what do you think about kids having cell phones.

@kylaerin (145)
United States
January 15, 2009 10:52am CST
Hi everyone! I was just wondering what your thoughts are about kids and cell phones. I never really thought much about it but at my nieces birthday party last sunday my 12 year old cousin shows me his new cell phone. I'm like wait a minute and so I ask my cousin *his mom* why in the lords name does he have a cell phone, he's only 12 he's never away from you long enough to need a cell phone and she said its just normal now for kids that young to have phones. So, if you have kids do they have cell phones, how old are they, and what is your justification for giving someone as young as middle school a cell phone? I'm not putting anyone down just for the record but I think its odd. My parents didn't get me one until I started driving before that if I went anywhere I had money to use a pay phone and instructions to be at my pickup spot at X time and if I wasn't oh brother I was in trouble. I guess I just don't see why someone in middle school should be away from there parents anyplace that they would need a cell phone or maybe kids are just growing up to fast now a days.
5 people like this
34 responses
@Tricia31 (22)
• United States
15 Jan 09
Here is my opinion on children and cell phones, if you are under the age of 13 there is no need for you to have a cell phone. My son is 9 years old and has been asking for a cell phone for over 3 years, he know the kind and color that he wants. When this discussion is brought up and it often is my reply is that we will discuss it when he is 13. At which time, he shows that he is responsible enough to have one and take care of it, my husband and I will discuss getting him one. I think all to often young children are given phones and I feel it takes awat from them learning how to communicate with other people. My nieces and nephews rarely use theirs to call anyone, they are always texting! It drives me crazy phones buzzing and beeping every 10 seconds because someone has something to tell you. Call, speak to an actual human being.
@kylaerin (145)
• United States
16 Jan 09
I agree about the texting thing :) though I do find myself guilty of it at times. I guess I still don't fully understand why a child as young as 12 would be anywhere with out their parents where they would need a cell phone. When I was 12 I got to go to school, cheerleading practice, girl scouts, gymnastics, and friend houses. MY parents were always either there with me or had numbers to where they could reach me or I could reach them in an emergency. I do however see 12 year olds being dropped off at places like kentucky kingdom and being allowed to run around all day by thereselves which to me is insane no offense to anyone who does it. A 12 year old to me is not responsible enough to run around a theme park all day or night by themselves or with friends. I know when I was that young if an adult was not there my parents were simply not letting me go.
@vicky30 (4766)
• India
19 Jan 09
Its not good for kids to have cellphones.They will harm their health.They should be given phones only when they start college.Kids will waste their time speaking and playing on the cellphone.
@dandan07 (1906)
• China
18 Jan 09
Nowadays, more and more children have their own cellphones, and it become a fashion. They use it to comunicate with their friends after class. Though I think it is too early to give them phone, but many parents have their own thought. Now many family live far away from their workplace, and children may have to travel for two hours to reach their downtown school from the suburb home. So parents in order to know where their children are, they let their children have phones. But children make full use of phone's other functions.
@tonytt2009 (1706)
• China
17 Jan 09
For kids?What's your standare of kid?Below 12 years old?If yes,I don't think it's good to buy them the cell phones,coz it's quite dangerous for them to keep the cell phone,what do you think?They may be robbed of when they're walking down the street.~Yea,it's popular nowadays to buy a cell phone for the kids for the reason of communicating well~I will not give my kids the cell phone before they enter the junior high school.lol~~
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
17 Jan 09
I have a 7 year old daughter and she is definitely not ready for a cell phone. My niece who is the same age has had one since she was 5 which I think is ridiculous! I have told my daughter that we will discuss her having a phone when she is at least 12 and if she is going to be in situations that require her to have one. We will consider very carefully before deciding to buy her one. It is bad enough these days that all the kids I know have a Nintendo DS in their possession and continuously play with it and nobody hardly talks to each other or plays outside anymore! Sign of the times!
@twinklee (894)
• India
17 Jan 09
[b][i]Hi friend, The trend is like that, we have nothing to do. It is better to buy them one. Everything is advanced now. Why not the ages for using the phone also get advanced??? More over, if this continue , even a newbie in his/her mother's womb will start using a mobile and tell the mother the status , how healthy he/she is ? lol[/i][/b]
• Philippines
16 Jan 09
right now were in a modern age and theres no problem if u can buy ur kids a cellphone. just remind them that cellphone use their cellphone wisely.
@TessWhite (3146)
• United States
16 Jan 09
I've always thought it silly for very young children to have cell phones. Just what they need, another gadget to waste their time on. But, I also must admit that there were times when my son was younger that it would have been nice if he had a cell phone. Those times when he was out bike riding in the neighborhood with friends and I needed him home. Or the times he dropped in at a friends house without telling me which friend, so I had to call everyone to locate him. We lived in a nice area so I didn't have to worry that he would be unsafe. But granted at times it was tough to locate him. Then there are those considerations also about child safety. How many times do we hear now about child abductions or attempted ones? If a child had a cell phone they could dial 911 or call home etc.
@frygirl (382)
• United States
16 Jan 09
goodgrief when i was growing up we were lucky to have a house phone and sometimes we didnt even hve running water at some of the placeswe lived little lone money for luxurys like cellphones iam 41 years old and there were even times we didnt have t.v. to watch there was one town where all we had was pbs and that was the only channel we got i know i got off the subject alittle but i think it still goes along with the discussion at hand now i dont have any children but i will tell you this much that if i did they would not have a cell phone at the age of 12 heck i have even seen 7 and 8 year olds with them now i think that is just ridiculous.sorry but thats my opinon on the subject. and it has nothing to do with the way i was raised i just think some kids act too grown up they arent allowed to be just a kid because adulthood is hard enough why make them grow up before they are that age . nad like you said if people would pay more attention to there childern they wouldnt have to feel guilty and go out and buy that $100 cell phone for a 12year old.
@lisa0502 (1724)
• Canada
16 Jan 09
I have a step daughter that we gave a cell phone at the age of 14 I think it was. But she lives about an hour away from us. This way if she needs anything then she can call us. As for the other kids we have not even looked at that option yet because they are not very far from us and I do not feel that they are responsible enough yet. I see kids as young as 8 or 9 with them and just do not understand it.
@agrant10 (1476)
• United States
16 Jan 09
I agree with you if it is not needed they should not have one. My oldest son wanted one when he turned 12. I told him no I was not buying him a cell phone. All he would have been doing is talking on the cell phone running up the bill with his friends. I told him no he was already doing that with the land line. My daughter is eleven and she has a cell phone. My spouse and I agreed to get her one. She has cheerleader practice, dance practice and chrous. With a cell phone she is able to contact one of us when her practice is over and we do not have to sit there waiting on her.
@Toony182 (256)
• United States
17 Jan 09
I'd say middle school is really the minimum age kids should get a cell phone. My niece and nephew, both 8 years old, got a cell phone this summer, and when I asked them what they would use it for, they told me that a lot of their friends already had cell phones! It just seems silly that kids in 2nd and 3rd grade would have ANY need for a cell phone - they're not going to be out very often, the home phone should work fine for both of them.
• Philippines
16 Jan 09
well, our generation today is very high in technology...we actually go to next level almost everyday. a middle age kid having a phone is not unusual nowadays, and for me..even my 7yr old sister could have one..like what i had promise her...i'll give her, her own unit on her 8th birthday..well, like what i said...our generation is growing and improving...so it simply means that we can live to it...not to let them experience what we've had before...
• Puerto Rico
16 Jan 09
I really don't think kids younger than maybe 16 years old should have a cell phone. I mean, a kid that is 9 to 12 years old does not know much about reponsability. It isn't right to be giving them a cell phone, you know. Besides, there are a few dangers that come with giving your child a cell phone. You never know who might the kid give the number to. So, you might not know who your kid is talking to sometimes. The same thing happens when you give your child the freedom to have a messenger account. You never know who is on the other side of the computer. So, my advise is this. You should have one of these prepaid cell phones in the house and whenever you feel that it is necesary to give the phone to child, than you loan it to him or her. But the child should never think that this is his o her phone.
@kareng (53375)
• United States
16 Jan 09
I see kids even younger with cell phones these days. I don't see why they need them either and I know that I don't have extra money to pay for other cell phone users. To me this is a waste of money and big time! I think kids are very spoiled these days. Most have a computer, a tv, a dvd, a gaming system, a cell phone, and Ipod, mpv player, a stereo system in their room. What is wrong with this? No wonder there is no family life anymore. And lots of these kids are from split families so mom and dad are competing with buying things for the kids to gain attention and love. So SAD! My kids all got cell phones when they started to drive for emergencies...and yes, we did have a few. Once they used up their alloted minutes for the month, they were responsible for paying the balance from their allowance. This made them limit their time talking to friends :) I also agree with your last statement. Kids are growing up too fast and I think some parents are to blame for that--not all.
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
16 Jan 09
Here the schools won't allow the students to use cellphones. As the teachers think that the students won't listen to the courses carefully. They have reasons like this to ban the cellphones. I can accept to it. However, I also think that it's a good way for their parents to contact with their children. If the have any accidents, at least the children can make a call. And the parents can know where are their children. Everything has its advantage and disadvantage. I love China
@jesbellaine (4139)
• Philippines
16 Jan 09
Hi There! Good day! I got my cell phone when I was in college already because back in my High School days, we were not allowed to use a cell phone because we have pay phones or free calls from the campus if there is a need for us to call someone or our parents. And my parents didn't think that I will need it. But the generation today are much more different. They are more into gadgets and things... but for me giving a cell phone to 12 years old and below is not really practical. Our youngest sister is already 13 years old, in freshman high school. I decided to give her a cell phone to contact here if I need to. They have practice sometimes at school and one time, she went home a little late... my mom got worried that is why I purchased a cellphone for her for her to call us or send us text message if something comes up. When she was in Elementary school, we didn't give her a cell phone because she always go home straight. There is no need for her to have a group study or to stay late for practice. so.. I guess it depends on the situation and reason why they have given a cellphone. I just hope that kids knows how to make use of it... Thanks for the discussion and Happy Mylotting! Have a great day! Cheers!
• United States
16 Jan 09
My daughter has had a cell phone since she was 12. Sometimes girlscouts, cheerleading or other activities get let out early and there is no pay phone or phone available to use. She could call me and I could come get her instead of her waiting around for the prearranged time. If she stays at a friends house I can call her and see how things are at any time. If she is having a bad time at a friends house she can call me to come get her without having to ask someone to use a house phone. Pay phones are pretty much nonexistant here. If there is a payphone it doesnt work. I like that I can call her and reach her at anytime. During cheerleading tryouts I called to wish her good luck. I can call her at school dances and remind her to behave or just call her at the football game to tell her a joke and let her know her mom is thinking of her. My child is very responsible and I have never had a problem. Also if Gods forbid, something like Columbine should ever happen in my childs school she can reach me IMMEDIATELY. Her school has had several bomb threats and had to be closed down....she reached me WAAAAAAAAAY before the school did. I was there to pick up her and her little brother before the school even called the house. To me, for my child, 12 was the perfect age. She will be 15 this May.
• United States
16 Jan 09
Because there are ways to set up the phone so they can't over use it and because there are so many new features included in them, cell phones are fine for kids. As long as their parents teach them how to be responsible with them. You know, don't use it at school, don't talk on it more than 5 or 10 minutes at a time...and so on. With the older phones it wasn't so practical, but now, with the GPS locators, ICE contacts, and all the other features they have, I think that they are great for kids as long as the kids know how to use them (and how not to use them). Plus, along with the ICE contacts you can input information about your kids. Under the ICE contacts menu there is a place for personal information. You can put in their name, age, medical conditions, allergies, anything that might be important if the kid, heavens forbid, gets hit by a car or falls out of a tree at the park. Someone finds them and can look up all of that information in the phone.
@panky99 (35)
• India
16 Jan 09
hey this same case is happened with me ...my cousin who is in 7th standard only wants to have a cellphone and that one to be a multimedia one oh my god!!!!!! thats strange as i donot think he is in need of it but i am helpless and he needs to listen to music the reason he gave for having a phonealso he added he needs because his freinds are having the one this was not the case with me ,,i got it when i was in 12th standard as i want to impress others but did not worked