It hurts my soul to see that as each generation of children goes by, technology consumes us even more. I'd like to think that parents would restrict their usage of devices, including smartphones, but I guess it's easier put a screen in front of a kid's face than it is to actually parent them. I think parents are more paranoid now, too. They think they're kid needs a phone so they can contact them in an emergency. I get that, but they're mostly paranoid because they too are exposed to so much more media than in the past. We see all these kidnappings and school shootings all the time, but it wasn't like they weren't there before, it is just that technology has allowed us to share that information around the globe in the blink of an eye.
Please don't get me wrong. I definitely think we should give kids phones. We definitely should, because there's no point in shielding them from technology they'll most definitely have as an adult. It's important to teach them how to use it properly though, and set limits on mobile games and all that. I also think that instead of "taking away" screen time for bad behavior, we should be rewarding children. If they do what they're supposed to and are well behaved, they get to play on their phone for an hour or whatever.
We also have to note that some of these kids, even though they are young, tend to be smarter at us at technology. My younger sibling knows everything about the iPad and I barely can use my phone as it is. Even with parental control restrictions, if you're not closely monitoring their screen time and behavior then they may be able to "hack" their way around it. No parental control app is perfect, so it's important to watch them carefully.
Alright, that was kind of a tangent. My point is that yes, kids under eight years should have phones, but it's up to the parents to monitor the children and teach them how to use technology in moderation. I've seen so many parents hand their kids their phone in the store just to keep them quiet and that's not the way to go. Rewarding negative behavior only will set up the child for a harsh reality when they grow up.