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Kids with Cell Phones, How Young is Too Young?
Posted by
ScuttleMonkey
on Wed Aug 16, 2006 03:16 PM
from the how-often-are-they-on-their-own dept.
from the how-often-are-they-on-their-own dept.
An anonymous reader writes "CNet is reporting that the average age of a child receiving their first cell phone is continuing to drop. A report carried out last year showed that the average age of a child's first cell phone was just eight years old and is expected to drop closer to 5 years of age this year. The author raises the obligatory medical questions that have been argued about in adults for years. Just how young is too young for a cell phone?
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preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:5, Insightful)
However I don't think that children should have their own cell phones (the full ones). In fact I don't think young teens should have their own cell phones either. Until you can drive a car and have the possibility of being stranded somewhere, I don't think it is necessary to have a phone.
Hmm.... Yeah I'm gona end up fighting with my daughter over this...
Parent
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:5, Funny)
Her "looser" friends? I would hope that my daughter wouldn't hang out with such sluts. But then again I would hope that my daughter isn't the loosest.
Parent
Emergency Phone. (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm realizing that I may never have a landline again (I havent had one for years).. So having a kid call her friends is getting a bit more complicated than back in the landline era. I'm still not sure how it will work out.....
Once they are old enough to afford a real cell phone then they can p
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:3, Insightful)
8 year olds should NEVER be put in a situation where they would need a cell p
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:5, Insightful)
It's called a *mistake*
I'm 21
Ah, that explains it.
8 year olds should NEVER be put in a situation where they would need a cell phone.
Of course not. Mistakes happen. They can get easily separated in crowded areas (heck, even a Wal-Mart), and having a special-purpose phone would save parents like me a lot of panic. I would only give them the phone in these special circumstances.
Parent
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:5, Funny)
Heck, I had a scary experience as a kid that shows you can't be too careful. We were at TG&Y (a now-defunct K-Martlike store), and I was walking a couple steps behind my mom. I was like 3-4 years old, it's one of my earliest really clear memories. I stopped to look at a purse or something else pretty on a display, got maybe 5-6 feet behind mom as a result - and a second later, someone had grabbed me from behind, with their hand over my mouth. Luckily, when the person swung me around I saw my cousin standing there - my "kidnapper" was my aunt, who happened to see us in the store and noticed that I was lagging behind. My mom walked maybe 10 feet or less before she noticed that I was no longer right behind her, but it was enough.
Some of your other reasons make more sense, but saying that a parent is a failure if they lose sight of their kids at some point is really unnecessarily harsh. Ask your parents if YOU ever got away from them for a few seconds in a crowd.
Parent
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:4, Informative)
Parent
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:3, Insightful)
Unfortunately kids aren't as stupid (or gullible?) sometimes as we'd hope. A phone like the Firefly is essentially an electronic wireless dog-leash for the parents, and the kids won't be very fond of it. They would likely "accidentally" leave it at Timmy's house, or "forget" to turn it on, etc.
IMHO such a device, good idea as it is, has to offer something to the kids. An incentive for them to keep it on themselves and have it on. Most kids do not appreciate the need to be able to phone the cops or the par
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:3, Informative)
Clicky, too [google.com]
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:4, Insightful)
Shouldn't someone 8 yrs old be playing with walkie talkies or something? Geez...seems like people are trying to get kids to grow up too fast these days....
Parent
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:4, Informative)
During a large scale event (30,000+ people), my younger brother was seperated from my mother. She usually does a supreme job of keeping track of him, but - from what I understand - my dad asked her a quick question and took her attention away just long enough. He was nine at the time. We scoured that event for about thirty panicking minutes, until a New York State Trooper called in and said that they found him. He was no more than five feet from where he had originally been - had gone over to check out one of our local ambulance crews and their on-site setup.
If he had had a phone, it would have taken no more than 90 seconds to find him, I'd bet. He had no idea that we'd misplaced him, or that he was being searched for, until after we found him, of course. I know that they pounded the 'Tell us where you're going'/'Don't wander off in crowds'/'Don't ever leave my side' lessons into him - I got the very same. Just never occured to him.
Parent
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:5, Insightful)
Same here. Heck, that was the MO Mom and I used when she went shopping. We'd drive to Dallas, and go to some of the larger shopping malls. I had my own watch, and we'd plan to meet at a certain place at a certain time...and she'd go shopping, and I'd go where I wanted...usually book stores, toy shops, skateboard shop...etc. Usually we'd meet about 2 hours later.
I was probably about 3rd grade or so...what's that like 7-9 yrs old?
Parent
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:5, Interesting)
I keep hearing this, but, I don't know that I buy into it. There were "bad" people when I grew up...I think it is more hype and paranoia these days...I doubt there is more of it than back then...you just hear about it constantly due to 24/7 news channels having to have something to report!
I mean, are we saying kids today are more STUPID than we were growing up? I certainly knew not to go with anyone else...to stay in public places...and to pretty much obey my parents!! If I could be trusted at that age, why the hell can't kids today be trusted in the same manner?
Parent
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:5, Insightful)
"I mean, are we saying kids today are more STUPID than we were growing up? I certainly knew not to go with anyone else...to stay in public places...and to pretty much obey my parents!! If I could be trusted at that age, why the hell can't kids today be trusted in the same manner?"
I totally agree with you. I think the problem may well be today's legal environment. By the time I was 13 I was old enough for my parents to go away for a weekend. They might have a neighbor look in on me, but other than that I was by myself.
I'm about to leave my son at home alone for three days with my almost 14 year old son, and even though "Nana" will be coming to spend one night with him, I'm more worried that some busybody will call child services on us for reckless endangerment or something.
I don't worry about him at all. He's got a level head, can take care of himself...he's a bit of a picky eater and because I don't run a restaurant, he's learned to cook and clean up after himself when he doesn't want what I'm making. He keeps his cool in an emergency and he's an all round good kid.
Heck, when I was a kid, 13 or 14 was when I started babysitting other kids. Does anybody do that these days?
Parent
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:3, Interesting)
Kid is at school and a friend asks him or her if he can come over? Call the parents and see if it is okay.
I find the idea of kids with cell phones strange at best but I can see the value of it. A differential GPS type set up would be great. If I could use my phone to home in on my kids or even my wifes phone that would be ideal. We often use our phones at the mall or Home Depot to find each other.
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:5, Informative)
Same thing happened when we were kids. But we used the phone AT the friends house. That was pretty much summer running rules. I'd leave early in the morning, and run around with all my friends in the neighborhood...we'd all be at one of our houses or the neighborhood pool. When really young, my folks had me call from wherever I was to let them know where I was at, etc. Most people had phones at their homes...also, it pretty much verified WHERE I was too.
No cell phones needed...
I'm more and more with others on this thread. When the kid is able to work, and PAY for their own minutes used....cool, they can get a cell phone.
Parent
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:4, Insightful)
Parent
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:5, Insightful)
Howsabout you drop the hypocrisy and let parents take care of their kids as they see fit?
Parent
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:5, Interesting)
Does the fact that I walked to school every day (500m) from I was 6 mean that my parents where bad?
Parent
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:5, Interesting)
So, in other words, they did "monitor and analyze (your) whereabouts", given the level of technology available at the time...
Parent
Re:preprogrammed phones for kids? (Score:5, Funny)
So that's why my mom insists on continuing to pay for my cell phone despite the fact that I am living on my own and making a six figure salary! Better leave it at home next time I troll a Vampyre club and strip joint...
Parent
How young is too young? (Score:3, Insightful)
In my experience, many problems with family harmony can be either traced back to cell phone use -- or cell phones helped compound the problem.
I don't think ANYONE should have a cell phone until they are emancipated *AND* pay for the damn thing themselves.
That said: I've seen the FireFly [fireflymobile.com] -- and T-Mobile's new "kidconnect plan" [t-mobile.com]. Both look very interesting and may force me to rethink my position.
Re:How young is too young? (Score:5, Interesting)
Cell phones aren't causing those problems, they are just a manifestation of other problems -- some of which are just part of the normal process of growing up/raising kids.
Why not just lock out all numbers except 'home' and '$parentsoffice' during proscribed times? Allow general use during the time they are allowed to watch TV -- then they can choose between the two.
Finally, one more thing -- ban cell phones from mealtimes, and from family time.
The trick isn't to ban kids from using cell phones -- the trick is to teach them to use them considerately, responsibly, and at appropriate times.
That said, I won't let my kids have a cell phone until they are allowed to go off and do things unsupervised -- their tween years. Then I won't feel comfortable unless I know that IF they needed to contact me, they could.
Now, back to TFA -- I think the health concerns are probably overstated, and are for me a minor concern compared to the social and psychological well-being of my kids.
Parent
Re:How young is too young? (Score:5, Funny)
They objected, but they didn't say anything? What did they do, send you a memo?
Parent
Re:How young is too young? (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Just freakin great! (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Just freakin great! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Just freakin great! (Score:3, Insightful)
This is not the fault of the phone.
They would still do this without a phone.
How many times have you seen some woman looking/reaching into the back seat to deal with her kid? I see that all the time. A phone is not a necessary component for vehicular asshattery.
Nokia FeotalFone 772 (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Nokia FeotalFone 772 (Score:4, Funny)
Parent
I don't care how young they are, (Score:4, Funny)
Why and what kind? (Score:4, Insightful)
It really depends on why you are equipping your child with a cell phone. As TFA points out, many parents are not doing it for social reasons:
If a child can hold onto the phone, this could be a nice way to keep track of children. I can think of two major caveats to tracking: the aforementioned loss issue and the fact that kidnappers will search their victims for cell phones now thus in a true emergency they will not really help.
Who wants a phone that old? (Score:5, Funny)
Parental supervision (Score:3, Insightful)
Me, personally, I didn't get one until I was 22 and moving into my own place.
If you can afford it, why not? (Score:5, Insightful)
It's a different world. (Score:5, Insightful)
In modern society, I think that social networking and technology are bringing people "virtually" closer together despite the fact that many of us now live orders of magnitude further away from our friends and even relatives than our ancestors did. So in a sense, the idea that a kid is "too young" for a cell phone really cuts to controlling that child's interactions with his or her peers. I mean, once they would have been able to physically play with their friends, but now they live 30 miles from their best friend.
To me, it seems like it will happen anyway - we will see kids getting phones as soon as their language skills reach the point that they can appreciate having conversations with people that they can't physically interact with. Instead of restricting the phones, though, I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't phones developed which allowed parents to restrict/track contacts in the same way that parents long ago would visually keep an eye on their kids.
It's a different world, but in a way, there's nothing new under the sun again. Just technology enabling old ways of interaction to be feasible (at least in spirit) in a faster, more spread-out world.
School age (Score:3, Interesting)
Of course, that was in Finland.
Yellow Journalism (Score:3, Interesting)
Or is it an advert for the Disney "find the kid" phone?
I'm to lazy to find out if their sponsors are fearmongering politicians or money-grubbing marketeers.
WTF? (Score:5, Funny)
What the hell does a 5 year old need with a cell phone? Call the babysitter to tell them you'll be late because you're power lunching with Billy on some cool mudpies? Call AAA if your Big Wheel breaks down? (Assuming they still make Big Wheels
Crap do I feel old now.
Funny Anectdote (Score:5, Insightful)
It made me realize that children with cell phones never get to be completly free of their parents. Who remembers, as a child, being able to get away from over-protective parents by simply walking away from a phone? Now, as children get cell phones, over-protective parents will flip out whenever the "battery dies".
The problem isn't (necessarily) age... (Score:3, Informative)
...the problem is maturity and responsibility.
I believe that, with current regulations in the United States, the recommended youngest age for owning a cell phone should be 18 (give or take a few years). Here's my reasoning behind this approximate age limit:
If you're a parent with a whiny kid who demands a cell phone, do your research. There are models out there that can be "locked in" to only allow a few phone numbers to be called. Wireless providers like Verizon [verizon.com] can change your plan so it blocks the sending and receiving of text messages (those cost up to ten cents each!). Remember: you're basically giving your kid access to your line of credit — control your kids' spending like you control your own spending!
Doesn't matter. (Score:5, Insightful)
Considering the crap most people feed their children, the danger of a mobile phone is a minor addition.
As a father of 4... (Score:5, Insightful)
On the other hand, I really don't want them eating up 17x10^23 minutes every month. Nor do I want to worry about the frequency with which my kids tend to lose things. They lose things that aren't important to them. And if I gave them a device that limited their minutes and contacts (e.g. a firefly type device) then they'd probably lose it because it's just not that important to them.
The one thing I am absolutely certain of, however, is that I do not want to see some law come in and make the decision for me. Let me decide how old is an appropriate age for my children to have a cell phone. What might be a sensible answer for my kids might not be a sensible answer for my neighbor's kids. My neighbor is a single parent mom. Her 8 year old has a cell phone. She absolutely relies on her kids ability to have a cell phone, and it seems a sensible thing for her situation. Any law, even one that tries to think of all the contingencies, will ultimately fail to account for something. This is better left to individuals to decide for themselves and leave the legislation out of it.
Remember that pay phones are gone... (Score:4, Insightful)
The problem is, with the rise of cel phones, there are no more pay phones. At least, hardly any. I've tried to find one once or twice, and it's hard. As such, any teen who wants to contact their parents either has to have a cel phone or borrow a friend's. You can't even guarantee that if they're at a friend's house, there will be a landline for them to call on (or for you to call them on)! I'd definitely want my teen to have one, just because these days there is a serious lack of other options.
That said, I agree with other posters that until the kid is old enough to be doing this kind of stuff on their own, they probably don't need one. Although the ones people have mentioned that will only call parents or emergency #s sound like they might not be a bad idea, as long as the kid knows when and how to use it responsibly.
RIAA has made it necessary.. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:It's Great! (Score:3, Funny)
-JMP
Re:IMO (Score:4, Insightful)
No. They are not.
Quite a few accidents are caused by people being poor drivers, or by allowing themselves to act like poor drivers because they're doing something that's distracting them (putting on makeup, eating a sandwich, looking at the cows in the next field that will be their next sandwich, fiddling with their iPod, yelling at the kids in the back seat, smoking, digging through their briefcase - whatever). Cell phones don't cause accidents, people do.
Parent