This is why kids shouldn't have cell phones..
By katsmeow1213
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
United States
November 10, 2012 5:51pm CST
My oldest son does have a cellphone. He didn't get one until last year, when he was 14, because we realized during the soccer season that he did need one. His practices would often run late.. and I didn't like having to sit around and wait for him. So I got him a prepaid cellphone so he could call me when he was done and ready to be picked up.
This year we added him to our plan so he has unlimited texting and calling.. but most of the time he does not have his phone. He gets it when he's behaved and done well in school.
Anyway, he just came down and asked me if he could block one of his contacts from texting him, because this kid texted him literally 300 times in the past 30 minutes all with the same, goofy message.
I tried to call the kid's number myself, but it was an unreachable number. Must mean the kid only has texting. So my husband looked up how to block someone, and did it.
But I'm very irritated. What if we didn't have unlimited texting? That kid could have just cost us a fortune for no reason!
Kids are not responsible and should not have free reign of a cellphone!
My son has no freedom with his phone. I can go to a website and see everything he does with his phone. Every number he calls or texts, how long his conversations are. Everything! He'd never get away with being irresponsible with his phone like this other kid is!
If your teenager has a cell phone, do you keep track of what they do on their phone?
4 people like this
23 responses
@ARIES1973 (11426)
• Legaspi, Philippines
11 Nov 12
Hi katsmeow!
My son and daughter both have their own cellphones. I provided them with a unit so that they may inform me of anything that I need to know about school matters or anything because I am working in another place and there are times that I can not go home on a daily basis. I think is also important to them because they can ask some help from their teachers or classmates on school matters.
So far I have not encountered any problem regarding about it. My son is already in his second year in college and he has a cellphone for over 2 years already. While my daughter for more than a year.
I am monitoring their activities and I am willing to remove the privilege if I found out some suspicious activities. Hopefully I would not come to that.
Have a nice day!
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
11 Nov 12
My 12 year old has a prepaid cell phone. Before we had a home phone I got it for him for those times when I left him home to run to the store or something just in case. Recently he used all of his minutes talking to a girl from school. I told him to use the house phone for calls like that in the future. I put more minutes on his phone and he then used half of them texting a girl from school. Normally they chat on FB, but he decided that he wanted to chat with her while he was playing video games in the basement. So, we had to have a little chat about using up all his minutes again.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
11 Nov 12
That's why I put mine on our unlimited plan.. I was spending like $80 a month on minutes, but at his age (he's 15) I didn't want to tell him he couldn't talk to his friends.
@GardenGerty (160879)
• United States
11 Nov 12
My kids had no cell phones. Of course they may not have been readily available when they were kids. I even have just a very simple pay as you go plan and a simple phone. Shoot, I do not even know how to text. It is scary what parents let kids get away with, like cell phones.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
11 Nov 12
I've seen kids even younger than him with cell phones and wonder what is the point? I keep a landline phone in the house for the younger kids, because sometimes I'm still at work when they get home so they do need a phone, but that's the only time the younger ones need it.
@AmbiePam (93739)
• United States
11 Nov 12
Thank goodness there are still parents out there like you who still have enough brains to keep track of what their children do. So may teens today seem to have unlimited freedom. I hear them telling their own parents to shut up. I hear them tell their parents they'll call them when they feel like it if they are out late...And unfortunately, a generation has already grown up with too much "live and let live" philosophy. I'm specifically thinking of some of the kids I grew up with.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
11 Nov 12
I see things like that too, and it scares me. I can't help but wonder how much worse things can get.
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
11 Nov 12
Not yet. My oldest won't be a teenager for a few years. She doesn't have a cell phone persay, she has an old one of hubby's you can't make calls but she can browse while at home, play games, and take pics but that's it. And that even gets taken away because she gets glued to it.
I'd be ticked if someone texted me 300 times!!! Seeing I have a pre-pay also I'd be mad cause that's $45 with the program my cell is on!
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
11 Nov 12
Before we activated hubby's old one for the oldest, my kids used to play games on it too.
@bounce58 (17385)
• Canada
8 Jan 13
My son is in Grade 7 and will be going to middle school next year. He's already put me on notice that he would want a cellphone next year. Considering that his new school is quite far away from home, and that it would be a logistical challenge for me to pick him up and his younger brother at their current school, I've been inclined to get him one next year.
I just hope I don't run into the same problems as your oldest son.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
8 Jan 13
My twins are in 5th and I've seen a lot of the kids at their school with cell phones!! Crazy if you ask me. I'm sure some of them have a reason, such as yours.. but I don't expect they all have good reason to have a phone.. probably many of them have one just because. Those are the ones who you gotta watch out for.
@4mymak (1793)
• Malaysia
19 Nov 12
we started to allow our children to carry cellphones as young as 10yrs/11yrs.. WHY? because at this stage - the school starts to have after-school activities for them, and my husband and i need to get in touch with them - just to check if they're ok, taken their lunch, didnt miss their ride home, arrived home safely, etc.. and we always check the incoming/outgoing calls + messages - and off course, they only have limited credit on the phones - basically the phone is just for Mom + Dad to get in touch with them and vice-versa.. Even the phone that we let them use - is the oldest one we have available - my oldest used it, passed to the 2nd.child, passed it the 3rd, and now the 4th is having it - but once they've advanced to Middle-school, and proven to us that they are capable to be responsible to have and use their own cellphones.. we allow them still limited credit on the phones, but we give them new phones.. not the expensive ones - but something that they would appreciate and take care of..
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
11 Nov 12
I don't see anything wrong with your son having a cell. My granddaughter is 13....I would prefer my grandkids do have one in case of emergency...But the three that have them are very responsibile as they have to pay for the overages they use. I don't know if the parents do keep track....
@jinnkel1210 (8)
• United States
1 Dec 12
My oldest got his cell phone shortly after he turned 13. He doesn't use his very often but now that he is getting older and wanting to do things with his friends away from the house I feel more comfortable with him having one. I don't know if I can check on all of his information but that is something I will have to look into. On occasion, though, I have taken a peek at his texts and incoming or outgoing calls. for a fleeting second I felt bad...like I was spying on him or invading his privacy...but I completely trust him and just want him to be safe and make good decisions. Plus, 13 and 14 year old boys are still kids and it is our job to "check up" on them.
@frankiecesca (2489)
•
20 Dec 12
I know exactly what you mean - even though I have no children, I think the way you do it is very good and definitely the right way. That way, only good can come of children having cell phones and like you say, you can minimise risk from having the ability to track who he has called or texted
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
14 Nov 12
My children are not yet old enough to have cell phones, but when the time does come that I think that they are old enough to have a cell phone, you can bet that they aren't going to have full control of their phones. They will be able to have their phones with them during extracurricular activities and when they are at friend's houses. However, they won't be allowed to have their phones at night and I will keep track of who they are talking to and for how long.
I really think that there are too many parents that allow their children to have cell phones when they are far too young to have them.
@LovingMyBabies (85288)
• Valdosta, Georgia
12 Nov 12
I think kids having cell phones is okay IF they have parents like you! If their parents are watching and paying attention things like that would not be happening. Like you said, your son will not get away with doing things like that because your paying attention to his phone usage.
Parents should be more responsible for their children like you are with your son, then there would be no problem with cell phones!
@bluespygirl (2112)
• Philippines
17 Nov 12
I think kids should have cell phones but be monitored like the one that you are doing. Don't you know who is the kid who keeps on texting your son? Maybe you could talk to his teacher or school principal and suggest some kids talk regarding proper usage of cell phone.
I have a teenage son too, his phone and number is under our group trio plan too and I monitor his cell phone usage. They are still under our guidance and must be so accordingly
@Shavkat (140097)
• Philippines
16 Nov 12
I don't why some people take for granted to study hard in school. In fact, they have all the resources and they just only need to learn. It is really a bothersome, what really runs to their minds. Can they be realized that time runs fast and nothing will happen for being such attitude.
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
11 Nov 12
I agree. Some adults don't need one either.. I don't have any teenagers in the family right now but i would have to think twice about getting them a phone. I have seen the time i would have been glad my kids could have called me to come get them instead of sitting out in a cold car waiting for them to finish wharever they were doing.
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
11 Nov 12
Isn't this too obvious? These devices can do a lot of harm to a child. Let apart the physical harm, which comes in the long run, they are also morally harmful. Even if your children are good, they will be spoiled by their other more mature sort of classmates. There will always be people with tendency of spoiling nice kids. Kids get carried away so easily, like one of our friends already mentioned in this discussion. They are already being influenced by television and internet. I don't think there's any need to add one more items in the already overwhelming list.
@toyota4k (1208)
• Philippines
11 Nov 12
I guess it is a case to case basis. In our place most kids from 10 years old own a unit though their use can be limited with the prepaid features. They, however can avail of emergency loads when needed most. Some would desire to own one just for the games there are in them.
@natliegleb (5175)
• India
11 Nov 12
well said and i also feel that its of low use to them and they wont know how to use it and rather stumble on some cheap stuff,so when they get mature,they can start using it
@prashu228 (37524)
• India
11 Nov 12
wow, that's a good idea, i mean you have control on your son's where about's that's really good, i feel that is necessary these days. Hope you son likes it as well.
@Sindelle (824)
• United States
11 Nov 12
Lol, I remember my younger brother with his first cell phone. He had 500 anytime minutes. One month my mother received a $300 cell phone bill. Lol, she was so angry. I think for most kids the best solution is a pre paid phone. That way the still have the security of carrying a phone without the ability to make your eye balls bleed when you see the bill.
