do you think kids can have cellphones?

Question

i think no

?bugsey? you are rong you are right kat

Answer 1

I know lots of kids who have cellphones, so yes I think they can have them. I don't think that they should have them until they are teenagers and then I think they should have the prepaid kind so they don't run up unexpected phone bills, but they can call home and the parents can keep up with where they are. I think that even for most adults, cellphones are a luxury, not a necessity.

Answer 2

Kids got along just fine without cell phones 10 years ago.

I agree that kids should always be able to be reached when they are out.

I also feel that if I had a cell phone when I was a kid, it would have been real easy to say 'yeah mom, I am over at Stefanie's house.' when in actuality I was visiting a boyfriend or was somewhere else I should not have been.

There is a matter of convenience should the need arise for them to reach you quickly. But there are still payphones everywhere and I think carrying around some change in case one needed to make an emergency call would impart a sense of responsibility on a kid.

As a parent, I would feel better if I dialed the home number of my kid's friend to see that she made it there okay. And I believe that a parent should always know the whereabouts of their kids, ALWAYS. They should also make some sort of visual confirmation about the location of a friends house, and meet the parents in order to have a basis of communication between parents.

I have a cell phone, which means she can reach me where ever I may be. If she wants to go somewhere, she needs to tell me where, when and why, and I need to be able to find her at ALL TIMES. That's just the way the relationship goes. Sorry if that's not "progressive" enough.

I guess I should add that if a kid is old enough, they can buy what they want with their own money if they have a job and keep their grades up. But I will still insist on always being aware of their location and activities until they are legally adults.

In the case that they are in a threatening situation, they need to know more survival skills than just calling mommy. If a person were threatening them, they would not be given the opportunity to dial home. They need to get the h*ll out of there. They need to draw attention. They need to find a mall security guard. There ARE payphones, security guards, police, cameras, and caring citizens at the malls. These things are as capable of protecting you as a picture phone. Plus, if an attacker saw a girl snap a photo of him, he would be that much more motivated to catch and assault her. That is just not a safe thing to do. Plus, other than the mall, I cannot think of any place a kid needs to be hanging out in public. If the place is dangerous, they shouldn't be there. period.

As far as having a phone while driving, I agree that phones are important in case of an accident. If you can honestly trust your kid with a car, then a phone should pose little concern. If your kid is not responsible enough for a phone, they have no business driving on their own.

Answer 3

I think children who are of a responsible level of maturity can safely operate a cell phone. This phone is not used as a toy, or to spend hours talking on the telephone to school mates, etc. Parental controls are a must on all cell phones for school aged children K-9. Picture messaging should never be allowed. There are too many child predators on the Internet, & most school age children have access to a computer, whether it be in their home, or a public library, or computer lab at school, laptops, etc. I also do not recommend text messaging for school age children as this can result in a constant distraction after school hours, when homework needs to be their first priority. A cell phone should always be silenced when taken to school, if allowed by the schools guidelines & procedures. These are to be used to contact parents only & should never be used while a student is at school while in session. Should your child neglect his or her responsibility when utilizing a cell phone, then it is a parents' responsibility to ensure that cell phone is removed from the childs posession, explaining the reason why & guidelines reviewed, offering a solution within a reasonable time frame agreed upon by parents, teachers, or whever the source ofresolution is required.

Answer 4

I think that kids ages 10 and over should have a cell phone. That's the age that they start going to the mall or movies with friends. What if you dropped them off and their friends weren't there? What if there was a strange looking person standing there? Wouldn't you want your child to have some way to contact you? I don't think that 8 year olds should be going around with Razrs just to make a statement that their daddy got them a cell phone! There's no purpose for that. I got my first cell phone when I was 12. It wasn't a fancy one, but I used it for calling my parents, or calling friends for homework, etc. Once kids get older, (14 and older), I think they should have a cell phone for social reasons. Its easier to find someone in a crowded mall if you say "I'm over by...". Most kids in my school have cell phones. Whenever someone says "I don't have a cell phone" people look at them like they just said "I have 3 heads"! Its awful that people judge you based on material things, but its true. I think ALL kids over the age of 14 should have a cell phone without question. That's when they start getting more independant, and for most parents, thats a little scary! If your child says they're at their friend's house, wouldn't you want to call to ensure they arrived safely? I would hope so! What if they were walking through an undesirable area of town? Did you know that if people are talking on their cell phone and say something like (just pretending to talk on it) "Yeah, I'm in this alley, there's a green car, uh huh..." if there's a person there, they're less likely to attack them because they think there's someone waiting for that person already? Cell phones really ARE a good thing if you use the right way.

Answer 5

I know I'll get thumbs down for this, but I'll share anyway....

My son is 6, and I thought about getting him one of those Disney phones (that can only call certain numbers). I'm not ...... 'overprotective' .... BUT, he's in 1st grade, which means the bus driver will let him off without an adult outside. That and other reasons, I'd feel better if he could contact me, his dad or my mom if the situation arose.

But, other than that ..... cellphones for "chit-chat", when they can pay for it themselves they can have one!!


It's ok if you think I'm "rong" (you mean WRONG), I wanted to share anyway =)

Answer 6

i do not think little kids should have cell phones, but i think think high school kids should. this is because of a safety issue. i live in baltimore which is a very dangerous place to live. kids are victims here in many different ways all the time. a cell phone gives them instant access to people who could potentially save their life. plus alot of parents here say "they dont need a cell phone there are pay phones everywhere," no there arent. i lived here all my life and i still cannot locate payphones at my school, mall, movies, starbucks, or anywhere i go. and then if you do get in a threatening situation the parents then get upset "why didnt you call me i wouldve helped you." there is no way for kids to win in this situation and a cell phone couldve helped the fiasco end with different, less life scarring results depending on the trouble.

Answer 7

Yes. Their parents can be able to call them and check on them when they're out. Yes, I know, there are payphones, but you can't call a payphone if you need to get a hold of them. Or if they take the city bus to and from school and the bus is late there's no need to be worried sick about them, cause you can call them to find out what's going on. Kids having phones saves a lot of trouble.

Answer 8

Well it depends on the age. I got my first one when I was 12 (I'm 16). I think that's about average, although it seems to be getting younger and younger these days. You don't really need one until you start going out with friends and doing things without your parents (usually around 12).

Answer 9

i tink kids in highschool should have phones or something but little kids dont really need phone if the parents what them to have a phone there are phones out there like the Firefly that cann onlly call mom dad and the police

Answer 10

I got My first Cell Phone when I was 10 Because I was responsible It depends oN the maturity of your kid