When should you get your kid a phone? Here's advice from the experts

Chris Worthy
·2 min read
Turning children loose with phones and other connected devices has many pros and cons.
Turning children loose with phones and other connected devices has many pros and cons.

The pros and cons are almost endless, but ultimately, the decision to give a child their first phone – or their first connected device of any kind – has enormous implications. How can parents know if their child is ready?

Betsy Francis, AT&T Vice President and General Manager for Mid-Atlantic States, said unfortunately, kids can and do use cellphones inappropriately.

Francis said an AT&T-commissioned survey found 68 percent of teens say they see content online their parents would consider inappropriate. And 79 percent say they have experienced inappropriate online behaviors including hurtful comments, unwelcome messages and disturbing or fake news stories.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and AT&T have joined forces to give parents tools to help.

The PhoneReady Questionnaire was developed by AT&T in collaboration with AAP pediatricians Jenny Radesky, Suzy Tomopoulos, and Megan Moreno.

The questionnaire helps parents determine if their child is ready – and if they’re ready for their child to have a phone – by walking them through 10 evidence-based questions that assess a child’s behaviors, developmental maturity, and their family’s values. Some of the questions include:

  • How often does your child need a phone for their safety, such as after school?

  • Does your child act responsibly, including finishing things they are assigned at school?

  • Are you prepared to take steps to manage your child’s technology use?

Once complete, parents will receive one of three scores: Ready Zone, Almost Ready Zone, or Not Yet Ready Zone. Based on the results, parents will get recommended next steps and for those parents who decide their child is ready, resources to help them activate parental control settings, create a Family Media Plan and access tips to help their child have a safe and positive experience.

Get a range of help, including parent guides to apps, games and more, from AT&T’s digital parenting resources page at screenready.att.com/digital-parenting.

(Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics, aap.org, and AT&T)

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: When should you get your kid a phone? Here's advice from the experts