Dr. Chheda – A common question I get is when is the right age for your child to get a cell phone. It’s a complicated answer, but it really depends on what the cell phone is used for. Is it just for calling so you want to be able to communicate with your child? “Oh mom, I’m running late, can you pick me up at this time?” Are you using it for purposes like a camera or to access the internet? Are you using it for social media? And that’s the real concern that most parents have. The American Academy of Pediatrics says to wait until 8th grade for social media interaction. A lot of it really depends on how responsible your child is and how much you trust your child. Whenever you do give your child a phone, just make sure that you have access to the phone, access to all passwords, and that it is not being kept in their room overnight. If you can adhere to that, then you will go a long way in making sure that your child stays safe. Transcriptions from AI and may not be 100% accurate