Most parents (61%) say the appropriate age for children to own their first cell phone is between 13 and 18, while over one-quarter (28%) say kids should have their own cell phone between 9 and 12 years old, according to a survey from Retrevo.
Just 5% of parents say kids under age 9 should have a cell phone.
Below, other findings from the Retrevo Gadgetology Report.
Parents' opinions on the appropriateness of gadgetry vary based on the age of their children: Nearly one-third (31%) of the parents of younger children (under age 9) say it's appropriate for a child to have his or her own phone before age 12, compared with 43% of parents of preteens (age 9-12) who say so.
Child's First Computer
For a child's first computer, the acceptable threshold is lower than it is for a cell phone: 35% of parents say the appropriate age for a child to have his or her own computer is between 9 and 12, and 31% say it's appropriate for a child under age 9 to own a computer.
Parents of younger children are more likely to lower the laptop bar: 73% of parents of younger children (under age 9) say it's appropriate for a child to have his or her own computer before age 12, compared with 61% of parents of preteens who say so.
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Child's First Television Set
Over one-half ( 53%) of parents say kids need to wait until they are age 13 or older for a TV of their own, and over 23% say children should be older than age 18.
However, in many households a TV may be an effective "babysitter" or even "tutor," especially for today's busy parents: 48% of parents of children younger (under age 9) say they would get a child their own TV before the child reaches age 12, and 51% of parents of preteens say a TV is okay before their child reaches age 12.
Losing Gadgets
Over 24% of parents say their kids have gone through at least one cell phone. Kids age 9-12 are the most likely to lose a device: More than one-half of parents of this age group say their kids have lost a cell phone, gaming device, or MP3 player.
About the data: The Retrevo Gadgetology Report is an ongoing study of people and electronics from the consumer electronics shopping and review site Retrevo.com. The data are from a February 2010 online survey of 1,000 people, evenly distributed across gender, age, income, and location in the US.
