How young is too young for a phone? The short answer is, it depends. Only you can know if your child is mature enough to follow family rules, take care of the phone and not lose it.

Another major factor is whether the child understands how to use the phone in a way that considers the feelings and rights of others.

The average age at which children are given their first mobile phones keeps going down.

It was 16 a decade ago; in 2009 it was about 12, according to the latest available data from Pew Research Centre. In 2013, Pew Research found that 68 per cent of children aged 12 to 13 owned a cellphone, and 23 per cent a smartphone, while 83 pre cent of older teens (those between the ages of 14 and 17) have cellphones and 44 per cent have smartphones.