Why don't parents let their kids have cell phones when they are 13?

Question

WHY!!!!????!!!!????!!!!

Answer 1

I've been noticing recently that the mobile market has been taking steps in targeting youths.

Sanrio of course has its Hello Kitty phone (Nokia 6010 GSM) targeted for girls of all ages (including myself). Mattel now has the Barbie "My Scene" phone (Nokia 3587i CDMA) customized with My Schene wallpapers and ringtones. And now the Firefly, which seems to target even younger people then the Barbie and Hello Kitty phones. Made specifically for "tween". Lol, what the hell is a tween? I don't remember being a tween. Is that somewhere between toddler and pre-teen?


What I'm really trying to get at is... is it all really necessary? With the way schools are nowadays, do we really need to disrupt their young lives by just giving them a reason to get into trouble, or worse get hurt? I remember in 11th grade when this girl wanted to jack me up for my sheepskin jacket (yes and for those wondering it was pink!!) I've been out of school for awhile, but I see that times have not changed. Kids are getting into fights just to protect their possessions. I wonder if the Manufacturers are taking that into consideration while trying to make the mighty dollar. I'm not one to bark or bite at the big dawgs, but being a parent I honestly don't see the logic behind it.

And will the parents really assume responsibilty? I can see it now... a phone call places by an angry parent whose child has just ran up the family plan bill to $1000. Last words of the conversation... well you should have made cell phones for such young people!!! Of course that just pushes the blame on the provider, but I can see it happening. There are adults out there that can't even maintain their phone bill.

It may be a skyrocketing concept and do well... but as far as I'm concerned my kids will not use cell phones until they can afford to have them.

Answer 2

There's nothing wrong with a 13 year old having a cell phone. However, the parents should get the phone under a pay as you go plan, and when the minutes are used up, no more minutes till next month. That would teach the kid responsiblity.
13 year olds do need cell phones, however, because they go out and about in public, and there are not very many pay phones for them to use in case they get stranded somewhere and need a ride home. That happened to my oldest son once. He got left behind at a high school basketball game by his friend's dad, who was supposed to be giving him a ride home, and luckily he found an adult who let him use his cell phone to call home.

Answer 3

eh, cuz they don't trust 13 year olds. But people have changed now everyone one including me has a cell phone. And I'm younger than 13

Answer 4

A its expensive.

B) they can't drive yet, so all the transportation is preplanned. Bus to and from school, of if afterschool activity has a set ending time since its middleschool, and if it doesn't all schools have phones students can use. Kids go to the movies? One of the moms drops them off, and they know when the movie ends to come pick them up or kids use one of hte pay phones. Or, like my parents did, when they go out at night they take one of the parent's cells to call when they need to be picked up since the parent will be at home.

C) it causes so many problems, phone use can't be monitored as easily, for minutes and who they're talking to, especially wiht hte internet. How many 13 yr olds have given their cellphone number to someone they met on the internet? ALOT. Plus the extra cost of texting, the temptation to cheat in school by texting, phones get kids in trouble at school.

Answer 5

Some of these answers are completely ridiculous. $1000 dollar phone bills? A bill that high just means that the parent enforces no rule on the phone or just didnt get a big enough plan for the kid. I've had a cell phone since I was in the fourth grade, and I've never run the bill up. Mind you I've had it stolen a few times, but I'm one of those children who would have her head stolen if it wasnt attached. It just takes parental enforcement to have the bill stay low.
And if your 13, your what, in 8th grade? a lot of 8th graders are in after school activites. And if your one of those ppl, then you need a cell phone. Like my best friend is in loads of after school activities and he doesnt have a cell phone, and its always a pain for him to try to find a cell phone to call home for his mom to come get him. Especially when it comes to band, and high school band never has exact times, and always has practice, so you constantly need to call home/ a parents cell phone to get picked up/ let them know when there is practice.
And then there is always friends. My friends never know what they are doing. So we need cell phones to reach each other on the rare occasion that we have plans to spread the word.
So in my opinion {which so often doesnt count} A responsible 13yo in after school activies should have a cell phone.

Answer 6

cause they cant get a job to help pay for it and its alot of responsibility. Kids at age 13 should keep their grades up in the 90's and not worry about cell phones.

Answer 7

Well, for one thing they'd rack up the bills and since they're too young to have a job guess who gets left with the bills? That's right! Mom and dad. My mom let my 13 year old sister have a cell phone and got stuck paying over one thousand dollars. You don't even want to know what happened to my sister. I say if you're old enough to open up a cell in your own name and pay for your own bills....why not...until then....no cell!

Answer 8

My son had a phone since he was 8 or 9 because I need him to be able to contact in the event of an emergency. and it's prepaid, once he's runs out of minutes, he has to wait until allowance day

Answer 9

Because cell phones are expensive and have a high probability for misuse.

Answer 10

Because teenagers don't need cell phones.