What age is too young for a child to have a cell phone? In today’s technology driven age, this is a very popular question among parents and the answers vary. My 14 year old niece just recently got a cell phone, but I’ve known children as young as 10 who have their own phone. Now, it’s true that many parents get their children a cell phone for emergency use but that doesn’t mean teens comply. The increasing use of cell phones by teenagers may come with its own problems that affect a healthy lifestyle, according to a recent study.

Researchers at the Sahlgren Academy in Sweden have found that mobile users between the ages of 14 and 20 are experiencing bouts of restlessness, insomnia and stress. Head researcher Dr. Gaby Badre feels as though the addiction to cell phones is becoming very common among younger teens.

“Youngsters feel a group pressure to remain interconnected and reachable round the clock.”

With the case of my niece, this statement is absolutely true. The teenage years are very important for a child because it is here they develop and create many friendships that may or may not last later on in life. A teenager is starting to come into their own, and discover who they are and the interconnection with other peers is essential to this development. But is that necessity to remain connected dangerous to a teenager’s health?

The first group of this study was comprised of teens who made less than 5 calls and 5 texts a day, and the second was made up of those teens who made more than 15 calls and texts. Results showed that those teens who relied on their cell phones more often were likely to adopt a lifestyle that was much more “careless,” including staying up late to chat on the computer and fill their body with caffeinated substances.

From personal experience, I can attest that cell phones can be very addicting, and for teens who are just starting to come into their own by making friendships and networking, a cell phone is very helpful for staying in the loop. So again I ask the question: What age is too young for a child to have a cell phone? What do you think?

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Tags: Health, Health News, Healthy Living, Stress //