During this time of the year, some kids might be asking for a cell phone, and that can be a hard decision for parents to make.

“I strongly discourage cell phones on every age group," said Sarah Schubert, a farmer and child family services instructor at Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES.

Schubert said cell phones distract kids from everyday tasks, and social media often causes self-esteem issues and behavioral concerns.

At the same time, having mobile internet and being in the virtual world has become almost essential to functioning in the current culture. So child and family therapist Ward Halverson said parents have quite the dilemma.

“Parents are in this weird, complicated space between knowing it's kind of necessary to function in society and children should have increased and certainly controlled moderated connections to it, essentially training and support,” Halverson said. “But on the other hand, it's really dangerous. It's inherently addictive. It's basically like parents opening the liquor cabinet and saying, 'Just take whatever you need, make the most of it, and we'll be around and keep an eye on you.’ ”

Halverson said parents need to use good judgment and caution when preparing their child for a cell phone.

Matthew Mulvaney, an associate professor of human development and family science at Syracuse University, agrees that parents need to prepare their children.

“What I think it's so important is the process by which you help prepare them for the process by which you help them to understand it, the process by which you monitor or don't monitor it, that it's part of a process of working with your kids to help them use it more effectively so that the positives outweigh the negatives," Mulvaney said.

So when should a child be given a cell phone? It depends on the child.

There are benefits to waiting, but it could mean a child may be separated in some aspects of their social life. Taking things step-by-step is one option experts said a parent can try.

Schubert said she discussed the topic with her students. They had some suggestions.

“Children can have a cell phone when they start participating in sports. Maybe they're away from the home, and they also maybe have a job or start driving," she said of their conversation.

Mulvaney said frontal lobes are maturing quickly during adolescence. This adds to the addictiveness of cell phones.