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Kids with cellphones

#29
Visirale said:
I believe kids need phones... it's very convenient for parents to find out where there kids are, or if something comes up and a child needs to contact their parents easily.

Kids don't need iphones or sidekicks... leave those for after HS.

Kids do need to be taught when and where to use phones...
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+1 I believe they make cellphones that only allow for a few numbers to be programmed into it and it's something that the parent has to do. So you can only use the phone for those numbers (ie. call home, call parent's work, 911 etc..) That's the only kind of cell phone that a kid should have. Once they turn 16 and get a job and can pay for it themselves, great, but until then a cell phone that allows them to text and what not isn't necessary.
 
#31
I'm not sure if pre-teens up to like fourteen need them. I know when I used to hang out at the mall with my friends, my parents would give me one of their cell phones to contact me. Then after my brother started working we both got phones of our own. Which was good. I don't make many calls anyway, and the ones I do are from my house phone because my reception isn't consistent.

So basically, kids don't really need their own cell phones unless they start working or doing other activities where they'd need to reach you for whatever reason. If they're hanging out with friends, they could just borrow one. I don't think they need one just to get run up all the minutes on the plan. Lucky for my parents, I don't use up many minutes anyway. But after my brother ran up a $30+ texting bill, we switched over to unlimited texting. He's in college by the way, and older than me. So don't expect it always to be the young kids who cause all the trouble.
 
#34
I don't think that a board dedicated to spending thousands of dollars on unnecessary equipment should be judging people who spend a little extra on something like a phone...:o

But anyways, are we talking about kids as in elementary school kids, or teenagers? I'm a teenager and I will admit that I use it a lot for texting, calling, etc., but I know when it is impolite. I also do not take my parents' paying for it the bill for granted, I realize that it is costly and I try to cut back when I'm about to go over. My parents are pretty "modern" I guess; they also believe that a cell phone is necessary. It's gotten me out of a few bad situations. However I will agree with many of you, many people my age ruin it for the rest of us, but that is a given in the world. I'm nothing close to a prude, I have a normal social life, etc, but I also try have something that many people I know lack, its called "common sense".

Either technology is making life better or slowly destroying it. You can embrace it or deny it but either way technology is taking over.
 
#35
thebassist1234 said:
I don't think that a board dedicated to spending thousands of dollars on unnecessary equipment should be judging people who spend a little extra on something like a phone...:o
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I don't see it as a cost issue. It's an issue of responsibility and whether it's appropriate. An 11 year old isn't usually responsible enough to handle something that can incur substantial charges, nor is it appropriate if the phone does more than be available for emergency use.
 
#37
yoda8905 said:
It is just like everything, a parent needs to know their own children and based on their level of maturity gauge what they can and cannot do/have. Some children are completely capable of handling a cellphone in a mature way. Some however do not.
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That's a post I can agree with. We gave our daughters cell phones when they turned 13, about the time they started taking trains downtown. They used them to text us where they were, when they'd be home, what train they'd be on. Very handy. They knew that if they abused it, they'd lose them. It hasn't happened. They're much older now and it's a non issue. I think they're good devices for keeping in touch with us. Sure they text their friends. So what? It was mandatory at school to shut off phones or lose them. So they shut them off.

They come in very handy when we're on holiday. Last week we were in Florence and the girls went off and did there own thing. Texting enabled us to meet up for lunch.

I'm surprised so many people here see them as a bad thing. I suspect that each of you have them. Why shouldn't responsible teenagers have them?
 

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