<< I'm also having trouble swallowing the idea that an 8 year old would have a cell phone.
When I was 8 years old, I don't think I talked to anyone on the phone very often. Maybe a few times, and the conversations would never last more than a couple minutes probably. Furthermore, an 8 year old is normally not too far away from home (I would roam around the neighborhood with friends and ride my bike), so a mobile phone doesn't make much sense.
Is this a common thing? Do his friends also have cell phones? >>
Aye, when I was 8, my only phone conversations were to the kids who didn't live close enough to just walk over and knock on their door.
The conversations consisted of the following.
"Hi, is so-and-so there?"
"This is Jzero."
"Hey, so-and-so. We're trying to put together a big football game. You in?"
"Ok, cya.'