How do parents justify giving kids cellphones?

this only for security reason for young or teenage, But there are some dangers associated with this technology. When parent put a cell phone in children's hands, you're giving them access to the world and the world access to them, including when they're away from home and parental supervision. What's more, today's cell phones are not just mobile telephones. They're also Web browsers, instant messengers and e-mail terminals. In other words, just about everything you can do from an Internet-connected PC, you can also do from a cell phone...so keep secure using technology is very important,On a positive side, a cell phone can be a great communications and safety tool. In addition to keeping up with friends, kids can also use it to check in with parents, respond to parents’ calls and phone for help in an emergency. i think most parent don't just allow them to carry the phone -- they insist on it, especially when they're out at night:)

Nobosdy "bought" me a cellphone, I saved up and bought it myself in 2000, when I was 18. I surprised my mother when I "called home" late one night, and she gave me proper heck for being out so late. LOL I knocked on her bedroom door and informed her I was calling from the hall. LOL That was pretty funny. That's when I showed her my cellphone. She was happy I had it, because it saved her having to know where I was all the time. She also knew that if my transportation was delayed and I wasn't at the location I said I'd be (in transit between there and home) she could reach me It got me out of a few jams, and I saved lives with it, calling 911 a few times when there was trouble nearby. Like everything else, cellphones need to be used responsibly. It's not who has them, it's how they are used.

i can understand ur worry but in todays world it had become necessary, since our kids are out for onlg time for tutions and we too are not at home most of the times, many times i too feel the need ti give cell fone to my son....but we too are thinking a lot over it, he is 15 yrs old now, may be within a couple of months we wll hv to give him one. but we must teach our kids to use it properly, handle it carefully, and must check their nos and sms n all, we must hv control on their usage.

I had my first cell phone when I was 16 years old and I am proud to say I never misused it. I saved up money and bought a cell phone and my parents were really happy about it. Well cell phone has helped me a number of times and there are incidents where cell phone can actually save one's life. It really depends how responsible a person is and not on the age. I have seen adults over 30+ misusing it. If you feel that your daughter is responsible enough then get her one or you can tell her to "work" for it, if she earns the money for it, she will appreciate it's value and you can tell her that she is paying her own bills and she can earn money by doing chores around the house and by giving you a hand in some other stuff. Everything has a dark side in life and even the PC's we use to type stuff in myLot is full of dangerous stuff. Viruses, hackers, stalkers etc, but if you are responsible enough, you can very well stay on the safe side. If you feel that if your daughter is not responsible enough then you should wait untill she had developed a sense of responsibility.

I'm 33. I didn't have a cell until I was around 28! :-) Back then, there were pay phones everywhere. Now you're hard pressed to find any. Plus, collect calls can add up quickly. DS is 15 and has had a cell since he was 12. His started as a security thing since he had to go to his mom's house and he was very frightened there and didn't have access to 911 if he needed it (and there were times that he did). I think it's a valuable thing for him for other reasons though. Like I said, pay phones are hard to find now. Also, if DH or I is out of the house or not at work, he couldn't reach us in an emergency. He also is able to stay in contact with us and his grandparents about little stuff, and it makes him feel more a part of our family. It's also great for if he gets lost from us or we need him to do something really quickly. It's cheap and much nicer to have than not have.

Our daughter was 10 when she got her first cell phone. A year and a half later, she still has one. She's able to have one because she gets really good grades and has lots of friends. Now, she's 11 and I have that thing tied around he neck like a collar. She hates it and loves it all at the same time. With so many perverts running loose, it's good to know that while she's walking home from a friend's house, I can keep talking to her to make sure she's ok. If your 14 is mature enough to have one, by all means, let her get one. You as the parent are able (with certain phones) lock her phone so that only a certain number can call her...like from your house or cell. You can also keep track of what transactions have taken place. I know this because my hubby works for a cell phone company for 2 years now.

I totally agree with you, now days cell phones even have them crazy chat rooms in it. I think when they turn 18 they can have their own cell phone. my sister is 16 and you dont even know the problems my mom goes through with her and that cell phone. God knows how many boys call and also they have a chatline on it for free.

If thatshow you feel maybe you should bann her from using any phones. It ridiculous to think that the "wrong" people can only get in touch with her through a cell phone. There are too many wierdos out there but you cant allways protect your kids from everything forever, they can get to her at school, at a job at the store, a friends on her way to or from any of those places. I'm 19 and my mom got me a phone at 14. I was always staying at school til 8 at night because of basketball and softball practice or for play rehersals. So she needed to be able to get in touch with me to let me know if she was on her way or running late. Also, i needed to phone in case of emergencies. What if someone where to try to kidnap me on my way to a friend's house (cause I often enjoyed walking)I wouldn't be able to even try to call for help with out a phone. My mom only gave me a 50 minutes to start with (plan not pre paid) to make sure I wouldn't go over my minutes, after that she upped the plan a little each time. A cell phone could actually save a kids life ESPECIALLY a GIRLS life! Think about it.

Unfortunately back in my day, we too had to use the public phones and pay 10 cents (eventually 25 cents) to call our parents when we weren't home. It worked well for us then, but back in my days the media didn't broadcast the numerous cases of child abductions and horror stories that are out there and were there even when I was a teen. Today, our children are stalked by predators every day. It is even encouraged by organizations that promote smart teens and kids that a child have access to a cell phone and how to responsibly use one if they are in a situation where they need help. There have been many cases where a child has been abducted and saved themselves by using the cellphone they had. We have the technology so why not teach our children to be responsible with it? If you fear your kid will talk to weirdos on their cellphone, then you didn't do a good job of parenting them and being super involved in their lives--plain and simple. My kids got their cellphones when they each turned 14 and they had different activities they were involved in. The cellphones had pre-paid time on it, and they were only permitted to use it for important calls home to myself or their dad. The could use the home phone to talk to friends if they needed too. If you teach them that the cellphone is not a play toy, they learn not to abuse it. If their pre-paid time ran out too fast, then I knew they were using it for social purposes and not for safety purposes, and they had to use their allowance to by more time for the phone. I don't think a elementary school kid needs to have a cellphone because they shouldn't be too involved in activities that aren't chaperoned by a parent, and you as a parent should know their whereabouts all the time.

ya i m totaly agianst but it depands on age before 10 it may be harmful .

I do not think that parents have to justify giving thier children cell phones, any more than you have to justify giving yourself a computer or a car. They are not really needed, but make life a lot easier. You didn't need a computer 15 years ago, but now, I am sure you use it daily. Cell phones are becoming as common as a house hold computer, or a second car. Both my children have them, and it has been a real lifesaver more than once. Payphones are far and few between these days, and most, if they work, do not accept quarters, but credit cards. What kid carries a credit card? I can contact my child at anytime when they have thier phones with them. It has GPS capability, so I know that they are where they say they are. Or, God forbid, something should happen to them, I will not be wondering where they are. You can track who they call and when they call,also, by logging onto the providers website. I do this just about every other day. SO, in a way it does create some work on my part, but, if you have ever waited by the phone, for your child to call, you will know how nice it is to have a cell phone on that child.

Well sometimes it's good to have encase of an emergency. Say something happens and there's no payphones around or something similar. I myself have thought about it. I thought of the following rules if I have a kid. Just a cheep phone. If she looses it she might never get another one. Tell her it's just for emergencies and she shouldn't give it to anyone unless with prior consent if she does break the rule she can risk loosing the phone. Never any money on it so all she's needa it for is a emergency call. And upon getting home mom gets the phone and the phone goes off, once it's put on mom can screen any messages or so on received.

My younger sister just broke my mom's cell phone two weeks ago. But i think it is worse than ever now with kids text messaging in class and stuff like that.

I'm not sure; personally, I don't believe that any child should have readily available access to a cell phone 24 hours a day. I didn't have a cell phone until I was a senior in high school, and even then, my parents only agreed to it after I said I would pay for 100% on my own terms from the revenue accrued from my part-time job.

I think that it can be good way to keep in touch with them when they are not at home but make them earn the phone by good Grades and doing thing a round the house if they don't do whet they are Sposato do take it a way till they get back on track and keep it their

I agree, there's no way my children are getting cell phones until they are old enough (and have jobs) to pay for them themselves. I only recently got one myself in September so I see no need for them to have one. I cannot believe the amount of children running around with them. If my children are going somewhere then they can call me when they get there from a house phone. I agree with you that it's just more opportunity for them to be in touch with the wrong type of people.

As for me, when I think my kids are big enough, I would definetely give them mobile phones. The special phones were you can track your kids, who the kids make calls to, who calls the kids, and where thereabout (like GPS kind of thing), etc. So, when they go out with their friends without me; me and my spouse could 'chaperone' our kids without them knowing it. lol Like you, I trust my kids but I don't trust the world. A little bit paranoia.

I have a teenager that owns a cell phone, going on 2 years now. I WANT him to have a phone with him. I can call him at anytime, no matter where he is (except school, of course). If he is late coming home, all I have to do is call his cell and he answers. I used to worry myself sick when he was late coming home (which is not often). His phone as most cells can be tracked. So, having a cell phone to me in this day and age is more than just a luxury, it is a necessity for keeping in touch and maybe having a little peace of mind raising teenagers in this crazy world. I also refuse to accept the excuse that he was out of range or in a spot where there was not a signal. His phone is always on and he knows when I call he needs to answer. So far, he has always answered when I call.

whens the last time you saw an actual payphone? They are becoming non-existant. Cellphones are great if you ask me. If you cant trust them, then they will do it anyway. Show them how to be responsible.

I myself am not a parent, and i was generaly well cared for (by that i would mean that i received alot of gadgets from my parents while i was growing up). Cell phones can do no harm. When i picked up my niece from school once, i saw around 70% of the kids calling their parents, or others. If you believe cell phones can do harm to a 14 yr old teen, i would advise taking away MSN, email, and supervise internet access whenever he/she goes online. Your child probably thinks of you as an old fashioned parent, who is not upto date in terms of technology. Many kids nowadays walk around with ipods, cell phones, laptops.. etc, which have been fully payed by their parents (which i do not agree with). If your Teen truly wants a cell phone, tell him to work for it, and that he will have to pay the bills himself (if its about the money).