Where is the logic!!?

Question

I have asked why a 14 year old should be given a cell phone. These are the answers I'm hearing:

1. In case they are kidnapped: why is a 14-year-old anywhere alone to get kidnapped? If they go from school to the bus to home, or to school activities with a teacher present, or to a friend's house with a responsible adult present, when are they alone??

2. They should have to pay for it: Where is a 14 year old CHILD getting $50 a month? She sure isn't working a job, because I never have known a 14yo who could work a job and still bring home A's.

3. In case their car breaks down: A 14yo has a car??

4. Get them their own phone line at home instead: Um. No. Children don't have phones.

5. Also I suggested buying teens $5 phone cards instead and someone responded that $5 wasn't enough because "what if you needed to talk to your child for 20 minutes?" If you are paying $5 for a phone card that doesn't have more than 20 minutes on it you are an idiot. My $5 phone cards have 500 minutes on them.

6. This is the last one I promise. Someone said that a child should have a phone so they can call you and let you know where they are going. She said "I would think you would like to know where your child was." Yes, I would expect to know where my 14yo was: and I would know, since her plans would have been made with me ahead of time and any changes would have to be pre-approved- and every shop and every school and every friend has a phone!!!

Answer 1

if she really wants a phone then get a virgen mobilethis way you can control how many minutes she has without the phone bill. The only reason she wants a cell phone is to talk to her friends I mean you went through school w/out a cellphone right? Why does she need one

Answer 2

1. When I was 14 I was a sophmore in high school. I had to take public buses to and from everywhere. Phones aren't always available. What if the kid is at the movies or mall and you know that but need to get ahold of them. The theater/mall isn't going to go searchng for your child to hand them a phone. Even if they are at a friend's house, parents aren't always home.
2. You don't need to give your kid a plan with a lot of minutes. if you give them a limited amount of minutes then you can monitor who they are calling. I also had a job at 14. I worked 2 hours a day, 3 times a week as a file clerk after school. I still maintained A's and B's.
3. They don't have a car but what if whoever was driving didn't have a phone and the car broke down. Or what if the driver abandoned your child.
4. Why not? Both my parents, my sister, and I each had our own land line so none of us had to fight to use the phone or take messages for others.
5. Phone cards are a good idea if you don't trust a cell phone.
6. Being 14, you are already a teenager in high school. Kids should always tell their parents where they are going but by 14, parents need to let kids grow and not be so overprotective.

Answer 3

Personally I don't see why a 14yr old kid needs a cell phone. I can see the logic if they just got a car, or a job, but then that puts them at 16 or over. I know 8 year olds with cell phones. WTF? My oldest son's friend has a MiGo cell phone, and he'll be 10 in October, my kids don't need a flippin cell phone. Hell I only got one 2 1/2 years ago! I don't let my kids go anywhere alone, so I don't feel like they should have their own phone. They do on the other hand know how to operate mine should something happen to me and I can't call 911. But I would think that's just common sense since the cell phone is the only phone we have now. I can use it cheaper than a land line!

Oh, and I had my own land line at 16, but I had a job and I paid for it. It saved my mother a lot of headaches, so I wasn't always tying up her phone line. =)

Answer 4

I agree, I don't think there is a real need for a 14 year old to have a phone, the parent should know where they are, who they are with etc. But, if they are out somewhere, the mall, movie etc, they may not be able to call you if they need to. There are less and less pay phones around these days because of the use of cell phones. Honestly, I couldn't even tell you the last time I saw a payphone. I'd feel safer if they were out, not at a friends house, having a phone just in case there was not a phone for them to use.

Answer 5

1. you can't always rely on teacher's or adults to be present everywhere, even if they are supposed to be
2.cell phones don't cost $50 a month, having a job doesn't always affect your grades, i have a job and still easily get all a's. The job is a way for me to relieve stress.
3.No one ever said a 14yo has a car. They were obviously talking about someone with a license. . common sense.

Answer 6

I personally will be getting my daughter a phone when she is old enough to go out without parents, like to the mall, movies what not. And at 14 she will be doing those things. I will feel better knowing she can call me anytime she needs too. There are plenty of companys out there with kid plans. I love the idea of Disney Mobile.
She is also going to be in gymnastics and other sports. I won't always be able to go on the trips with her, that are out of town. I would want her to call me on these trips and not have to worry about having to find a phone.

Answer 7

I believe in personal responsibility and independence. If the kid wants a cell phone, the kid must wait until he's old enough to pay for it himself by working (which would be around 16 or so). Simple as that. Any parent who makes up excuses by buying their kids cell phones (and iPods, computers, etc. no doubt) are just spoiling their kids and teaching them that they don't need to work for anything in life, and that they'll just get everything they want handed to them on a big silver platter.

Answer 8

I am 14 years old, bring home A's, have a job ( I teach piano), and could theoretically pay for my own phone bill. And yes, there are times when I need to call my parents where public phones are not available.( ex. when to pick me up after school, after track practice, voice lessons, piano competitions, to reschedual piano lessons etc.) I dont abuse this right: my cell phone is only for nessesities, like calling my parents.

Answer 9

whats the point of this question? if you dont want to get your child a cell phone, then dont get them one, but stop yelling at the people who do give their child one.

Answer 10

wat is the big deal with the phones