iPhones, Apps, and Preschoolers

I think the maturity of a child comes into play when allowing them to use or have a phone. My daughter has had an emergency tracking phone in her backpack since kindergarten. It had 4 phone numbers programmed in and a push button 911. She is 8 now and I upgraded her phone but got one that I could program numerous numbers but could lock the phone down so only the contacts can be called or call in. She asks if she download a game and we discussed costs etc. She uses it when she's waiting at daycare or camp. We also text. It is a good tool for communication with children if they are mature enough. The technology is constantly changing so there is no worry that they won't have anything to "graduate" to, because every year there are new phones. The radiation from cell phones is negligible. Different phones can have different power levels, but are FCC regulated. Since Europe depends more heavily on wireless comm. and they have more difficult design challenges as well as different regulatory systems, their phones may emit higher radiation levels. But Chernobyl exposed everyone in Europe to more radiation than any cell phone will, even if you had it to your head all the time. As great as wireless technology is, board games, cards, crayons, markers, I spy and other mind stimulating games should also be used to occupy children. I don't like seeing people handing their phones over to shut the kids up. But in prolonged situations where everyone's patience is thin...and you've exhausted all the other fun stuff...I see no harm in it.