With school now in session you may be considering getting your child that first cell phone. Driving your children to school, soccer practice, friends houses etc, may have you wondering if a cell phone is the right choice right now? After all having a cell phone comes with a lot of responsibility and there are costs to consider.
If your children haven't asked for one they will soon because all their friends have one! You may be suprised to know that market research confirms many tween (8-12) actually do have their own cell phones. This is a step towards indepenence for your teens and tweens and also help parents stay in touch providing some comfort and security.
But is now the right time? It's a big decision so weigh your options.
Why do teens or tweens really need a cell phone?
First and foremost, you should consider the main reason for a cell phone. If you only want your child to have a cell phone for true emergencies, you can actually save money by handing down one of your old cell phones. Even without a service plan, an old cell phone is still capable of dialing 911. This does limit its use to real emergencies, but in some cases that may be enough. In that case, all you need is an old phone with a charger.
Can you pick me up? If you have a younger tween who's active in extra-curricular activities, an old phone may not work as well. In those cases, you may actually want your child to be able to call your home or cell phone–especially for those times when gymnastics runs late and impacts your schedule.
Similarly, if you have teenagers who are driving, you may want to provide them with a way to contact you if they have a problem with the car or if they're running late. Just make sure you warn them about the hazards of talking and text messaging while driving, which are two growing reasons for accidents and which in many states are now illegal.
Where are you? Another reason that some parents may be interested in purchasing a cell phone is that it helps them keep tabs on where their children are and what they're doing.
In fact, many cell phones now have the option of GPS tracking, and for a fairly small monthly fee, parents can access and track a child's location either through their own cell phones or through the Internet. GPS location is typically accurate to within 25 feet or less and is fairly reliable, though the phone still needs to be charged and turned on. Some of the options offered by various providers include whether or not your children are notified when you check their location, as well as the ability to set up a specific area where you are notified by a text message when your child leaves that area.
Safety Issues
If you think about it, cell phones give the outside world–friends and strangers alike– unprecedented access to children, often without parents knowing or monitoring that communication. This aspect is heightened by the ability to access the Internet, send and receive emails, chat using instant message programs, and of course send text messages from cell phones.
Child predators look for and exploit opportunities to communicate with children using technology that parents or adults aren't supervising. And cell phones fit the mold. In fact, Ted Thompson, President of the National Association to Prevent Sexual Abuse of Children, has gone on record as saying that cell phones for children enable what he calls a sexual predator's "grooming" process by gaining trust with a child over time.
What predators are really counting on is that parents will attach an aspect of privacy to cell phones, emails, and text messages–almost as if a cell phone deserved the same privacy as a child's diary. According to experts, the best way to combat this potential hazard is to keep tabs on your child's cell phone messages and usage with technology that allows you to monitor your child's text messages and locations.
In addition, having regular discussions with your child about the dangers and appropriate use of cell phones (as well as email and instant messaging) is highly recommended.
Make sure you set limits.
If you do decide to purchase a cell phone for your child, you'll want to establish when and how the phone can be used, including things like talking on the phone, surfing the web, purchasing ring tones, and text messaging. These features add up fast and overages can cost a small fortune. Of course, you can also limit the number of minutes with a pre-paid cell phone plan or by simply lending your cell phone to your child when he or she needs it, rather than purchasing a new one just for them.
Just remember, once you cross this bridge it will be hard to go back, especially with those pesky service contracts locking you in. So weigh your options carefully and make a decision that best fits your family's needs–whether that is a new cell phone plan for your child, a pay-as-you-go phone, or simply lending your cell phone to your child when he or she needs one.
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