Cell phones offer instant access to family, friends and emergency services, but when it comes to children, how young is too young to have a cell phone?

Caitlin, 12, said she got a cell phone when she was 10. Her cousin, Maya, has had her cell phone for less than a year, but she is only 8.
""They really only take them with them if we're not going to be with them somewhere or they're going to a sporting activity, to the mall with their grandmother or something like that,"" parent Kerry Lucas said.
Sixty percent of American teenagers have cell phones, and within the next three years, 54 percent of 8- to 12-year-olds will have cell phones, according to the Center on Media and Child Health Web site.
Most parents said the children have cell phones for their peace of mind and in case of an emergency.
""When I go to the mall, I bring it in case I get lost,"" one teen said.
""I call my mom and tell her when to pick us up or something,"" another teen said.
But along with the ability to be in touch with their children, cell phones also bring worries for parents.
""You don't know who's calling them. You know sometimes they're texting at midnight. They're communicating with people throughout the day and you don't necessarily know who they're communicating with,"" one parent said.
But are cell phones really necessary for children as young as 8 or 9 years old?
""(When kids) start going off by themselves. Like, little kids that have them and are always with their parents anyways, they don't really need them,"" said Jaime Woodbury.
(Source: thebostonchannel.com)