If you saw a ten year old girl with an iPhone....

While not too young to have a phone, too young to have a phone of that value. Personally, children should only have a phone for making calls/texts in an emergency or say if they are hanging out at a friends house and they are ready to come home/need a ride. It should be something inexpensive where you can limit minutes/texting etc (inexpensive and basic pay as you go phones would be great for a child!)

However, saying rude things to a child like that is not acceptable.

You better believe I'd give my kid a cell phone for this reason. I had this problem but didn't have the cell phone to solve it so totally understand.

At 10, I'd mosly be worried about her losing it.

I got my first phone at 12, it was quite advanced. It had a colour screen

I would never berate a young child for something so silly!

WOW that was living large then! Mine was still a two-tone, light green with changeable black font contrast!

My nieces, ages 3 & 6, both have iphones. They use them to watch cartoons and films when out and about - it's a great way to keep them from getting bored while in a restaurant, for example.

Both phones are hand-me-downs from their parents. I'm not sure I'd spend £400 on a phone for a child, but I'm not going to criticise someone who does. What right do I have to tell someone else how to spend THEIR money?

I always let my kids have cell phones young, I think in today's world it is a necessary safety protection for children to have one. The type of phone is up to the parents to decide. I had people make comments to me regarding it and I always said something. I prefer my child to have a phone and be able to call if they are in danger. Guidelines were given for the phone for texting etc that was between us. People should keep their mouths shut and worry about their own kids.

I don't think 10 is too young for a phone, but too young for an iPhone. a 10 year old doesn't need a smartphone. Their lives aren't that complicated.

My daughter is entering kindergarten this year and I've been thinking about getting her a prepaid simple phone for emergencies. And they do happen. I'm having anxiety attacks about things that could happen. Like 2 years ago the bus driver dropped this little girl ( I think she was in first grade) at the wrong bus stop and just left her there. Thank goodness a nice man saw some kid standing by the highway and stopped to help her. it could have ended much much worse.

I also don't get the "Well I didn't have one when I was younger" thing. Um...cell phones didn't even exist for consumers when I was 10. I didn't get my first cell phone until I was 19. My dad had a company cell phone and it was that giant Motorola that had to be taken apart and the battery put on a charging dock. I did have a gameboy and that is basically like the Nintendo DS. We just had different things when we were little and the generation before us complained that we had things that they didn't.

Now, for a 10 year old I wouldn't pay for unlimited texting and internet. They don't need that. The phone should be in their pockets or bookbags all day. If it's a non emergency, I'd rather call the school directly and have her come down to the office to make a phone call.

Time is moving forward. They now email you your childs report card and homework and yearly agenda. Some schools allow you to peek inside the classroom via a website. They are handing out kindles in some school for reading. You can fight it or adapt to it.

My daughter plays with my old droid. I still connect it to wifi and download games, books, and music for her.

I have 3 kids and they all had phones young. If I could afford to give them iphones I would have, especially witht he find my iphone app...how many times would I have loved to know where they were!.

My kids my choice. They're on prepaid plans so spending is controlled..the oldest 2 pay their own now tho.
I see no harm in th phone, it gives the kids an option of calling mum and saying theres a problem or ask permission etc!

I would never go after a child or say anything to a parent even though that is way to young for a kid to have a phone, unless there are special circumstances involved. Kids now days grow up so fast and have lack of respect for others and this technology is a big reason for it. The Me generation.

10-year-olds shouldn't have cell phones, period. I think all of this "it's dangerous out there these days" crap is just a cover for parents who don't have the balls to say no to their spoiled little brats. If it's dangerous for your kid to walk home from school, THEN SHE SHOULDN'T BE WALKING HOME FROM SCHOOL BY HERSELF. Wake up. Pick her up yourself. Ask a friend or relative to do it. Hire a baby-sitter to do it. Have her ride the bus. Is a cell phone going to protect her if someone decides he wants to kidnap her? No, it isn't. She'd be lucky to still have it in her possession once he grabs her and throws her in the trunk. Get serious.

As for the question in the OP, no I would not berate a child for having a cell phone. It's not the child's fault that his/her parents are idiots.

It's none of my business how other people raise their children. That being said, respectfully, if it were my ten-year-old, no, she wouldn't have a cell phone. I still go by my father's way of thinking, "when you earn it, you'll have it." Maybe old fashioned, but it teaches responsibility and respect, and that there is no need to keep up with the Joneses.

EDIT: And those people who spoke to her were totally out of line.

I think that is too young to have a phone, but I wouldn't say anything about it. I sure as heck wouldn't berate the child for it. Simply uncalled for.

This. Though it does kinda depend on the maturity of the child, and how well the parents are able to keep tabs on usage. Most networks here in the UK have adult content on the internet blocked as a default and you need to put in credit/debit card details to unlock the adult content. Nevertheless, there are still a lot of things that don't get blocked that I think are too "adult" for a ten year old. It makes me a little sad to see some kids sitting and playing with phones rather than being outdoors, interacting with other kids or their families, at that age IMO there are better, more healthy things they could be doing with their time, but at the end of the day it depends on the child and the parents and the setting of age appropriate limits and ensuring there is a balance with other activities, i.e. the child does not become too attached to the phone at the expense of doing other stuff kids should be doing at that age.

Who cares what type of phone the kid had, it's no one else's business what she is doing with anything unless it was illegal. The adult had no right to abuse the kid for sitting there minding her own business. Assumptions get people into a lot of trouble and any adult should know that and besides, I see plenty of parents giving their 1 and 2 yr olds their iPhones to play with, would this adult yell at them???? It's my decision what I do with my things no one else's. People need to learn to give their opinion only when it is asked for!!!

I think anyone with an iPhone is stupid, but I wouldn't yell at a kid for that.

:laugh: - android loyalist here!

when most of us were 10 years old, way before all this Iphone and Blackberry technology came into play, all we had was outside with our friends. I have a friend who also has a daughter with a cell phone and her daughter is younger than yours. In my mind I can be like "why are we letting kids nowadays have things they really don't need?", but hey, whatever floats the boats of parents, so be it.

My 11 yo son has an Android (he got it when he was 10). He is extremely responsible with all his electronics and never goes over his Internet minutes. I would take it very personal if someone chastised him or insulted me in his presence for giving him a phone. It's none of their business!!