To the Editor:

Apple, Samsung — so many companies that sell phones. As our generation moves forward in technology, more and more kids are getting their hands on phones and other devices.

Just how young are kids getting phones? A study in 2015 shows that 31 percent of 8- to 10-year-olds have a phone, and that percentage has been increasing rapidly while the years go by. Also, 13 percent of children ages 6 to 10 already have a mobile phone. It's quite unlikely that a 8-year-old child has a valid reason to have a phone or any unnecessary device at that age.

In my opinion, parents are getting guilted into buying their children phones because of advertisements; lots of their friends usually have phones and, like I said, it's a guilt trick.

For example, lots of kids watch TV, right? One personal example that I have is: I got a phone when I was in the fourth grade but it was only for emergencies and also to let my parents know when I got home.

Imagine you are an 8- to 10-year-old and you see a shiny device that you can play games on and talk to your friends; it would be hard to not want a phone at that age. Fifty-six percent of parents of children ages 8 to 12 have given their kids a cell phone.

Also, lots of kids in school who are 7 to 10 years old have been getting caught using their phones or other devices in elementary school. Lots of kids nowadays get distracted by their phones in class and don’t do well. This is a big trouble in many schools.

For example, many kids also get pressured by friends, TV, or maybe even their families. Sometimes kids are made fun of because of not having the newest and best phones around.

Lots of people seem to be stuck on the fact that phones are more popular every year and there is also the argument about which brand is better. They're all blind to the fact that there are lots of weird and creepy people in this world and parents are basically putting that danger into their child's life. It's just ridiculous.

So maybe before you buy your child a phone at the age of 8 think of the consequences of having a phone at that age.

Marcos Lopez

Farnsworth Middle School