When Is a Kid Old Enough To Have Their Own Cell Phone

I knew this day would come, but I didn't realize it was going to come so soon!

My eight-year-old son has asked for a cell phone and I am now realizing that I have no definitive plan for what to do. My initial instinct is a hard -NO-, but there are also some arguments in favor of getting him the phone that make sense to me as well.

THE GOOD REASONS TO GET HIM A PHONE 

Our son has several friends in the neighborhood, so he likes to ride his bike or scooter over to their house to see if they can play. Usually, the plan is for him to grab his buddies and head back to his house to play, but sometimes they want to spend time at the other house.

At first, he would just ride back home and ask us if it was okay to play over there, then head back. Now, we have been using walkie talkies with a decent range so he doesn't have to go back-and-forth. However, the walkie-talkies only reach so far and only provide a temporary solution.

So, in that case, a phone for direct communication between parent-and-child could be very beneficial.

The other potentially advantageous part of a kid with a phone is the tracking abilities. It would be nice to know where my kid is at all times without having to comb the neighborhood or call around to the parents of his friends.

Personally, I hate the idea of tracking people and sharing locations as an adult, but I could see it giving us piece of mind with an elementary-aged kid.

Finally, giving them a phone allows them to learn responsibility, not only for the expensive phone itself but for its usage as well.

THE REASONS NOT TO GET HIM A PHONE 

The biggest reason for me is simple: Once you put that phone in their hands, there is no going back. This isn't a Rubik's Cube that they will eventually get sick of, or a new coloring book that will wear out over time. Instead, they are going to have A PHONE FOREVER from that point on, probably until they are elderly.

Our decision not to get him a phone is giving him a childhood that he probably wouldn't have with a phone in his hands. It can't last forever, but certainly it can last past eight years old, right?

I am also concerned with internet usage, incoming/unsolicited messaging and communication and the fact that if he has a hard time at school, it is now capable of coming home with him as well. Yes, as parents we can control phone usage but realistically kids are going to be kids and find workarounds when given the opportunity.

Plus, he's eight.. What are the odds the phone isn't lost/stolen/destroyed in a month?

What do you think?