Is it a pre-condition that it has to be a pre-teen? probably not.
It is just slightly possible that I jumped on my high horse just a smidgen early. Current estimates are that 30% of the Cobalt mined in the Congo is 'free market' cobalt. The 70% is pit mined with big equipment and skilled labor.
The 30% uses a combination of child labor, slaves and advanced money (slaves for a set period). It's enough to make it unsightly...
But I do agree. We NEED the cobalt to save the planet. Somebody once said "The rain falls on the just and the unjust." It is unfortunately true.