I am 18 and have never broken a single phone, lost one, or anything. I have had 10-15 phones in the past years (upgraded, changed carriers a couple times, etc) and all of them end up being sold, traded, or donated to the battered women's shelter. I am more than responsible enough, and don't need some 50-something to tell me so. I pay for my data plan, have 3 jobs and several extra-curriculars. It really depends on the kid, not the age. Everyone is different, although I would disagree to giving a phone to anyone younger than high school. I have had unrestricted access to the internet since I was 8 (back when we had to use AOL!). I turned out just fine, although there are a lot of stupid users out there...