Emergencies only: When do kids get their first smartphone?

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The power of modern smartphones is nothing short of mindblowing — but with real risks to having unrestricted access to one the question for many parents is: when is the right age to give one to my child?

Data from Common Sense Media shows that the majority of American parents believe that the answer to that question is around the ages of 12-13. Indeed, 71% of children aged 12 that were surveyed last year said that they owned their own smartphone, significantly up on the 41% that had answered the same way back in 2015.

Perhaps even more surprising was that almost one-third of 8-year-olds also reported having a smartphone. Insert "back in my day we didn't even have..." comment as appropriate.

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