Is It Time To Get Your Kid a Phone?
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What you need to know before giving your kid a phone, plus the Wirecutter-tested trackers, smartwatches, and phones to consider.

Guests: Wirecutter senior staff writer Ellen Lee &  Dr. Devorah Heitner

Additional Reading:

• The Best First Phones for Kids)
• The Best Smartwatches for Kids)
• The Best Parental Control Apps to Manage Screen Time (and Keep Your Kid Safer Online))
• Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World  by Dr. Devorah Heitner)
• Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World by Dr. Devorah Heitner)

Products we recommend:

• Apple AirTag)
• Tile Mate)
• Bark Phone)
• Pinwheel)
• Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation, 128 GB))
• Verizon Gizmo Watch 3)
• Apple Watch SE GPS + Cellular)

Check out more NYT podcast coverage about the recent push to ban phones in schools from The Daily) and Hard Fork). 

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Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast)