Originally Posted By SuzieQ < won't loan her cell phone to strangers. It's a germ thing for me. So, it's okay for adults to ask other people for their personal items instead of being responsible enough to have your own? CCJ, why did you have to ask a baggage handler instead of finding a pay phone? Please notice I said 'adults'. I would never deny a kid getting in touch with their parents.
Originally Posted By PlainoLJoe <<Good points Joe but my argument is we're always done well before without them. >> People have done without alot of modern conveniences in the past. Thats a very mute point. Kind of makes me wonder why you would say that when you constantly boast about what you DO have. its kind of the nintendo argument of the late 80s. Why do kids need a nintendo? Well for the most part they do not. But some of them have earned them. Sometimes they even use them to learn. The problem is that there is no clear cut answer to the question. Every child is different. Every household is different. To admonish one person over another for allowing or dis-allowing their child to have a cell phone or to do anything for that matter is noone elses business unless it is harmful to the child. Personally, I dont have anything against a child having a cell phone. Especially in a single parent household. Where the parent has to work and the child has to be a bit more independant.
Originally Posted By LPFan22 I'm not a parent but here are some of my fears for not having a cell phone for myself... and I feel these can apply to children as well... Payphones are filthy. Someone questionable or creepy could be lurking. I don't have the correct change. I can't call hubby's toll free work number (in case I don't have any change) from certain areas. The payphone is out of service. I'm 35 years old and I got my first cell phone less than 1 year ago. It's for work but I'm glad I have it just in case. I should have had one years ago. wahoo, with all the bad stuff (rape, murder, kidnappings, school shootings, medical emergencies, car accidents and so on) going on in the world wouldn't you feel better knowing your child had a cell phone for those "just in case" moments?
Originally Posted By MomofPrincess Wahoo, I think I'm a lot like you. I'm kind of old fashioned at times. My 10yo son has asked if he could have a cell phone, but I couldn't see why he'd need one. Here's where he is every day: (1) School - there are phones in the front office. (2) After-school care - there are phones in the front office. (3) Soccer - I am there with him. If for some reason I'm not, his coach has a cell phone. (4) Bible Study - there are phones in the church office. (5) At a friend's house (rarely) - they have a phone there he can use. I mean, I am either with him or he is with an adult in a supervised setting/activity no matter what. We live out in the boonies, so he's not out and about at friends' houses (unless we drop him off & pick him up), and he is not walking anywhere or on his own at any point during the day. So, I don't see his need for one. MOST of his friends have them, and again - they're in similar situations so I just don't get it. It'd be different if they were latchkey kids, I suppose, or walking to/from school & activities... but that's not the case. *shrugs* But, that's just my decision and what works best for us. To each his own!
Originally Posted By cape cod joe hey Joe --I've been very nice to you so knock off the "boast" bull---thanks
Originally Posted By RoadTrip I don't have a cell phone and never will. My daughter and wife both have cell phones, and I strongly support that. In fact I'm quite glad my wife has one when we are traveling in the car in the event of an emergency. Why don't I have one? I don't WANT people to be able to get a hold of me 24x7. There are many times when I really don't want to talk to anyone, and most of those times are when I'm away from home. Why would I want to bring a phone with me? E-mail I like though (and posting on bulletin boards). It's there... you can read it when you want instead of when the crummy phone rings. Now that there is text messaging I might even buy one someday. If only I could get a full size keyboard in my pocket. I hate pushing those crummy little numbers to write my message.
Originally Posted By cape cod joe Ditto Trippy! I ride home in the car after >100 phone calls in office and I like to rip the knob off the stereo and just smile at all the grim faced people on their cells during drive time. At WDW same thing. I like especially at the zoo when I see fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters spending quality time with Dad or Mom on the cell NOT GOOD! Thank God we live in America with the freedom not to be on call 24/7!
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA There's a total difference between an adult being on the cellphone 24/7, and handing one to a 10-year old to use in the event of an emergency.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper Well, admittedly I am like RoadTrip in that I would prefer not to carry a cellphone but it isn't an option with me. I'm just wondering about what we teach children when they get all the gadgets at an early age. If they are made to pay for their calls then at least they are learning some financial responsibility. Again, I'm looking at the 8-12 year olds which is where the new marketing will be aimed. I do have an unusual fear of certain technologies because I do think it remains to be seen what the lasting impact on society will be. Take video games. Apparently there is a popular video game where you beat up or kill homeless people. We had a rash of homeless killings here a few months back and 3 teenagers have been arrested and charged. I don't think playing a game will cause you to be a killer...but it can't help any...can it? What is happening to attention spans? What are the effects of the circuitry of these cell phones being right up against your head all the time? What is happening to social skills as a result of the internet? I'm not trying to present doomsday scenarios. I'm just saying I think those answers aren't readily available yet we keep moving ahead at a faster pace. And, I can't think of any reason an 8 year old would need a cell phone.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>I'm just wondering about what we teach children when they get all the gadgets at an early age.<< Despite what several of us have said here, you persist in believing the cell phones are given as some sort of flashy toy. What I teach my children with this technology is, I want to know where you are and if you need help, I want you to call me at once. I teach them that it isn't a toy, that it is something to be responsible with. The technology isn't going away. Times change, modes of communication change. Make it into something scary or taboo and that only makes it more alluring, by the way. Are some people obnoxious about their cell phone use/manners? Yep. And I try to teach my kids about that as well, how rude it is to blather on the phone loudly so that your conversation intrudes on others, or at the movies, or during school, etc., how unsafe it is to talk on the phone while driving.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper Well Kar2oonMan...I think you are the exception and not the rule. I am around school age children all the time and, for the vast majority of the kids...it is a toy and not a tool. Music, pictures, unnecessary phone calls, etc are the real draw for these things. A way to get ahold of mom and dad is pretty low on the list of priorities. I'm listening. I really am. I see the point about certain plans that allow for parental control. I think that is a great step. I don't intend to make it scary or taboo. I don't do that when explaining anything to my child. I agree that it would only push the kids towards it moreso. And yes, they are here and that isn't going to change. It will interesting to see if there are addictions down the road that are tied to cell phone and gadget use.
Originally Posted By MissCandice Maybe enlarged thumbs from texting too much? I swear if you see two teens sitting somewhere they are not talking to each but just staring intently at their phone with their fingers moving on the keypad. *This post brought to you by the Future Curmudgeons of America Society.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <Thank God we live in America with the freedom not to be on call 24/7!< Well CCJ I live in America and my job requires that I am on call 24/7 -- I only gt emergency calls outside normal hours, but I am the press contact for our city location etc...so let's not wave the flag in my face..they pay me very well to be available.. also there are many many people who are on call 24x7 -- doctors / nurses / paramedics / police - have 2 friends who work for the FBI and guess what - they have to be available too. Many executive level managers at corporations are 24 x 7 people...If I were a realtor, I'd want 24 x 7 access also -- for those calls you don;t want to take off hours-( and dont have to) they have Caller ID ! You're still the final arbiter on whether you want to pick up the phone or not.
Originally Posted By PlainoLJoe <<it is a toy and not a tool. Music, pictures, unnecessary phone calls, etc are the real draw for these things. A way to get ahold of mom and dad is pretty low on the list of priorities.>> and what is wrong with those things? Its the same as buying the kid an x-box or a tv for their room or a bike or a skateboard or a paintball gun or a dirtbike. All of it is unnecessary. But certain children have earned those extras in their parents eyes. Who are we to tell another parent that what they give to their children is a waste or "unnecessary"
Originally Posted By vbdad55 < I am around school age children all the time and, for the vast majority of the kids...it is a toy and not a tool. Music, pictures, unnecessary phone calls, etc are the real draw for these things. A way to get ahold of mom and dad is pretty low on the list of priorities. < If this was the case with my daughter I would take it away, it is not the case though...and since I get a detailed bill of every text message and call - I can review every item. Sometimes the way to teach responsibllity is not to deny them access to something, but to allow access and teach proper usage
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <Take video games. Apparently there is a popular video game where you beat up or kill homeless people. We had a rash of homeless killings here a few months back and 3 teenagers have been arrested and charged. I don't think playing a game will cause you to be a killer...but it can't help any...can it? < Wahoo, really a stretch here from my 12 year old daughter having a cell phone don;t ya think ? Who write the programming for that violent video game ? Kids -- I think not-- it was profit seeking adults and companies..so let's not point the finger at the kids. prosecute the SOBs that wrote and marketed the game....and slap the hands hard of the adults that turned their back while the kids played it. Parenting is the hardest job in the world.....but to blame technology for the ills of society is just plain wrong. Before video games they read books that taught them the same lessons, pornography and violence was not born on the internet...it was around long before... My daughter ( and most of her friends I see and know their parents) are very resposnsible with the phones -- when a kid abuses the privilege- they lose the phone -- my 12 year old can use EXCEL / POWERPOINT / OUTLOOK / -- rips her own music for her ipod and has zero fear of technology - yet she understands there are bad things and bad people in cyberspace as well as walking around. No Myspace.com in this house -- ( in fact her middle school has made awareness of this very strong ) - If not for her technical skills, my wife would never be able to watch our TV - surround sound - DVD etc when I am travelling -- as she is technology shy. If you choose not to have your child have a cell phone - hey as a parent you get to make that call--and I respect whatever decision you make....but let's not blame technology for 'what if' issues- a kid that's going to misbehave is going to do so with or without a cell phone.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper Has technology made it easier for the kids to misbehave...and are the effects more harmful? We recently had a private school down here that decided to punish their students who were caught using Myspace to post derogatory remarks, pictures, etc of classmates or professors. I agree that parenting is the most difficult job in the world. But would you admit that technology has added some challenges? Again, I think we probably have a higher percentage of excellent parents who post here. Should parents be monitoring all of this? Absolutely. Do they? In many, many cases...no.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <Has technology made it easier for the kids to misbehave...and are the effects more harmful? We recently had a private school down here that decided to punish their students who were caught using Myspace to post derogatory remarks, pictures, etc of classmates or professors. I agree that parenting is the most difficult job in the world. But would you admit that technology has added some challenges? < Ok, I am going to touch on a sensitve subject here but not go into detail -- technology gets blamed for onver informing people ( too much news - world too small) - what about all of the abuses in the Catholic church that are now unfortunately on the news every day - many web sites dedicated to that -etc -- in the 50's and 60's - we didn;t have all the news services and technology to inform people, and what happened ? technology does not make people do bad things.... I have a friend who is a policemen locally here who as part of his 'beat' tries to intercept child predators on line. Using technology has resulting in capturing some of these people that before wouldbe doing the same thing, but not have a footprint traceable to nail them.... For every bad thing there is a good thing about technology -- people are inherantly good or bad regardless....I like to think technology also allows me to monitor my child even more closely.. but when you say parents whould monitor all this usage -- I wholeheartedly agree - but do you think that the parents that don;t monitor it, really watch out for their kids in all other aspects --I am afraid I think that answer is no. I constantly rant on the "me time" generation of parenting...where the kids are second fiddle to their own needs - whether they are on myspace.com- or playing in the backyard.... So yes technology has added some challenges, and made it easier in some ways...I choose to learn all the new technologies so that I can understand the world my child lives in and will grow up in. They know I have the tech skills to unzip / track / recover anything they do basically on the computer....some skills I had, others I learned... My oldest daughter - now 21 -- was caught abusing IM when she was 17. I removed her account and all computer privileges for 6 months ....also lost her driving privileges for the same period of time...it never happened again. Now she is 1 year away from being a teacher, and although she was very mad at me at the time, she tellsme now how I did the right thing. justmy 2 cents
