children and cell phones?

Question

When do you think the right age to get your child/teen a cell phone is?

Answer 1

When they are old enough to go out with friends....10-12 ish. My kid hangs at the park alot and I want to be able to call him and check on him.

Answer 2

My parents got my one when I started walking home from school at the end of 6th grade. I live about mile away from school and often walk by myself. Also, we live near the boulevard where some kids have gotten hit by cars before. I think it is a good idea for a responsible child who gets the phone for safety, not because everyone else has one or just because they want one.

Last week, I went with my dad to the store and when we came out, an elderly lady had fallen in the parking lot. There was a crowd of people around her, but no one had their cell phone with them. I was the only one, so I made the 911 call. I think if people are going to have cell phones, they should carry them. It makes me mad that my dad has one, but never carries it!

Answer 3

10

Answer 4

12

Answer 5

I think each individual is different. Our oldest (16) got his cell phone when he was 14. But he got it mostly because he is very active in his school and sports. More so for communicating with us about after school activities.

Our other son turned 13 today and I thought about getting him a phone for his birthday, but hubby said NO! He isnt as active in sports and school. Right now he is playing boys basketball and it would come in handy once in a while.

When our older son started out using a cell phone, we got him a pay as you go (Virgin Mobile) and when it got down to $3, it added $15 from my checking account. It worked out really well. We just recently added him to our cell phone plan because he was using more pay by the minutes. An unlimited mobile and text option was needed.

It just depends on each child's activity level and how much communication is missed between parent/child without having a cell phone.

Answer 6

We only have around 30 employees so we didn't think investing in computer monitoring tools would really impact our bottom line. But when we came upon a study saying that employees may waste up to 100 hours or more per year on personal computer use, well we quickly changed our minds and purchase Mobistealth. After installing MaxxSpy on everyone's phone, we were stunned to learn just how much time our staff was actually wasting each day just chat!

Answer 7

I am now 20 but didnt get my first cell phone until I was 18. It was never a problem not to have one because I had friends who would let me borrow theirs should I need to call home. I think there is a great alternative now should you need to get in touch with them or them with you; a firefly mobile. It is this cute little blue phone with a button for mom and dad that they can push when they need to talk to you and it will call you. This way there is no bill being run up and no sneaking around about who they are talking to.

Answer 8

I don't plan on letting my kids get one until they turn 16 & start driving..There really isn't a need for one until then.I also think that they can pay the bill as soon as they get a job..I see no reason for a kid 15 or younger to have a phone unless they are going to be out.That way you can check on them.But I would never judge a parent for letting their children have one young.Everyone believes differently..

Answer 9

I was 14 when I got mine. My parents dropped me off at school each morning and picked me up so they didn't see a need for me to have one. At 14 I started going out more with friends so then they bought me one. I see 10-12 year olds with phones and I think it's CRAZY!!!

Answer 10

I think 16, when they get their driver's license. That way if they are out somewhere and have car trouble or whatever they have a means to contact you. If they play sports, more than likely the coach has a phone... so they wouldn't need one for that.