Marni Rebelo held off on giving her daughter, Mia, a smartphone for as long as possible. Then, just before Mia?s 13th birthday, she received one as a gift from her grandfather. ?She was the last of her friends to get a phone?by over a year, at least,? says Rebelo, adding that she and her husband were concerned that the phone would ?overtake? their daughter?s life.
And to a degree, it has. ?It feels like she is on the phone a lot, either texting friends or looking at Instagram,? says Rebelo. ?I think parents might want to seriously consider holding off because apps tend to be addictive in nature, and other previously loved activities tend to drop off because of phone usage.?

These days, the average age when kids get their first smartphones is around 10 years old, according to Calgary-based parenting expert Judy Arnall, author of Parenting with Patience. But exposure to mobile devices often begins at a much younger age: It?s becoming increasingly common to see toddlers wielding smartphones in strollers and preschoolers zoned out in front of iPads at restaurants. So should parents think twice before handing smartphones to their little ones or buying phones for their 10-year-olds so that they can fit in with their friends" Here?s what the experts have to say on age-by-age guidelines.
Ages four to six

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