child a cell phone but don't know if the time is right? Don't worry, we came to help you.
Very slim and with a colorful design that appeals to little ones (Image: Samsung)

If you want to give your child a smartphone so he can have access to game apps, what Samsung Galaxy A23 It's a great choice, with 128 GB of internal memory and 4 GB of RAM memory, plenty of space to download the best educational apps and also has a 5.000mAh battery, octa-core processor, 4 rear cameras, two of which are 2 megapixels, one of 5 megapixels and the main one with 50 megapixels. Values ​​from BRL 1.149,00, at Magazine Luiza.

Samsung kids is a parental control feature for children with cell phone
Parental control, screen time and many customizable features that make the screen experience safer for little ones (Image: Samsung)

Smartphones Samsung still have the feature Samsung Kids, allowing parents to create a safe environment for children to have fun and connect.

Realme C11

Realme c11 cell phone good for kids
Less expense for parents and fun for the child in a versatile device (Photo: Hungry Geeks)

This is perhaps the cheapest smartphone on the list, suitable for little ones because it has a plastic casing and textures on the back, preventing major accidents from falling. It can currently be found for prices starting at R$ 629,90 at Amazon, this device has 32 GB of internal memory with the possibility of expansion, octa-core processor, resistant Gorilla Glass 3 screen and 5.000 mAh battery and updated Android 11.

Oukitel WP5 Pro

What is the best age to give a cell phone to children?. Are you thinking about giving your child a cell phone but don't know if the time is right? Don't worry, we came to help you.
Ideal smartphone for clumsy little ones (Photo: China Planet)

Extremely resistant for those looking for a durable device. It has 64 GB expandable internal memory with 4 GB of RAM memory, three rear cameras, two of which are 2 megapixels, the main one of 13 megapixels and still has a 5 megapixel front camera for selfies, the device is octa-core and has Android 10. It can be found for R$ 1.500 at Mercado Livre.

cell phones for preteens

Interest in social networks usually arises at this time, which is also the time for games and calls in the WhatsApp with school friends. However, it may be that the young person still does not have the responsibility to take good care of the device and parents are usually worried about losses and theft, preferring to save. In these cases, smartphones starters are a great choice.

In pre-adolescence, interest in more technological cell phones is born
At this stage, interest in social media arises (Image: MotionArray)

moto e22

Motorola cell phone with triple camera and large screen, ideal for children and teenagers.
Low cost and state-of-the-art technology (Image: Motorola)

A great entry-level cell phone Motorola, has two rear cameras of 16 megapixels, front camera 5 megapixels, 2,3 GHz octa-core processor, Android 12 MyUX and 32 GB of expandable memory. It leaves nothing to be desired and costs around R$ 773,10 in American stores.

realme C21Y

C21y great cell phone for pre teen
A great entry-level phone that meets the needs of a preteen (image: onlinenewstime)

Compact and technological, it has four rear cameras of 13 megapixels with Full HD quality for videos and 5 megapixel front for Selfies, updated Android and 32 GB memory with the possibility of expansion and octa-core processor. It can be found for BRL 838,00 at Amazon.

Galaxy A03s 

Coverage of the 2022 World Cup games, with news about the groups and how to watch online.
Pre-teens will be able to enjoy Android features without their parents spending too much (Image: Canaltech)

This cell phone has everything a pre-teen needs, Android updated, rear camera 13 megapixels to record special moments and a frontal with 5 megapixels all with selfies🇧🇷 The internal memory of 64 GB can be expanded up to 1 TB with a micro SD card, and the octa-core processing with up to 4 GB of RAM allows for great performance, in addition to a Design modern and beautiful. All this for the low price of R$ 953,10 at Magazine Luiza

LITTLE C40

2. Smartphone poo with various vibrant colors, ideal for children and teenagers.
Creative design that could appeal to this age group (Image: Xiaomi)

The line POCO offers high performance and great value for money and does not fail to deliver quality, it has two rear cameras of 13 megapixelsand a front of 5 megapixels, perfect for selfies and video calls. Its 6.71″ IPS screen is very colorful and bright and the internal memory of 32 GB is expandable. It can be found for R$ 955,26 in American stores.

cell phones for teenagers

Teenagers are much more demanding and know what they want, they like technology, news and have much more established social cycles. For this reason, they need multimedia devices that deliver the fun and practicality they are looking for.

Teenagers spend a lot of time with their cell phones in their hands.
In adolescence, social cycles are already established, so opt for more modern devices (Image: MotionArray)

Redmi Note 11

What is the best age to give a cell phone to children?. Are you thinking about giving your child a cell phone but don't know if the time is right? Don't worry, we came to help you.
A device that appeals to everyone, it has 5 rear cameras (Image: Xiaomi)

O Redmi Note 11 it is a low cost and high performance cell phone, it has a processor Snapdragon® 680 octa-core and a fast charging battery that promises to last a long time. It has numerous features and plenty of internal memory space, 128 GB with the possibility of expansion. The five rear cameras have an incredible 50 megapixels and shoot in Full HD, the front one has 13 megapixels🇧🇷 Purchase value from BRL 1.169,00 at the Carrefour online store.

motorcycle g62 5g

Motorola mobile phone with 5G technology for children and teenagers.
Long-lasting battery is a great asset (Image: Motorola)

The 5G network that is expanding in the country allows for fast downloads. The screen is high resolution, perfect for gaming and watching movies, this device comes with built-in speakers. Dolby Atmos that enables an immersive sound experience. It has a Snapdragon 480+ processor (2,2 GHz octa-core), triple rear camera of 50 megapixels and front of 16 megapixels. O smartphone It also has an expandable memory of 32 GB. The value is R$ 1.349,10 in Motorola's official website.

Galaxy A33 5G

Samsung Galaxy A32 mobile phone with versatile cameras, large screen and durable design, perfect for children and teenagers.
Modern design appeals to kids and adults alike (Image: Samsung)

This model of Samsung it has 128 GB internal memory with expansion to 1 TB, octa-core processor, fast charging battery and 5G network support. The three rear cameras have 48 megapixels that allow you to shoot in 4K, and the front 13 megapixels🇧🇷 You can find prices starting at R$ 1.499,00 at American stores.

iPhone SE

Red iPhone in a white box, highlighting the vibrant color and elegant design.
Those who don't mind spending a little more can opt for Apple's low-cost model (Image: Tech Radar)

Thought to be one of the cheapest lines in Apple o iPhone SE it's pretty complete. It features 5G connectivity, 256GB non-expandable memory and a discrete 12-inch camera. megapixels, but which allows the SE to take great photos and record videos in 4K. O iPhone SE comes equipped with the A15 Bionic chip, the company's own processor. Apple which has 6 cores CPU and 4 cores GPU. Initial values ​​of this device are in the range of R$ 1.634.

There are many determining factors in choosing a good cell phone for a child. In the end, the criterion that matters most is the one chosen by the parents and guardians themselves. So choose wisely and don't forget to instruct your child well on the use and responsibilities of using a smartphone🇧🇷 And the possibility of having your own cell phone can be a very important vote of confidence in the eyes of the little ones.

Wassup what did you think of the tips? Tell us what you think about it!

reviewed by Dacio Castelo Branco in 02 / 05 / 2023

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