Kids and Cell Phones
by The kids are asking you for a cell phone but it’s up to you to say when they can have one. When you do decide it’s time there are precautions you should take to protect your kids and teach them responsibility. There are dangers of inappropriate websites, bullying, and so called "friends." The following rules will help keep your child safe.
Is your son or daughter bugging you for a cellphone? Most kids do ask for a cellphone quiet early but it’s up to you to say when they can have one. When you do decide to let your child have a cellphone, an old one you have put aside will work just fine. Call the carrier that issued it and ask about getting a new SIM card with a prepaid plan. The SIM comes with a new phone number, and you can buy that carriers prepaid plan. Explain to him or her that he or she has limited minutes and let the child know how long you expect those minutes to last. Make rules about appropriate phone use and enforce them.
Image via Wikipedia
If your child’s phone can web surf you will need to keep smut, racist,and other inappropriate junk filtered from the phone. That can be expensive but it will cost you nothing to call your carrier and ask how to block Internet access completely.
Another thing you have to worry about is bullying. Talk to your child about this problem. Make sure she understands if she pulls something like this her phone will be taken away. Check his call history often. Explain in advance that you might check text and call history at any time, then do it when she is least expecting it. Show her how to block any offensive caller.
Image by kiwanja via Flickr
The latest thing is geo-targeting. Sites like Loopt.com find others so they can meet as if by accident. The tool can link to networks alerting dozens of their “friends” to where they are going. If your kid puts this information with or without inappropriate photos out there, you can see how dangerous it can be. Go through the privacy settings and make sure those who have access to her information are trustworthy. If he or she gets upset with you, just explain that is the price of being allowed a cellphone.
Cell phone providers offer these tools to keep the parent in control.
Go to; wireless.att.com/medianet, no extra charge to block mature Internet content or game and ring tone downloads.
Go to: att.com/smartlimitsforwireless, $5 a month, Specify when phone can be used, block calls or texts, set a dollar limit on downloads.
Go to: mymobilewatchdog.com, $10 a month, monitor who is talking to and texting your child via the web. You can read text messages, including photo texts to catch anything inappropriate.
Go to: verizonwireless.com.usagecontrols, no extra charge, set three levels of Internet access, Children 7 plus, Teens 13 plus, and Young Adults 17 Plus.
Go to: $10 a month,verizonwireless.com, want to know that your child went to school? Log on and see where he is, or get a text message when he arrives.
Go to: t-mobile.com, $5 a month, A-plus on a test=extra minutes! To much back talk=no minutes! Set download and texting limits or block callers.
http://healthmad.com/addiction/cell-phone-addiction/
http://socyberty.com/ethincity/skin-color-and-children/
http://healthmad.com/women/breast-feeding-your-infant/
http://sportales.com/football/how-to-throw-and-kick-a-football/
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Post Commentsimplyoj
On November 30, 2009 at 5:51 am
A must read for parents. thanks for this article.
ken bultman
On November 30, 2009 at 6:14 am
Very good information that too many parents disregard. Many adults could use some of the advice, as well.
Rinkal Desai
On November 30, 2009 at 6:31 am
very interesting
johnnydod
On November 30, 2009 at 6:37 am
Well said, I wish more people would think like you
Papa Sparks
On November 30, 2009 at 7:28 am
What is it with cell phones and kids? It is really out of hand in Korea where elementary school kids have phones so their parents can keep tabs on them because so many have private lessons at academies and institutes after school.
Starpisces
On November 30, 2009 at 7:32 am
very good information for parents
AlmaG
On November 30, 2009 at 7:49 am
Very informative especially at these times where new technologies makes it easy to abuse people especially with children.
Darla Cooke
On November 30, 2009 at 9:18 am
We got our 14 year old daughter a cell phone recently and she uses it very responsibly. When she spends the night with a friend she will text me goodnight and if her bus is going to be late in the afternoon she’ll text and let me know so I won’t worry. She’s also very careful about not wasting all her minutes on texting and calling friends. She tells them to call on our regular phone so she won’t use up all her time.
xoxo
On November 30, 2009 at 9:20 am
Good post Ruby. Its really an issue for me now that my 9 year old son is already asking for a celfone. I’ll remember everything here.
RobertBaez
On November 30, 2009 at 9:48 am
Great post..
Very informative n all parents must read this article..
Judy Kaelin
On November 30, 2009 at 10:25 am
Nice article – well researched
Moses Ingram
On November 30, 2009 at 10:39 am
We no longer have small children but this is an interesting and informative article. It appears that life is getting more and more complicated every day for children. I know kids as young as eleven who have them, I think that some kids whom I know have them even younger. In any case I feel your article is a must read for parents with young kids.
Christine Ramsay
On November 30, 2009 at 10:40 am
There are so many things to think about. I am glad I don’t have children to worry about any more. very useful info.
Christine
Rouge Weasel
On November 30, 2009 at 10:59 am
@Papa Sparks
If these kids are so smart, then why don’t they just protect their cell phones. Thats what I do. Only my contacts will see my name and or number.
wonder
On November 30, 2009 at 11:11 am
Very good information.
Frances Lawrence
On November 30, 2009 at 1:00 pm
I have never had problems with my children using their mobile phones. They had a mobile when they went to senior school at 11 and they would be making the journey on their own. I just gave them a basic phone on a pay as you go plan. I have never paid more than £10 per month for their calls.
Noodleman
On November 30, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Great article! I’m 13 and my parents trust me with a mobile phone, they don’t check it or anything… One question, why do you say “Her” in the article, why can’t it be a guy?
Lex92
On November 30, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Good information. My first cell phone was a pre paid one… and that was a ‘community’ phone between my brother sisiter and me. Then when we started to drive we got a cell phone witha plan.
Themax
On November 30, 2009 at 5:44 pm
very informative article ruby, In Canada every children have that gadget! Thanks very well written
Yerer0
On November 30, 2009 at 7:26 pm
I’m a 13 year old and although I agree with some of this article, some things seem a bit overboard. I mean, checking who they are texting and checking picture messages is fine, but I think reading every text is a bit overboard. While you might find something out and may help them or whatever, it seems like an invasion of privacy. Maybe try talking to your kids about it? Other than that pretty good. Also, I got a cell phone this year in 7th grade, and before now I never really needed it. I now see both sides of the argument and say that a good age is around my age, 13. It really depends on what they do, if they do a lot of activities and are out a lot, they should probably have one, if they don’t as much, they could wait longer. Sorry for the long comment, but I enjoy writing long comments, it’s fun.
LoveDoctorLoveGoodBye
On November 30, 2009 at 8:12 pm
This is excellent information! I didn’t know about geo-targeting.
martie
On November 30, 2009 at 8:15 pm
I think a kid should have a cell phone when he is old enough to make all the payments himself and still take care of his other bills.
pattiann
On November 30, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Great article! I think kids should wait until they are at least 18 years old. Look at me, I am an adult who has no cellphone and no plans on getting one.
Brenda Nelson
On November 30, 2009 at 10:26 pm
I hate cell phones…. BUT when we moved to the country they almost became a necessity… if your car breaks down on a road you might have miles to walk to find a farmhouse…
so we finally got one, well as it turned out getting a family plan didnt cost much more, and for my 15yr old daughter (who pays for her own) its pretty good because it gives her something to do on the 1 hour school bus ride (her friends are on different bus)
I am surprised how addicted to it she has become but in the long run its a good thing I think. We find ours is handy too because our computer is on DIAL UP so we have no phone when online.
Shirley Shuler
On November 30, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Great post, Ruby. This is a must read!
Barneslow
On November 30, 2009 at 11:10 pm
Very informative piece, perhaps a few radical ideas, but safety is key for a childs development
PR Mace
On November 30, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Great read. To tell you the truth, I really don’t see why kids need a cellphone until they are driving. Then it would be good for emergencies or for the parents to find their children.
Anuradha Ramkumar
On December 1, 2009 at 12:06 am
I’ll surely keep this in mind when my daughter asks for one.
Netty net
On December 1, 2009 at 12:12 am
very interesting.
Wennie Estares
On December 1, 2009 at 12:56 am
I used to work at a call center catering subscribers from the US. Parents were bugging on the services or charges on the bills they don’t know how to use. Only to find out that their children are using their phones outside the appropriate usage. Call center representatives take a hard time explaining always. Parents should be very watchful to their kids, especially when using planned phones to avoid unnecessary charges.
Sharif Ishnin
On December 1, 2009 at 1:38 am
With great technology comes great responsibility. Again, great article Ruby.
8Shei8
On December 1, 2009 at 2:35 am
All parents should read your valuable input!
Ramalingam
On December 1, 2009 at 5:49 am
A simple cell phone with no advance features like camera, FM etc will do for a kid provided it knows how to operate it.Thanks for sharing.
mkd1788
On December 1, 2009 at 2:14 pm
some great tips from mother to child like us…thanks fro suggesting while giving mobile to children…
SharifaMcFarlane
On December 2, 2009 at 2:26 am
I am so glad that you wrote this Ruby!
I didn`t know about some of these dangers.
Wai Chong Mak
On December 2, 2009 at 9:59 pm
Good advice.
Authoress Terry E. Lyle
On December 2, 2009 at 10:57 pm
This is a excellant article, but I think children should wait a little longer before receiving a cell phone. When they get a job and can afford it then buy a pre-paid. Too many kids are using this as a toy and don’t care about the cost of maintaining a phone. They need to earn it.
Crissleigh
On December 3, 2009 at 12:45 am
Great article Ruby. This is a huge issue for most parents. My 10 1/2 year old has been asking me for a cell phone for 2 years now. My Mom get him a prepaid one and I can not tell you how many times I had to turn my house upside down to find it or call a store where he left it lay. So I decided he just wasn\’t ready for one. Plus we live in the mountains and reception is sparce. So due to all this I told him when he can help pay for the phone he can have one. While for us this is not a good thing for him to have I do understand kids having one. If you or them are running late or an emergency happens but for the most part I feel they are a huge distaction, and most kids under 14 just are not ready for the responsability of one.
Plus just think of all the generations that survivied with out them.
athena goodlight
On December 5, 2009 at 11:38 pm
My children don’t need cell phones yet. But you have provided really good tips here. In our country, it’s common to see kids with cell phones, late they get misplaced or lost by the kid.