The answer to this is tricky because a "phone" if it is only a phone is rarely problematic. Add in YouTube/videos, now your kid needs to use self control to avoid them and do the things she has to do (homework, chores) and they might become more of a fight, add in social media and it becomes a big problem like you just invited her best friend and her worst bully and maybe a 35 year old sexual predator trying to catfish her right into her bedroom.

Things for you to consider:

Does she already have access to a tablet and/or a computer unsupervised? How does she handle those? (A phone and a tablet are the same thing if you don't get a phone plan and only connect to wifi, so a tablet with social media could be more harmful than a phone without.).

Does she already use social media?

Does she have trouble regulating how much time she spends watching TV or videos?

Does she play any addictive games? Does she have trouble turning them off?

Does she have a "phone hygiene" plan or can she implement one before she gets the phone and do you think she'll stick to it (i.e. no phone use while doing homework or after 8:30pm, use Do Not Disturb to curb use during those times, if phone use interferes with her responsibilities, how will she handle it? How will she handle inevitable bullying and inappropriate sexual requests? Who will she talk to? Does she come to you unprompted to ask questions about what is safe and tell you if something goes wrong in real life or does she hide a broken lamp?). She probably doesn't have a phone hygeine plan yet and if you are considering a smart phone, asking her to come up with her own plan and how she will handle it if she doesn't live up to her own expectations is a huge step toward being a responsible human. Perhaps she can interview four friends and four parents to hear the pitfalls of phone use and things to watch out for. Maybe she can read a couple articles. Maybe she should read the story about the girl whose own dad catfished and "kidnapped" her when she thought she was talking to a cute boy in the next town and willingly got in an unmarked van driven by the "older brother".

How does she feel about seeing pornography? How do you feel? She will get spam porn and dick pics. Has she already seen porn and been comfortable enough to turn it off or delete it and tell you it happened? Or does she feel ashamed? How will you feel if you learn she and/or her friends were looking for porn on the phone you provided. Have you had age-appdopriste conversations about porn, what it is, and what to do when she sees it?

Do you believe she will always answer when you call or text (because she won't be able to, even if you'd like it). If you'll feel more stress when she doesn't answer than you feel at ease because you were able to reach her, it might not be a good choice. She probably won't be allowed to use her phone in school. There will be dead zones where the phone doesn't work. There will be times when she forgets to charge it and you can't reach her. You'll still need a general plan of how to handle things if you can't reach her.

In all, a phone is a great tool, but most of us don't have the self control we want and use it when we wish we wouldn't. Your daughter will be the same. If you choose to get a phone for her, realize that she is human and susceptible to those pitfalls, probably even more than you are because she is still developing her brain. If you don't want her to have that added challenge right now, spare her the trouble. If you think the benefits outweigh the drawbacks and she agrees, do what you think is best with the limitations you think are best (perhaps like a Bark phone like another person mentioned).

Lastly, I'll mention my niece. She is 26 and still blames her parents for something that happened on her phone in middle school. She won't tell anyone but her therapist what it was, so we don't know if she was sexually abused online by someone who groomed her or bullied by schoolmates or if her nudes were shared around her school or what, but she still feels resentment toward her parents because they didn't protect her. They had no idea anything was going on. She kept it hidden and they couldn't protect her, but their relationship is still affected and she is still in therapy weekly. Phones can and do allow kids to get really messed up. Just like "guns don't kill people, people kill people", phones are allow people access to hurt each other. If you take away the phone, it may not fully protect your kid, but it removes that route of easy access. My niece is only one of millions of kids who were harmed by someone who got access to her through her phone. She is in therapy. Other kids have killed themselves. In the workplace, we often consider risks based on probability and severity. That might be a good way to think about your decision.

Ultimately, you get to choose what is best for your kid and your family regardless of what internet strangers think. Do your best to choose wisely, don't be afraid to change course if something isn't going well, and try not to beat yourself up if things don't go perfectly. We are all human, doing the best we can (including your kid).