New Jersey

Some kids get cellphones at 9 years old? What’s the average age for first phones in NJ?

Published

1 month ago

May 13, 2025

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Some kids get cellphones at 9 years old? What’s the average age for first phones in NJ?

Planning on giving your child their first smartphone?

On average, parents in Louisiana give their children their first cellphones before they reach 10 years old, and in New Jersey, parents wait until their children are just a bit older.

Here’s when parents begin giving their children their first iPhone or Pixel in New Jersey, and what you should think about first before setting your child up with a cellphone.

How old should my child be to get a cellphone?

According to Secure Data Recovery’s report, children average 10.77 years old when parents in New Jersey give them their first cell phone.

In comparison, the average age when kids get their first cellphone is 10.66 in Pennsylvania and 10.97 in New York.

That’s about the age when kids start pressuring their parents for a cellphone.

“By the time kids are in middle school, the pressure from kids can be intense, and parents worry that their child will feel isolated if other kids have phones and they don’t,” according to the Child Mind Institute. “According to Common Sense Media, 42 percent of kids have a phone by age 10. By age 12, it’s 71 percent. By 14, it’s 91 percent.

“Max Stossel, the founder and CEO of Social Awakening, recommends that parents hold the line on giving kids smartphones until at least eighth grade.”

Things parents should consider before giving their kids a cellphone

Age and level of responsibility are just two factors that parents should consider when giving their children their first cell phone.

“Increased cellphone use has added more distractions and interruptions for students, along with an increase in cheating and cyberbullying,” advised the All for Kids nonprofit. “Technology can have a significant negative impact on kids, while the benefits of reading to children and other non-technology pastimes, such as music, writing, or art, are clear.”

In New Jersey, parents will need to also consider cellphone restrictions imposed by the New Jersey Schools Boards Association.

“Currently, there are districts that collect phones and store them, some in dedicated lockers or pouches,” advised the NJ school boards website. “Other districts require that the phones be stored in students’ lockers. Others do not allow them in classrooms or require that they be turned off during certain parts of the day.

“Some districts have installed technology to block internet access, or access to certain platforms or apps in school.”

Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region.

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New Jersey

Cloudy, cool Father’s Day with scattered showers in New Jersey

Published

4 hours ago

June 15, 2025

Press Room

Cloudy, cool Father’s Day with scattered showers in New Jersey

The best chance for showers will be the first half of the day. It will be unseasonably cool under mainly cloudy skies. The beginning of the workweek will feature a mix of clouds and some sun. Readings will still be below the average high of the lower 80s. Temperatures will rise by midweek with the sun becoming the dominate feature in the sky. Highs by Thursday will reach the lower 90s!

Father’s Day: Scattered showers. Mainly the first half of the day, otherwise mostly cloudy and cool. High: 66.

Tonight: Cloudy. Spot shower Low: 58.

Monday: Clouds and sun. High: 71.

Tuesday: Partly sunny. High: 78.

Wednesday: Partly sunny. Warmer. High: 86.

Thursday: Partly sunny and hot. Isolated late day storm. High: 92.

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New Jersey

Delaware has the worst air quality in the country from NJ wildfire

Published

23 hours ago

June 14, 2025

Press Room

Delaware has the worst air quality in the country from NJ wildfire

The worst air in the country on June 14 is in New Castle County.

The air quality index in Wilmington as of 9:45 a.m. was 227, which is “very unhealthy,” according to AirNow. A monitor in Newark was at 240.

Before sunrise, the air quality index was a “hazardous” 422 in Wilmington.

The air quality index, or AQI, is a standardized rating system that assesses the severity of air pollution on a scale ranging from 0 to 500. The higher the number, the worse the quality.

An AQI below 50 is considered optimal; between 51 and 100 is considered moderate; and above 100, unhealthy.

Code Red alert issued for Delaware

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has issued a Code Red alert, advising New Castle County residents to stay indoors; keep vents, windows and doors shut; and wear a mask if going outdoors.

Hazardous smoke from a wildfire in southern New Jersey is being blown toward Wilmington and northern Delaware. The Mines Sprung Fire in Wharton State Forest in Burlington County was reported by the New Jersey Forest Service on June 13. An update on June 14 said the fire has burned 4,200 acres and is 40% contained. The cause is still under investigation.

National Weather Service meteorologist Joe DeSilva said the smoke is particularly bad in New Castle County because of a variety of unfortunate factors. The smoke got trapped under an inversion layer, which happens when warm air sits above cold air at the surface. This was combined with northeast winds, putting New Castle County in the crosshairs.

Delaware air quality affects events

Several events have been moved indoors or canceled already. The Special Olympics Delaware has canceled its Summer Games outdoor events.

Rain showers are in the forecast for the entire region this weekend, so fire crews in New Jersey could get some help from the weather.

This story includes reporting by Juan Carlos Castillo of the Asbury Park Press.

(This story was updated to add information.)

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New Jersey

Hidden cameras found in bathrooms on Ocean City, New Jersey, boardwalk; police investigating

Published

2 days ago

June 13, 2025

Press Room

Hidden cameras found in bathrooms on Ocean City, New Jersey, boardwalk; police investigating

CBS News Philadelphia
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Police in Ocean City, New Jersey, are investigating after multiple hidden cameras were found in public bathrooms along the Boardwalk this week.

On Thursday, officers responded to a restroom at 6th Street and the Boardwalk in the Jersey Shore destination and spoke with a woman who found a hidden camera.

All other public restrooms on the boardwalk were then searched and “several additional cameras” were found in restrooms at 10th Street and 11th Street, according to police.

Fallon Conway, who found the first device, shared pictures showing that it looked like a pen or marker.

Fallon Conway

Police told CBS News Philadelphia these are family-style restrooms, which are often where beachgoers change before going onto the sand or after leaving the beach.

Officers will now be stationed at the restrooms and conducting additional checks, police said.

No charges or arrests have been announced yet. Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at 609-525-9131 or email Lt. Dan Lancaster at DLancaster@ocnj.us.

“I want to assure the public that our detectives will use every available resource to find the person who placed these cameras, and any suspect will be prosecuted to the fullest,” Mayor Jay Gillian said in a statement.

Joe Holden

contributed to this report.

Joe Brandt

Joe Brandt has been a digital content producer for CBS News Philadelphia since 2022. He is a Temple University graduate and was born and raised in Pitman, NJ.

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