Kids and Cell Phones

I never understood why parents give kids cellphones at a younger and younger age. One day, we were walking into church, and Emma asks when she can get a cellphone. Her daddy says something about being only 8 years old and the explanation was interrupted by a little girl that was sitting on the curb as we walked by.
"I got my first cell phone at 8!"
Thanks, little girl. But Emma isn't like most 8 years olds. She has a brain tumor with part of her brain removed and also has extremely low vision. She had difficulty keeping up with a doll or blanket, the last thing she needs is a cell phone.
Before I became part of this family, I couldn't keep my phone out of my hands. In fact, if I didn't have 3 conversations going on my phone plus, whatever was happening in front of me, something was wrong. Yesterday, one kid had my phone, the other had Matt's. We were completely cell phone-less. Suddenly I feel old...