According to Dr. Egger, caregivers should consider their child's actual age as well as their developmental age to determine whether or not they are ready for a cell phone. She explains that the American Academy of Pediatrics does not have a set age recommendation for cell phone use, so parents should use their best judgment. Dr. Egger tells Verywell Family, "Some children are very conscientious and responsible at a young age, [while] others take longer to mature." The most important thing a parent should consider is whether or not they think their child can safely use a cell phone (with capabilities beyond simply calling for emergencies). Your child should have a firm understanding of the weight of what they post online and how it can affect others. They should also be willing to follow family rules and give you passwords to access their social media accounts. It's unlikely your child will be able to regulate screen time usage on their own, so they need to be responsible enough to turn off the phone when they're told they've reached their limit for the day. Basically, look for behaviors that indicate that your child is mature enough to use the phone responsibly.