Kids with smartphones: Whats the right age?

Do your kids want a smartphone? If you represent the majority opinion, then youre likely telling your children they cant have a smartphone until the kids can drive. A SodaHead poll of 1,066 parents shows that 66 percent of them believe kids shouldnt have a smartphone until they turn 16 years old. More than half 54 percent say a regular cell phone is fine for 13 to 15 year olds, while nearly a quarter of those polled feel even those kids 12 and under should have a basic handset.

SodaHead published an infographic with additional survey data including trends showing kids making cell phone calls are rising quickly but heres part of the data specific to both smartphones and tablets:

Interestingly, nearly the same percentage polled said the 16 and up age group is also the right time for kids to have a tablet. Given the similar capabilities between smartphones and tablets, that shouldnt surprise. And I suspect most parents would opt to buy their teen a Wi-Fi tablet due to the lower hardware cost and no ongoing data plan. That means the device is more likely to be used at home where parents can keep a closer eye on what online activities kids are engaging in.

Im curious to hear what our readers think of smartphones, tablets and kids. Because Ive been reviewing mobile devices since my kids were just a few years old, my children are used to seeing a large number of cellphones, smartphones, and more recently, tablets in the house. As a result, theyre on the younger side of the scale when it comes to using mob! ile tech nology and dont represent the average household.

My wife and I decided that both kids would wait until the age of 10 before getting a phone. We find it helpful for them to have the ability to call us as needed; especially since one of them walks to and from school. But after seeing what I could do with a smartphone, both wanted to do the same, so neither started out with a feature phone. My step-daughter took over my iPhone 3GS contract with a new phone number when I left iOS in early 2010, for example. My son ended up with an iPhone 4 when it debuted last year.

Both were into iOS apps, but eventually they got a pair of Android devices: the Sidekick 4G, which my son helped me review earlier this year. After a few months of using iOS applications, the kids decided that a hardware keyboard was more important to them because they text far more than they use mobile software, hence the change. Perhaps the more interesting question then is: At what age do smartphone applications become a primary use-case for kids?

Thumbnail photo courtesy of Flickr user, criminalintent

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