Children And Cell Phones; Do they Mix?
In an age of technology where virtually anything is possible, people feel more and more compelled to protect their children. One of the ways that they do this is by purchasing state of the art cellular phones for them. Their intentions in doing so are good because they have the desire to know where their children are every second of the day, and that is good. The problem with this is that in most cases, the children often have other ideas for their cell phone which you never would have even dreamed of.
The big problem with giving a child a cellular phone is that they are used as more than just phones these days. They have many functions, which include text messaging, pictures, and even internet access. With all of those features, its no longer a matter of simply listening in to hear what your child is discussing in their room; you now have no way of knowing what your child could be doing. They could be texting, or making posts on the internet about anything!
In the worst case scenario, your child could actually be taking nude photos of themselves and distributing them on the internet or simply sending them to their friends, which in all likelihood will have the exact same effect. This type of messaging is commonly referred to today as sexting which is to say Sex Texting. In committing these acts, your son or daughter may be charged with child pornography charges and have to file as a sexual offender for the rest of their lives. In an even worse case, real sexual predators will gain access to these photographs and have a negative or even fatal impact on their lives.
Cellular phone related traffic accidents are steadily on the rise, so when your teenager comes to you begging for a phone, keep that little statistic in mind. It may seem like a good idea, but it is also a good idea to keep your child alive if you love them. In addition, remember that your child may over ulterior motives when asking for a cellular phone.
If they want one so badly, then it would be best to inform them that they need to go out and find a job so that they can pay for it, because cellular phones are part of an adult world, and if they are so eager to become a part of that world, then they need to fill out applications and maybe have some business cards printed up for themselves; after all there are some sites offering free business cards these days!
If you are insistent on letting your child have a cell phone for security reasons, then you should look into getting an older one from a cell phone reseller, or even a pawn shop. Most companies will still activate older cell phones that do not have the text messaging or internet capabilities. By doing this, you will ensure that you can find your child no matter where they are, and theyll be able to make all the phone calls they need without the added hazard of unsupervised internet and messaging access.
No matter how hard it may be, be a good parent and do the right thing for you and your child!
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I was concerned about some of these same issues before getting my son his phone. What I did was go get on of the plain basic 20.00 phone from the local dollar store. It is very plain jane. But I am the same way with the computer. I let my 13 year old on the computer. But the computer is in the family room. He knows mom can walk up at any moment and see what is going on. Not to mention I can see most of it from any part of the room. I dont mind letting them into the technology world. But I will be able to check on it all and I do. Now this is not saying I do not trust my child. But 13 years old is just that 13 years old. They don’t know all the dangers. Even though they think they do. Heck, I don’t know all the dangers out there. I just feel it is my job, as a parent, to give them the room to grow but to also help keep them safe.
There is no answer to this topic that will fit all parents and children’s life styles. Some parents can be there with their children threw every moment. And some of us have to work.
My child knows, mom is buying the minutes for the phone. I do this so when I need to check on him after school I can. Or when he is finished with an after school function he can call me and I can go get him from the function.
I think each parent has to be responsible to make a wise decision that will fit their family and their family needs.