Connectivity across the US for kids and adults is consistently increasing. The days of just coming home when the street lights come on, having to ask to use the house phone, or being out of touch with your parents or friends are long gone. Kids are beginning to get cell phones at even younger ages than ever before, and companies are taking advantage of this.
While companies like AT&T, Verizon, Mint Mobile, and T*Mobile don’t keep data on the age of their users, the data from stores don’t lie. Family plans are at an all-time high, and many stores are reporting younger and younger kids being given their first phones. Third-party surveys are supporting this information, too.
A 2019 study by Common Sense Media survey discovered that 53% of kids already had their first smartphone by age 11. More recently, Recon Analytics surveyed parents and discovered that 65% of 10-year-olds had their own phone by age 10. Conducted in August 2022, they learned that among those 10-year-olds, 15% had gotten their phones that month, with a whopping 50% before that. Even more surprising was the 15% of 6-year-olds who got their phone the previous three months, and another 15% who had them for longer.
For many of these parents, it just makes sense to give their kids phones. Maritza Guridy, a Pennsylvania mother of seven got her 10-year-old one after learning they would be bused into a more dangerous part of the city for school. While her younger kids also want personal phones, she’s not as eager as others to hand them out.
“My 8-year-old is like, I want a phone. I can honestly say, in a class of 25 students, I wouldn’t be surprised if half already had cell phones. She’s just not one [of them], because we don’t feel like she needs one right now. It creates a case of haves and have-nots. That’s where adults have to step in and explain that it’s okay if you do not have one, and if you do, be kind to those who do not have one.”
Cell phone manufacturers and their service providers have paid attention to the needs of both parents and younger kids to be able to stay in contact. This has led to a recent surge in development for phones with far less technology, but that can still be tracked and make calls to parents or other siblings. To help prevent losses, they are also making them in the form of watches, so kids aren’t stuck remembering a bulky cell phone for their little pockets.
Because of the carelessness of many kids, things like phone insurance, cases, and screen protectors are surging in demand and value. Parents see the extra 5-10 dollars a month for insurance or 50 dollars on a case as worth every dime. The phones provide them peace of mind, and the other tools help protect that peace of mind. It’s a win-win for both parties.
There is one glaring problem with this surge in kids getting phones, and that is the ever-increased risk of them becoming a target for predators. Thanks to the liberal agenda, sexuality is being thrust into our kids’ faces younger than ever before. This desensitizes them to the topic and makes it significantly easier for predators to groom them and take advantage of them. Many are already being groomed via social media and other videos online, and not even knowing it.
Technology is a great thing, but like anything great, it comes with responsibility. Parents need to keep a close eye on their kids, and the kids need to learn how to talk with their kids about what is appropriate online. If they don’t have those talks, someone else will. Odds are, that random person will have less pure intentions, and thanks to the liberal agenda, you will have just allowed them free access to your kids.
