I was recently reminded of a peeve I have: kids with cell phones. I do not mean 15, 16, and 17 year old children, I mean those 14 and under. Why do they need a cell phone? Who do they talk to and what do they talk about?
As a parent myself, I just do not find a reason that giving my son a cell phone at his age is necessary. It is an extra bill to pay, and the phone, even if I went with a cheap charlie cell phone, I know my kid would lose it or damage it. How do I know? He already did it to my own. It was okay though and no harm done. It is just a phone.
Some of the phone services out there are trying to promote kid safe cell phones with GPS tracking. I understand the concept, but as much as it is safe for my kid, it is not safe for my wallet. Is it really necessary to give a child a phone?
I grew up fine without a cell phone. In fact, I did not have my first cell phone until I was 26! When I was in high school, beepers were all the rage. And those were also not allowed in school. By my senior year, cell phones were included on the banned list (I graduated in 1999.) I just do not see a point. There are so many other necessities and it is just another distraction. I keep hearing how someone’s daughter or son drive up the phone bill, or someone cannot pay the bill.
They are really only necessary for those who choose not to have a land line telephone at home, or people on the go. If children are given phones, then that makes me wonder who is watching them? The phone cannot.
What are your thoughts?
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1 Comment to 'Kids And Cell phones – What!?!'
February 9, 2010
When I worked for AT&T I got calls from people who had given their kids cell phones. They would be calling and asking about text messages and all other manner of things. One person even flat out told me that she was getting a new phone for her 5 year old – he wanted a Blackberry and he’d had a phone since he was 3!
To be honest, I do not believe that even a 15, 16, or 17 year old needs to have a cell phone. We did not have them at all when I was that age, and I was perfectly capable of calling my mother from a regular phone and telling her where I was and what I was doing.
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