Children Should not be Allowed to Own Smart Phones Until They are in Their Mid Teens (15-16 y/o)

Thank you for a fantastic opening statement, I will proceed to post mine. [Ages 0-5] Most of my arguments here will be saved for a rebuttal in my next statement, however I would like to mention that a parent loaning there kids a phone to play games will not have any long term affects. As long as the parent is managing there kid properly they should be able to coordinate an effective playtime, therefore. Games that stimulate brain activity may be healthy for the kid and could provide some benefits, a phone can also give them a multitude of ways to learn new things and educate themselves more about world events and simplistic problems. [Ages 5-10] During this phase of life most kids are not really open to the concept of phones and how important it is, however phones are also valuable tools. Can a phone function as a calculator or a study guide? Many adults use a smart phone and loan it to there kids in order for them to get a better learning experience, or watch videos and movies. However the main topic here that I would have to pinpoint is "owning" a phone. Many kids can effectively run a smart phone can can utilize it properly, and most 10 year olds will not attempt to do anything bad with it. Most students at the age are underdeveloped, and the worst that can happen is them simply dialing the number "911" which is a common mistake in flip phones. I can't name more then 5 things that could go wrong that could correlate to a smart phone. There isn't much to say, a flip phone will be just as effective in a young kid as a smart phone would be. They both can communicate with there parents, and both of them can dial 911 and harm can still be done. Smart phones significant difference is that it can play games, and it can also access the internet. Both of these fundamentals can be blocked or edited heavily by the parent, so the child can still use it at its maximum potential. There should be almost no restriction by law that kids aged from 10 to 15 may not have a smart phone, almost essential in highschool and harmful in business. Though it is unfortunate that its just a revolving part of the world, now it's a necessary one and people must learn to adapt to it. Phones give more social communication, as groups from websites such as instagram or snapchat will allow teenagers to communicate with there friends effectively. Now you may say that the flip phone can do the exact same thing, but that is where you are wrong. Flip phones cannot get into applications, and social media is pretty essential for communicating with the school and getting to know people more. Each school generally uses a different application, but it allows students a place to express themselves and allow other kids to learn more about them as well. Cell phones are an out dated model, the texting is sloppy and limiting and also more expensive. While on a smart phone kids can have a broader option to text and show people a more accurate and detailed reflection of who they are. Instagram can be used to post themselves to boost self esteem, or art to express how they feel, or most importantly, opinions. All of the things in a smart phone is also available on a computer with a simple web browser, so will you argue that kids aged from 10-15 cannot get into a computer? Most kids that don't have smart phones just communicate with people less, and are genuinely introverts. Teenagers who lack communication will have lesser options and therefore it may be more difficult to get a hold of them, what will result will be a multitude of missed events and opportunities. A child that has a phone will not be a social outcast, and will have more social skills as they would get invited to places more often. This will open doors to practice outings with people and to have an enjoyable time, a flip phone can also be used to get a hold of someone, however applications are being seen as the main source of communication. If applications are the main way to communicate, then flip phones for this aspect are essentially useless. As flip phones cant use apps. This would also be a terrible plan for business, bringing the flip phones back will be more manufacturing cost over something that should be within the families decision, not the law.