Kids and Cell Phones

Our weekly Moms Talk column focuses on children and mobile phones. Tell us your answer to this question:

What's the most appropriate age for kids to have their own cell phone? How much do concerns over use of minutes and texts, and issues like sexing, play a role in that decision?

We live in the age of technology. This is not the same atmosphere we had a generation ago. I believe as long as you’re a responsible parent who supervises your child's actions, a cell phone is appropriate as long as it serves a purpose and isn’t just a means of entertainment.

A parent has to be responsible and teach children about cell phone safety. Explain the concepts of costs, minutes and texting. If your child is too young to understand the concept behind the responsibility of owning a cell phone, he is defiantly too young to own one.

As with all aspects of parenting, a parent needs to set rules and consequences. As I said before, owning a cell phone as a child should serve a purpose and not just be a means of entertainment.

—

I think that when kids start getting involved in after-school activities they should be allowed a cell phone, provided they are responsible enough to not lose or break it. After all, being able to communicate at all times is really a benefit for parents.

That said, I do feel there needs to be restrictions and levels of access depending on age and maturity of the child. For example, first phones should be “family phones” that are used as needed by any family member for the sole purpose of communicating with other family members or caregivers. Internet access and text messaging should be disabled.

As a child matures and continues to prove responsibility they could be given their own phone and later, restricted texting. Parents reserve the right and responsibility to review the cell phone at any time to make sure it is being used appropriately. And of course, all calls from parents MUST be answered promptly. Finally, if a child uses the phone inappropriately, everything goes back to square one.

—

I think that the appropriate age depends on certain variables, such as the ability to manage his or her responsibilities that have been laid out for him.  If your child can’t be responsible enough to do his homework or keep his room clean, then having the ability to manage the basic responsibilities of who to call or how many minutes they have left to use will be hard for him.   

Kids having their own cell phone is about maturity level, not age. The most intelligent 15-year-old could be as irresponsible as the next 5-year-old. Today there is more to a cellular phone than just making phone calls. Texting, apps, links to social networks and Internet connections can cost more money than expected because of the hidden fees, minute overages and other company charges. 

A parent would be at risk to pay a huge amount of money each month if his child consistently used those aspects of the cell phone with no regard to the charges. Also with the abilities of searching on the Internet these days, it is certainly more important that the child have some common sense about knowing right from wrong.

The child’s school grades should be a factor when deciding on cell phone usage.  Does he get good enough grades to earn the privilege of a cell phone? Can he be trusted that his grades will not suffer from such a distraction? 

In my opinion, the earliest a child should have a cell phone should be 12 years old.  A very strict set of rules should follow and if those rules are broken, then that privilege should be taken away immediately. 

Cell phones have become a status symbol for adults and it seems now to have started that same trend with children. I would imagine that some parents use that as an excuse to get their child the latest gadget. This is not a reason to give a child a cell phone that is not ready for the responsibilities that come with it. 

—