“Pretty much almost every single girl at my school has one,” said Grace. “ There are a few, maybe five or six, who don’t.”

Clearly, cell phones aren’t just for adults any more. Most teenagers won’t leave home without one. Now a growing number of companies are marketing cell phones for even younger users. The phones sport new “kid-friendly” designs and are promoted as ways for families always “on the go” to keep in touch.

“I use it after school to call my mom to see where she is if she is late or if I am at a friends house and need to let her know when to pick me up or where we’re going to be,” said Hannah.

Do children really need cell phones, though? That is the question many parents are asking themselves and one child psychologists with OU Physicians Child Study Center say should be carefully considered before buying a cell phone for a child.

“Parents need to step back and evaluate why they are buying a cell phone for their child,” said Robin Gurwitch, PhD. “What is the purpose? Is it so they can keep in touch with their friends quickly? If so, they can use the home phone. Or is it because they’re doing a lot of activities after school and they need to reach you? Perhaps then a cell phone can be very useful.”

Is your child capable of being responsible for owning a cell phone of his or her own? Gurwitch stressed this is another important question to ask. If you give a cell phone to a younger child, she said you need to expect to replace a lost or broken phone at some point.

“So you are not giving them a cell phone and unlimited access with unlimited minutes of use. Instead, set up some boundaries and some limits concerning when the phone may be used and how much,” she said.

Gurwitch added that it is unrealistic to give a child a cell phone and tell him or her not to use it to talk to friends. However, she said you can definitely limit how much time they are allowed to spend on the cell phone talking to friends.

Monitoring is critical. Check the cell phone bill when it arrives so that you can determine if the cell phone is being used as you wanted and whether you need to make adjustments in the cell phone ground rules you have established with your child.

She also offered some basic rules to consider implementing with your children before they get their first cell phone. First, be sure they understand there should be no cell phone calls during class or while driving and no text messaging in class either. Be sure they know they are to abide by the monthly minute limits you have set. Make sure they know they are not allowed to share their minutes with friends. Finally, be sure they know that they should never respond to calls or text messages from strangers.

As children get older, Gurwitch said there will likely be an increasing number of good reasons to consider giving them a cell phone.

“The cell phone can be an important link between a teenaged child and you,” she said. “Be sure to let your children know that they can and should call if they are ever in an uncomfortable situation. If they have that cell phone with them, they can call you right away.”

Gurwitch explained the goal is to make sure you are buying a cell phone for your child for the right reasons and not just because everyone one else has one.

Suggested Cell Phone Rules for Kids

• No cell phone calls during class 
• No cell phone use while driving
• No text messaging in class
• Abide by monthly minute limits (set by parents)
• Do not share minutes with friends
• Do not respond to calls/text messages from strangers

(Source: OU Physicians Child Study Center