March 11th, 2010 | 
Author:
Should children have cell phones? Is there a real need for a kid to own a cell phone? Parents should look at different things such as the age of the child, in which situations he or she would use it and where will the child be taking it.
If your child is very young a cell phone would not be necessary unless your child has an important medical condition. In this case it would be very useful in case the teacher has to contact you or the family doctor directly in an emergency.
Parents could consider giving a cell phone to a grade-schooler child to be in contact specially if the child is coming home alone. In the situation when maybe you are driving to pick him up and are running late or someone else than you is fetching him up a the last moment you may use a Cell Phone to inform and assure your child.
Many middle school children will start asking for cell phones since many class mates might have one already. The latest cell phone models come with cameras, mp3 players and games which are generally the main reasons why kids are interested in them and want to own one. When they are in after school programs such as sports they could reach you in the case they don’t feel well or want to go to a friend’s house at the last moment. Depending on how they behave in school a cell phone can be a reward for their hard work.
In high school age there is no more excuses for your teenager to own a cell phone. They can save Money to pay for it and buy minutes to make calls. A cell phone can give you peace of mind and foster your child’s independence. Unless you are punishing your child for something there is no way you are going to keep a teenager away from cell phones. They can go out and you can rest assured they are at reach and they are safer with a cell phone in their hand. If they are coming home later than usual or change plans then it is very simple and convenient using a cell phone. It is also great because your teenager will stay off your home phone!
Regardless of your child’s age you should be ready for lost, damaged or stolen Cell Phones. When getting the phone ask the provider company to get the extender warranty that covers all of this. You will be glad you did. Kids are learning how to be responsible about their things and may not realize how much a cell phone costs. Kids are kids, and it is normal for them to loose or damage their things. Save yourself the trouble of buying a new cell phone each time something like this happens.
David Herrmann
http://www.articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/should-children-own-cell-phones-579958.html
Posted in Cell Phones
What age should children/teens have cell phones?
1. What are your feelings on children/teens having cell phones?
2. At what age should a child get a cell phone?
3. What is your age?
4. Do you have children? If yes, what are their ages?
Please answer the last two questions, as I am most interested in how your age and parental status affect your answers.
kids need phones to contact their parents in emergency situations. they should be about 12. my age? im 47.yes i have children ages 12 and 13.
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I think that children/teenagers should have cell phones because parents do need to contact their children due to changes of plans or emergencies, as do the teenagers.
Personally I think a child should get a cell phone around the age they begin highschool. As this is a big change for them, with maybe new routes and going to school by themselves etc.
I’m 18.
I don’t have children, however it’s the way my parents have looked at the situation and I have a younger sister who is 12 and is in this situation.
Of course the main purpose of the cell phone, at first should be emergencies, which I think a child should respect, of course they can use it for whatever else, friends etc, it just needs to be made clear that it is used for emergencies also.
I think it’s a good experience for them to learn to have responsibility at an earlier age but also use it for pleasure, respecting the responsibility and use of it for emergencies for the "fun" side of the phone.
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My personal observations and experience.
i think kids shouldnt get cell phones until 15 or older. I didnt get my first phone til then and i did rack up a big bill because i didnt understand how expensive they can be.
These days kids use them for stuff other then emergencies and i dont think they need a cell phone.
Im 23 and i dont have kids but if i did have them they would have a pre paid phone and as soon as they can pay a bill ie 15 and have a job only then will they get a plan phone.
Prepaid should be good enough to contact me on emergencies.
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some kids need phones to keep in contact with their parents
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Once children are old enough to go out unsupervised, say 16, is when they need a phone. They also need to be able to pay for it. Younger than that doesn’t make sense to me.
also,
As soon as a parent feels the benefits would outweigh the costs. It’s a great way to test a child’s responsibility level. For safety reasons, the cell phone could be a real plus — but for less responsible children it might be a disaster. Parents should pull them in cases of abuse.
I am 50 with a 27 year old daughter and a 15 month old grand daughter.
References :
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?