At what age do you think that a child needs a phone?

My youngest son who is just 8yrs old, has a phone and i was told that, that was irresonsible and that he was to young, don;t get me wrong its not a high end phone its a cheap one (for now, to see if he looks after it) but this person even thinks that a 14yr old shouldnt need a phone!

So at what age should a child have a phone?

When they can pay for it themselves! ;)

When they can pay for it themselves! ;)

my kids do pay for it, my son has to earn credit, and my daughter has a contract phone and she has a certain amount of minutes a months free, and if she does go over it, she has to earn the money to pay for it by doing jobs at home, and babysitting.

Good, teaching responsibility to them is a great way to introduce them into the society in which they will be a part of.:)

At what age do you think that a child needs a phone?
?

Needs a mobile phone? Well, I've never owned a cellphone and I'm still alive so my answer is , at no age does someone "need" a cellphone.:D

Plus the cancer risk is higher in developing cells and with prolonged (years and years) use.

I used to have one a long time ago. I haven't had one in yrs and don't miss it one bit!
I actually can't stand ppl that are having personal conversations outloud while grocery shopping or where ever. It always seems like they are talking about BS!

I can understand ppl who need them for their jobs, or on the road alot.

Almost all of my sons friends have cell phones aging 11-15. He keeps bringing it up and I keep
saying what do you "NEED" one for? Oh in case he has to call me if he is outside.
I said well all your friends have cellphones right? You can call from theirs if it is that important. I also said I am not going to pay for it so you can chit chat on it about nonsense. He has a paper route and I said if you want a cell phone, you can pay for it from that. He doesn't like that idea since he only makes about 50.00 a month. It will take up almost his whole paycheck.
I basically said well isn't that too bad. I said you have no problem that all the food thats in the fridge cuts into most of my paycheck do ya :D
It's life!

As for the proper age, only you can decide for your own child. Personally I don't think these kids "need" them.
In my house I think 11 is too young.

I actually can't stand ppl that are having personal conversations outloud while grocery shopping or where ever..

How about the guy with the Two Way in a while you're out eating dinner?


*BEEP BEEP*
"HEY JIM, WHAT THE FU@K'S GOIN ON?!"

*BEEP BEEP*
"AW NOTHIN, JUST SITTIN HERE HAVIN SOME GRUB, HOW BOUT YOU!?"

*BEEP BEEP*
"NOT MUCH, JUST SCREAMING INTO MY PHONE?!"


and on and on.

How about the guy with the Two Way in a while you're out eating dinner?


*BEEP BEEP*
"HEY JIM, WHAT THE FU@CK'S GOIN ON?!"

*BEEP BEEP*
"AW NOTHIN, JUST SITTIN HERE HAVIN SOME GRUB, HOW BOUT YOU!?"

*BEEP BEEP*
"NOT MUCH, JUST SCREAMING INTO MY PHONE?!"


and on and on.


Yes those ppl too. Also the ones in the Video store who walk around and keep asking what movie to pick. Usually it is some man talking to his wife.
I mean get some balls and just make a god damn decision on your own!

Or I love the ones that cut me off when I am driving and then have the nerve to give me a dirty look when I pass them!

Or at the gym, talking on the treadmill. I mean give it a rest!!

So as you can tell I am not a big fan of them. When my son wants one that bad and is willing to pay for it. He can be my guest. Until then it isn't going to happen. I don't really care how many kids are carrying them around.

not 8yr olds. I didn't get my first phone until 13.

As soon as you deem them old enough to go places by themselves.
That's what I reckon

eg. 2 ten year old lads go off to play in the woods, one breaks his leg. A phone would be a really nice thing to have.

unless you get no signal.

I got by just fine without a cell phone until I was 19. A child doesn't need a cellphone. When they are 16 they can get a job if they need one.

2 ten year old lads go off to play in the woods, one breaks his leg. A phone would be a really nice thing to have.

What would we have done back in the 50s if this happened?

Of course, Lassie is dead :(

i was 18 before i got a phone, and have had one ever since. Actually i find the thing irritating most of the time, i keep losing the charger and then people winge at me that "my phones off" (especially my father and my partner)

GOD DAMIT, what ever happened to leaving a message on the answering machine

My oldest daughter has one (15) and pays for it herself, bought it herself. I used to have a pay as you go that i would giver her if she was going to a dance, or somewhere that something could go "wrong" but it was MINE and she could only use if for emergency calls.
But thats me my oldest boy (14) hates them and hates when he out with his friends and they spend more time on their phones then they do skateboarding or whatever.

Children do not need mobile phones. Children just think they need them. They can talk to their friends at breaks at school, and online at home, or by getting on their bike and actually going around to see them.

There is growing evidence that long term exposure to microwaves is rather bad for your brain, and therefore it's hardly responsible to let children use them.

there are a lot of things that aren't good for your children, some you can control, some you can't, i am not going to give up driving all together even though i know the pollution isn't good for them, i am not going to tear down my deck because its pressure treated wood.

Children do not need mobile phones. Children just think they need them. They can talk to their friends at breaks at school, and online at home, or by getting on their bike and actually going around to see them.

There is growing evidence that long term exposure to microwaves is rather bad for your brain, and therefore it's hardly responsible to let children use them.


this is where i have to disagree with you, My son has a phone because he somtimes sleeps over at his friends house, and if he ever gets worried about being from home he can call me or his dad!!


also he texts his cousion.

At what age do you think that a child needs a phone?

My youngest son who is just 8yrs old, has a phone and i was told that, that was irresonsible and that he was to young, don;t get me wrong its not a high end phone its a cheap one (for now, to see if he looks after it) but this person even thinks that a 14yr old shouldnt need a phone!

So at what age should a child have a phone?

Cellphones are pure evil ! I hate them, HATE THEM :mad:

Sorry... :o

this is where i have to disagree with you, My son has a phone because he somtimes sleeps over at his friends house, and if he ever gets worried about being from home he can call me or his dad!!



Here is where you are wrong; kids had sleepovers long before the mobile phone, and if they 'got worried' had to show some spine and tough it out. Giving kids the option to bail teaches them what? Yeah, that giving up is easy, so why do anything hard?

And you wondered why kids are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. :shrug:

Here is where you are wrong; kids had sleepovers long before the mobile phone, and if they 'got worried' had to show some spine and tough it out. Giving kids the option to bail teaches them what? Yeah, that giving up is easy, so why do anything hard?

And you wondered why kids are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. :shrug:

i dont wonder why kids have ADHD/ADD i know why kids get ADHD/ADD and it has NOTHING at all to do with peranting! It is down to certain ingrediants in certain foods!!

Here is where you are wrong; kids had sleepovers long before the mobile phone, and if they 'got worried' had to show some spine and tough it out. Giving kids the option to bail teaches them what? Yeah, that giving up is easy, so why do anything hard?

And you wondered why kids are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. :shrug:

so you would rather have a child worried and stay worried than spend 2 mins on the phone to mum or dad??

And NOTHING to do with bombarding a sensitive developing brain with microwave radiation?

so you would rather have a child worried and stay worried than spend 2 mins on the phone to mum or dad??

Yes, it develops character, but if you want to raise wimps just carry on.

And NOTHING to do with bombarding a sensitive developing brain with microwave radiation?

I thought I was the only one here that believed that stuff.

this is where i have to disagree with you, My son has a phone because he somtimes sleeps over at his friends house, and if he ever gets worried about being from home he can call me or his dad!!


also he texts his cousion.


Couldn't he just call from the land line in the house then? Maybe if he is still worried or nervous about being away from home, he isn't quite ready for sleepovers? :shrug:
I agree with phlogistician. We were all kids and all had sleepovers and played outside with our friends.......etc and we all got by just fine without cellphones.

But you have to do what you think is right, as a parent. If you feel much better knowing he has one, it doesn't really matter what anybody else thinks.

It's an insecurity issue (with the parents). They need to know their kid is one button away. I won't live like that.

A cell is nothing more than a fashion accessory—an imperative amongst the youth and the upwardly mobile.

I thought I was the only one here that believed that stuff.

The keywords are 'prolonged exposure' and the effects on the young are an added factor, as it's hardly ethical to use children in studies. But the question is, do you think it's safe, ... various studies are saying no, ...

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/mobile-phones-more-dangerous-than-smoking-802602.html

Brain tumours take a while to develop, so starting kids young is a sure way to kill them in early adulthood. Parents who allow their kids phones are just weak.

I believe only business people or those busy with work should require a cell phone. You see cell phones are evil and cause people to miss spontaneous meetings with someone the might like / sleep with. It forces them into a little group of friends with whom they are familiar (sexually too) and thus we are left with lower numbers to couple.

Yes, it develops character, but if you want to raise wimps just carry on.

Indeed. But then again, the world we live in is so preposterous that I would kick myself if I were a parent of a kid that was in a life threatening situation and it could have been resolved by them having a phone.

~String

I think a child should have a cell phone at the age a parent decides. I see nothing wrong with them having one, especially if they are responsible for the bills.

What harm is there??

Indeed. But then again, the world we live in is so preposterous that I would kick myself if I were a parent of a kid that was in a life threatening situation and it could have been resolved by them having a phone.

~String


my point!

there are different cell phones that are appropriate for different ages. elementary i would say the ones that have like two buttons for incoming calls and parents only. not really a phone, more like a way to call mom in emergency. i think those are great for kids.

http://www.fireflymobile.com/_img/store/firefly_250.jpg
http://www.fireflymobile.com/store/firefly/

after elementary in the junior high maybe beginning of HS or until kid gets HS job and can pay their own portion of the bill, then i think prepaid phones are the way to go. then they kids can earn their minutes thru chores etc.

as a jr high coach a lot of my kids had "real" cell phones, and i think it was very appropriate. (this is 11-14 ages). Kids are busy these days and they need to be able to get a hold of their parents.

Yes, it develops character, but if you want to raise wimps just carry on.

Cruel logic is funny. By the way I love your avatar! Ann Coulter is a loser! (note: another example of cruel logic)

there are different cell phones that are appropriate for different ages. elementary i would say the ones that have like two buttons for incoming calls and parents only. not really a phone, more like a way to call mom in emergency. i think those are great for kids.

http://www.fireflymobile.com/_img/store/firefly_250.jpg
http://www.fireflymobile.com/store/firefly/

after elementary in the junior high maybe beginning of HS or until kid gets HS job and can pay their own portion of the bill, then i think prepaid phones are the way to go. then they kids can earn their minutes thru chores etc.

as a jr high coach a lot of my kids had "real" cell phones, and i think it was very appropriate. (this is 11-14 ages). Kids are busy these days and they need to be able to get a hold of their parents.


i have never seen one of those before, can i get them in the UK

I think a child should have a cell phone at the age a parent decides. I see nothing wrong with them having one, especially if they are responsible for the bills.

What harm is there??

Possible brain damage? I linked an article about brain tumours, go read it, and then rethink 'what harm is there'.

Possible brain damage? I linked an article about brain tumours, go read it, and then rethink 'what harm is there'.

don't suppose you stand in front of a microwave either do you?

More damage is done to children by polution than a mobile phone,

I would kick myself if I were a parent of a kid that was in a life threatening situation and it could have been resolved by them having a phone.

You would blame the absence of the last thing that could have averted the crisis, rather than the entire chain of events that lead you there?

I guess I was taught to plan, and be self reliant. Spot danger, and mitigate the risks, and have a backup plan.

One thing I notice about people that rely on cellphones, is that they suck at forward planning, and need constant reassurances. If you don't don't phone to text to confirm the arrangements you already made, lots of young folks, for some reason, will assume the event is no longer taking place. 'Well, I didn't hear from you, so I assumed, ...' is the response. It's never 'Last time we spoke we agree to do this, but despite not hearing to the contrary I decided it must have been cancelled because nobody pandered to my insecurity and told me it was still happening.'

It's also too easy to bail out via text message. Cellphones are hardly teaching kids to be responsible and reliable.

don't suppose you stand in front of a microwave either do you?

Why would I do that?

More damage is done to children by polution than a mobile phone,

The report I linked stated that the risk from mobile phones is greater than smoking. Would you let your eight year old smoke cigarettes?

Naming pollution, something that you cannot control, as a greater risk is a total cop out btw. Just because there is something you think (incorrectly) is worse, does not mean you are being responsible by exposing your child to what you think is a lesser danger. It's still you, exposing your child to danger, either way you cut it.

Why would I do that?



The report I linked stated that the risk from mobile phones is greater than smoking. Would you let your eight year old smoke cigarettes?

Naming pollution, something that you cannot control, as a greater risk is a total cop out btw. Just because there is something you think (incorrectly) is worse, does not mean you are being responsible by exposing your child to what you think is a lesser danger. It's still you, exposing your child to danger, either way you cut it.

well i personally do not think that mobile phones are harmful to anyone if used to a minimum!!

Ok if you use them all day every day (or at lot of time anyway) then yeah they can be harmfull, but a short 1 min call will have no side effects.

well i personally do not think that mobile phones are harmful to anyone if used to a minimum!!

But you are starting a habit early on in life, and desensitizing kids to any possible danger; kids do not question the safety of things that are familiar.

Ok if you use them all day every day (or at lot of time anyway) then yeah they can be harmfull, but a short 1 min call will have no side effects.

Except phones check in to a base station every few minutes, so there is repeated exposure even when your child isn't using one, and when they are, it's transmitting right next to their developing brain.

What starts as one minute usage now will only increase, and your child does not need a cellphone, we got along just fine without them previously. Seriously quit the nannying, and let the kid develop some self reliance.

But you are starting a habit early on in life, and desensitizing kids to any possible danger; kids do not question the safety of things that are familiar.



Except phones check in to a base station every few minutes, so there is repeated exposure even when your child isn't using one, and when they are, it's transmitting right next to their developing brain.

What starts as one minute usage now will only increase, and your child does not need a cellphone, we got along just fine without them previously. Seriously quit the nannying, and let the kid develop some self reliance.


its my job to nanny my kid, i'm his mother, and he needs a phone, yeah i agree with you, we didnt need them many years ago, and we got along fine without them, but times change and kids are more reliant than ever, and due to the lack of perantal control over some kids, kids like my kids need phones just in case anything happens

http://www.willthomas.net/Investigations/Articles/cellphones.htm

its my job to nanny my kid, i'm his mother,

No, it's your job to bring that kid up so they can be a productive member of society, not a wimp that relies on a 3rd party for advice.

and he needs a phone, No eight year old needs a phone.


yeah i agree with you, we didnt need them many years ago, and we got along fine without them,

... and we grew up into being responsible adults. If you change how you bring kids up, you change the result; we get irresponsible adults.


but times change and kids are more reliant than ever,

Because you are not untying the frikking apron strings!


and due to the lack of perantal control over some kids, kids like my kids need phones just in case anything happens

An eight year old should be in someone's supervision, and there are very few instances (walking to school, going to a friends house) where they may be alone in public. A mobile phone is NO SUBSTITUTE for a supervising adult. IF your child knows something is wrong, they just need to walk away, rather than call you for advice. Making decisions and acting on them is part of growing up, do no rob your child of this vital exeperience.

btw, it's parent, not 'perant', ffs.

i have never seen one of those before, can i get them in the UK

heres the main site link (a little more thorough): http://www.fireflymobile.com/ (http://www.fireflymobile.com/)

heres the UK site link: http://www.fireflymobile.ie/index.htm
(http://www.fireflymobile.ie/index.htm)

can i point out to those who are saying that "we got along without them in my day" a recent study of kids said that they want MORE parental imput into there lives now rather than less.

The probable reason for this is that in most cases parents dont have the ability to have one parent home with the kids anymore. This isnt the parents fault, its sociaties for not giving parents the finantial (and other) surport they need so they can focus on there children rather than trying to pay the morgage.

So if children say "i need a mobile so i can call you if i need you" they might be telling you the truth. That they feel the only way they can get your surport is to be able to contact you where ever they are because you cant be there for them at home.

I live a state away from my family with my partner. Im 25 and so concidered an adult and independent and i am (apart from my lack of money because im a student). Yet i still call my parents AT LEAST once a week if not more often, sometimes its even twice a day. Now i can imagin being 18 or younger and seeing little of my parents because they both work. When i was young i actually did see little of my dad because he was off working or flying interstate for his job. Luckly my dad earned enough my mum COULD stay home with us but even so i missed my father. I cant even imagin what it would be like not to have either parent there when we needed them.

Give kids and parents a break, a lot of the responcability for this situation has to go back to sociaty

heres the main site link (a little more thorough): http://www.fireflymobile.com/ (http://www.fireflymobile.com/)

heres the UK site link: http://www.fireflymobile.ie/index.htm
(http://www.fireflymobile.ie/index.htm)

Here's the problem with that phone, .. it either works on the mobile phone network, .. and pumps microwaves into your kids head, or it's a lower power device and your kid may not be able to get a signal when it needs one.

Can't have it both ways.

i didn't realize we were discussing the safety of cell phone use, i thought it was age appropriateness.

everything is trying to kill you, and eventually something will.

I have a question. Why in the hell are kids so stupid as to use their phones to video their crimes and then, as if possesing the evidence isn't good enough, they post it on the internet as if to say "look at me! I'm a complete fucking moron and here's the proof"?

i didn't realize we were discussing the safety of cell phone use, i thought it was age appropriateness.

The two are related.

The two are related.if you feel that cell phones are a serious threat to someone's health, then you're opinion really shouldn't have anything to do with age, unless of course you care more about your 8yr old than your 18yr old, so i don't see how they are.

Developing cells are more prone to develop cancer. At 18 you're an adult and can smoke and vote....and take the risk of cellphone cancer.

clusteringflux go back and learn some basic cellular biology. New cells are NOT more prone to cancer. Actually OLD generations of cells which have been copied over and over again are more prone to copying errors which cause cancer. Thats why cancer is statisically more prodominate in the older population and also why even actions such as getting burnt or tanned alot or smoking dont cause cancer initally, they cause it years down the track

Developing cells are more prone to develop cancer. At 18 you're an adult and can smoke and vote....and take the risk of cellphone cancer.

considering the amount of time an 8 year old uses a cell phone and the amount of time an 18yr old uses a cell phone, i doubt that makes much of a difference. Also, (going to back to the subject of the thread again here) it was about owning a phone, not using one. now before someone posts something like "well blah blah blah who would own a phone and not use it", lets make it clear that i'm referring to the opposite situation, where children who don't have their own cell phone would use someone else's in the same situations that they would use their own.

it kinda makes me giggle that you added voting ability to the list of other adult-decisions that may pose health risks.. but after a little thought, i guess being wrapped up in the waist-deep shit pile that is our current bush-to-be's, struggling to be the King of Poop Mountain, at such a fresh hormonally unstable age could increase the risk of drug use and suicide. so you're probably right on there. haha.

clusteringflux go back and learn some basic cellular biology. New cells are NOT more prone to cancer. Actually OLD generations of cells which have been copied over and over again are more prone to copying errors which cause cancer. Thats why cancer is statisically more prodominate in the older population and also why even actions such as getting burnt or tanned alot or smoking dont cause cancer initally, they cause it years down the track

Sorry, I was absent that day.

But I believe in a growing child the "generations" happen more rapidly and also there's thisProf Kjell Mild, said that children should not be allowed to use mobile phones because their thinner skulls and developing nervous system made them particularly vulnerable.

if you feel that cell phones are a serious threat to someone's health, then you're opinion really shouldn't have anything to do with age, unless of course you care more about your 8yr old than your 18yr old, so i don't see how they are.

It's the same way with contracts. Acontract can ruin an 18 year old's life just as much as it can ruin an 8 year old's, howeverone of them can't sign the contract. What eight year old can weigh the risks vs. the benefits of anything as well as an eighteen-year-old?

oooh i see a great market for spongebob bluetooths..

or a blue's-tooth.. hehehehehehe

It's the same way with contracts. Acontract can ruin an 18 year old's life just as much as it can ruin an 8 year old's, howeverone of them can't sign the contract. What eight year old can weigh the risks vs. the benefits of anything as well as an eighteen-year-old?

probably the same eight year old that started the thread about which cell phone they should buy from--- oh wait. that wasn't the thread. again. it was about a PARENT deciding when to let a child have their own cell phone.

oooh i see a great market for spongebob bluetooths..

or a blue's-tooth.. hehehehehehe

Do you remember the cartoon character "JOE CAMEL"? Every school aged child already thinks they need a cellphone. A lot of it is marketing.

thats a compleatly different angle from what you said and may or maynot be valid

Oh and saying that they are rapidly growing is wrong again

Say you take a sheet of paper with a lecture on it and photo copy it 100 times. Now cells dont just copy each from the origional they copy from the copies and each time you copy that sheet of paper the writing gets a little fainter, it picks up another speck of dirt from the copier ect

thats how cells work except there IS a fail safe and thats a protine that as the cell is copied gets shorter (i think, sam knows more about this than i do). When it gets to short the cell dies for god rather than copying itself again. This is designed to lower the risk of out of control cells (ie cancer), when it doesnt work or a mutation happens earlier than the dooms day ect thats when you get cancer.

It doesnt matter that the generations happen faster because we can see statistically the chances of those sort of copying error's GENERALLY dont show up until your at least 40 for most cancers. Look at breast cancer or prostate cancer or bowl cancer or liver cancer ages if you dont belive me

There are however SOME cancer's that will strike children more than adults and they tend to be lukima and other cancer's of the bones. I havent ever seen a satisfactory reason as to why this is yet, could be a genetic fault in the sequences that make osytioblasts but i just dont know.

http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/2/19/1769649/bt3.jpg

There are however SOME cancer's that will strike children more than adults.

And you're positive that cancer caused from radiation is not one of them?

Whatever, Mr. Mutation. Anyway we're pissing Nightfall off and need to "stay on topic"

You would blame the absence of the last thing that could have averted the crisis, rather than the entire chain of events that lead you there?

I guess I was taught to plan, and be self reliant. Spot danger, and mitigate the risks, and have a backup plan.

One thing I notice about people that rely on cellphones, is that they suck at forward planning, and need constant reassurances. If you don't don't phone to text to confirm the arrangements you already made, lots of young folks, for some reason, will assume the event is no longer taking place. 'Well, I didn't hear from you, so I assumed, ...' is the response. It's never 'Last time we spoke we agree to do this, but despite not hearing to the contrary I decided it must have been canceled because nobody pandered to my insecurity and told me it was still happening.'

It's also too easy to bail out via text message. Cellphones are hardly teaching kids to be responsible and reliable.

I won't disagree with any of this. Your parental upbringing sounds identical to mine. The only monkey wrench in the works of this idea is the fact that I grew up in a society where I could walk down the street to visit my best friend at age 10 without my parents having to worry about what would happen. I went out on my bike on Saturdays and didn't come home till dark, and my mom never worried. Sadly, there have been a slew of child-victim crimes in the last decade in my once sleepy country town and all the planning in the world wouldn't have helped. Maybe a cell phone wouldn't help in all of them, but not all safety nets need to work all of the time. I'm an advocate of the one-way cell phone that can only call home and 911. At 15 I'd say if the kid wants a cell phone and can pay for it, then that's about the right time, before that, they need to plan their lives the old fashioned way.

~String

http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/2/19/1769649/bt3.jpg

Love it. I'll take five.

And you're positive that cancer caused from radiation is not one of them?

Whatever, Mr. Mutation. Anyway we're pissing Nightfall off and need to "stay on topic"

not pissing me off at all, thats just silly. please carry on with your brain cell discussion, i'll have to gracefully decline participation, as i have a um.. dentist.. appointment i should be getting to. i just feel very >.< when someone with an outside approach feels its their duty not just to post, but instead to reply to every person that gives topic related input a third a party debate as we're all supposed to come to the conclusion that the appropriate age for a child to responsibly carry their own cell phone is never becuase it causes brain damage. .. >.<

I've only replied to those who say that holding a high powered transmitter up to your head is not a cancer risk and that children are at even less risk.
Luci knows what's right for her and hers.

everything comes with risk.

but i think i'd take the low possibility of cancer risk, over the risks that would occur if my "tweenie" child found him/herself stranded at (insert any activity here... school football game perhaps)and had to ask a complete stranger to use their phone, and in turn disclose the fact that they are alone, stranded, and no one knows it.

clusteringflux go back and learn some basic cellular biology. New cells are NOT more prone to cancer. Actually OLD generations of cells which have been copied over and over again are more prone to copying errors which cause cancer. Thats why cancer is statisically more prodominate in the older population and also why even actions such as getting burnt or tanned alot or smoking dont cause cancer initally, they cause it years down the track


Apart from Leukemia.

And it's not mitosis related cancers we are taking about either, so your point is way off. Learn some cellular biology, eh?

As you seem to not be following the thread, or any of the links to the recent research, I'll repost them for you to read;

courtesy of;

http://www.willthomas.net/Investigations/Articles/cellphones.htm

and;

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/mobile-phones-more-dangerous-than-smoking-802602.html.

everything comes with risk.

but i think i'd take the low possibility of cancer risk, over the risks that would occur if my "tweenie" child found him/herself stranded at (insert any activity here... school football game perhaps)and had to ask a complete stranger to use their phone, and in turn disclose the fact that they are alone, stranded, and no one knows it.

If that happened then you're a shit parent who shouldn't have children. Like I said, children, like the eight year old mentioned in the OP, should be supervised. You should know where your children are, and know who they are with. You should not put them at risk of becoming stranded. Plan ahead, do no rely on last minute life savers!

not pissing me off at all, thats just silly. please carry on with your brain cell discussion, i'll have to gracefully decline participation, as i have a um.. dentist.. appointment i should be getting to. i just feel very >.< when someone with an outside approach feels its their duty not just to post, but instead to reply to every person that gives topic related input a third a party debate as we're all supposed to come to the conclusion that the appropriate age for a child to responsibly carry their own cell phone is never becuase it causes brain damage. .. >.<

BTW, have you answered the OP? If so I missed it.

At what age do you think that a child needs a phone?


My answer was never.

I won't disagree with any of this. Your parental upbringing sounds identical to mine. The only monkey wrench in the works of this idea is the fact that I grew up in a society where I could walk down the street to visit my best friend at age 10 without my parents having to worry about what would happen.
~String

Nothing hsa changed, it just gets reported more. The papers are guilty of spreading panic, and parents are guilty of becoming molly coddling.

Giving a kid a cellphone has been statistically proven to make them more likely to be a victim of crime, sometimes violent also. It's a really stupid idea to give a child a cellphone, therefore, asides from the danger on developing tissue from microwaves.

If that happened then you're a shit parent who shouldn't have children. Like I said, children, like the eight year old mentioned in the OP, should be supervised. You should know where your children are, and know who they are with. You should not put them at risk of becoming stranded. Plan ahead, do no rely on last minute life savers!

Thanks, Phlog. I was trying to NOT "go there". But you're dead right, IMO.

If that happened then you're a shit parent who shouldn't have children. Like I said, children, like the eight year old mentioned in the OP, should be supervised. i was referring to a "tweenie" child.. 11..12..jr high ish, as i stated in my answer as well as in my initial response about when a kid should have a "real" cell phone.
You should know where your children are, and know who they are with. You should not put them at risk of becoming stranded. Plan ahead, do no rely on last minute life savers! are you really that naive? children, especially at the age i mentioned spend countless hours planning exactly how to KEEP their parents from knowing where they are. You really think you can preplan and direct ever second of your child's life? hahahaha, i don't even have children and i know how ridiculous that is! When i answer this, i'm keeping in mind my little cousins, who i love dearly, and are actually pretty good kids for being their ages (12 and 14) and being well, girls. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if someday i got a call from Alyssa telling me that her friend and her had an argument and she doesn't ("can't") want to go to her house after a football game and doesn't have a ride home. As adults, we could think of a million quick fixes to such a solution, or preventing it. at that age.. emotions flare, kids are good at getting themselves stuck in situations we couldn't even imagine.

BTW, have you answered the OP? If so I missed it. My answer was never. you missed. :( i even included pics. post#33

iyou missed. i even included pics. post#33

Ah, yes. As soon as they can tell green from red. Okay, then.

Ah, yes. As soon as they can tell green from red. Okay, then.

we both know that that is not what my post meant at all. if i had an 8 yr old would i give them a cell phone just becuase they were 8 and a carrier makes those phones? of course not. how about for a child with divorced parents or a kid who gets picked up from school by a different parent or babysitting on different days of the week? i know when i was in elementary grades 4 5 and 6 there was no one out there paying any attention at all to us. the younger kids sure.. but that office door was locked by the time i realized someone might have forgotten to pick me up that day.

Why do people make this an ethical or moral parenting issue. As if a child with a cell phone makes a parent bad. What crap!

Why do people make this an ethical or moral parenting issue. As if a child with a cell phone makes a parent bad. What crap!


It becomes an ethical and moral parenting issue when parents think giving their child a cellphone means the child can use that cellphone as a tool to get themselves out of a risky scenario the parent allowed them to get into.

And there are the health issues to deal with, and the fact that it has been proven that children get robbed for their cellphones, sometimes violently.

Tell you what, read the thread and the links, before wading in, because a lot of points have been made that you have not covered.

i was referring to a "tweenie" child.. 11..12..jr high ish, as i stated in my answer as well as in my initial response about when a kid should have a "real" cell phone.

So what? Your kid, whatever age, asks if they can go to the game. You say yes, and make sure they have a lift, with someone reliable, or have money for a bus, or you drop them off and arrange to pick them up. Relying on a cellphone to make up for your lack of foresight is bad parenting.

are you really that naive? children, especially at the age i mentioned spend countless hours planning exactly how to KEEP their parents from knowing where they are.

If you arrange to pick them up after the game, and they don't show, they get grounded. Again, if your kids lie to you, I wonder why they feel the need to do that, and how come they get away with it.


You really think you can preplan and direct ever second of your child's life?

Did I say that? No, I said parents should make sure their kids (like the eight year old from the OP) are supervised. You introduced a 'tweenie' for amiguity, but it lends nothing to the debate, the basics are the same. Discuss, plan, and use foresight. Do not rely on being rescued, ever.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit if someday i got a call from Alyssa telling me that her friend and her had an argument and she doesn't ("can't") want to go to her house after a football game and doesn't have a ride home.

Yeah, and not being able to bail out, and having to go round that kids house after an argument, builds character, makes kids kids learn the ramafications of falling out and stupid arguments. But you want to take that away from kids, experiences we had that formed our character, you want them to be able to run away, and live a consequence free life. Priceless!

So what? Your kid, whatever age, asks if they can go to the game. You say yes, and make sure they have a lift, with someone reliable, or have money for a bus, or you drop them off and arrange to pick them up. Relying on a cellphone to make up for your lack of foresight is bad parenting. If you arrange to pick them up after the game, and they don't show, they get grounded. Again, if your kids lie to you, I wonder why they feel the need to do that, and how come they get away with it. Did I say that? No, I said parents should make sure their kids (like the eight year old from the OP) are supervised. You introduced a 'tweenie' for amiguity, but it lends nothing to the debate, the basics are the same. Discuss, plan, and use foresight. Do not rely on being rescued, ever. Yeah, and not being able to bail out, and having to go round that kids house after an argument, builds character, makes kids kids learn the ramafications of falling out and stupid arguments. But you want to take that away from kids, experiences we had that formed our character, you want them to be able to run away, and live a consequence free life. Priceless!

planplanplan doesn't always work. im tired of debating this. you think you can plan everything your child does it will go off flawlessly. I know better. oh and, "If your kids lie blah blah blah" . HAHAHA i bet you are one of those "well my child would never" people arn't you? The ones that go around pointing a finger at every other parent and child while in the back of their mind they're all laughing at you because they know what your kid has really been up to?

and no, i introduced a "tweenie" becuase it was my answer to the question. "8 years old" was never the question, just an example.

planplanplan doesn't always work. im tired of debating this. you think you can plan everything your child does it will go off flawlessly.

No, I never said that, what I did say, well, I've already said it, so go back and read it, and stop putting words in my mouth.


and no, i introduced a "tweenie" becuase it was my answer to the question. "8 years old" was never the question, just an example.

It was the EXACT question in the OP ffs;

At what age do you think that a child needs a phone?

My youngest son who is just 8yrs old, has a phone and i was told that, that was irresonsible

Pay attention, eh? You introduction of 'tweenie' was an abstraction, and like I said added nothing, not even your intended ambiguity. Parents have a duty to make sure kids are supervised, dropped off and picked up. Relying on a cellphone to make up for a short fall in shoddy planning is bad parenting, and even then, if you do plan, and just give a child a cellphone for the 'what if' scenario, you have to weigh up the risk/benfit of the 'what if' being your child robbed violently, for their phone.

Tell you what, go do some reading about the subject, and stop talking out of your hat, eh?

It was the EXACT question in the OP ffs; /
Pay attention, eh? You introduction of 'tweenie' was an abstraction, and like I said added nothingAt what age do you think that a child needs a phone?

My youngest son who is just 8yrs old, has a phone and i was told that, that was irresonsible and that he was to young, don;t get me wrong its not a high end phone its a cheap one (for now, to see if he looks after it) but this person even thinks that a 14yr old shouldnt need a phone!

So at what age should a child have a phone?

call me an idiot here, but i really think the question was 'what age should a child have a cell phone' not what cell phone should my 8 yr old have? but.. thats just me "ffs" making up some other age to talk about as if i thought that the question was about finding an age. ha.



No, I never said that, what I did say, well, I've already said it, so go back and read it, and stop putting words in my mouth.
i've been reading your posts for two pages. its always the same. plan plan plan. if your plan doesn't work and you're in an emergency it was bad parenting. you shouldn't have kids.



Parents have a duty to make sure kids are supervised, dropped off and picked up. Relying on a cellphone to make up for a short fall in shoddy planning is bad parenting, and even then, if you do plan, and just give a child a cellphone for the 'what if' scenario, you have to weigh up the risk/benfit of the 'what if' being your child robbed violently, for their phone. im not sure what innercity ghetto you are referring to, but no one is going to violently rob a child for a cell phone at a school. although maybe i should tell me aunt that her kids also shouldn't wear jewelry clothes or carry backpacks to school either since we've heard of older kids stealing those from younger ones too.


Tell you what, go do some reading about the subject, and stop talking out of your hat, eh? HAHA so you ARE one of those parents.

It becomes an ethical and moral parenting issue when parents think giving their child a cellphone means the child can use that cellphone as a tool to get themselves out of a risky scenario the parent allowed them to get into.

And there are the health issues to deal with, and the fact that it has been proven that children get robbed for their cellphones, sometimes violently.

Tell you what, read the thread and the links, before wading in, because a lot of points have been made that you have not covered.

allowed??? A child gets grabbed walking home from school and the parent allowed that to happen? Should parents hire body guards for their children so nothing ever happens to them? I think a call phone is far less intrusive. :shrug:

Children also get violently robbed of $300 shoes, jackets, jewelry, etc. Should we send them out in Salvation Army clothing or naked?

And your tests are about continuous cell phone usage. Do you have a study about the usage of cell phones by children? How many hrs do they average? is it all cell phones? How about the ones made specifically for children?

allowed??? A child gets grabbed walking home from school and the parent allowed that to happen?

The scenario in question was Nightfall saying that if a kid got 'stranded' at a football game, they could use a cellphone to get a ride. I pointed out that good advanced planning negates that need.

If a child got 'grabbed' like in your rather Hollywoodised scenario, do you think the perp wouldn't think to search the child for a phone?

Should parents hire body guards for their children so nothing ever happens to them? I think a call phone is far less intrusive.

Yes, but in your scenario it's rather unlikely that the phone will remain in the child's hand to be of utility, and to think it would is rather naive.

Children also get violently robbed of $300 shoes, jackets, jewelry, etc. Should we send them out in Salvation Army clothing or naked?

Abstracting to absurdity just makes you sound absurd. Children with cellphones get robbed for their phones more often than for other items, period.

And your tests are about continuous cell phone usage. Do you have a study about the usage of cell phones by children? How many hrs do they average? is it all cell phones?

More's the point, do you have figures to show it's safe? I've linked various articles, and so have others, showing the dangers of cellphone use, and the penetration of microwaves going further into a developing child's brain. As it''s not ethical to expose children to microwaves for study, of course there isn't data there, and as brain tumours take a decade to develop, (as you would be aware if you'd bothered to read the linked articles) the scale of the problem with children is masked because they suffer in adulthood.

How about the ones made specifically for children?

Is it a cellphone that works on the cellphone network, using microwaves, like a cellphone, because well, it's a cellphone? So what that it only uses as much power as it needs to contact a base station, ... regular phones have been doing that for a long time anyway, the issue is holding it next to a child brain and pumping microwaves into it. The fact that the case is brightly coloured plastic with big buttons doesn't change that.

Nightfall, you are being dishonest now, and rather stupid enlarging parts of the text, and totally ignoring the part;


At what age do you think that a child needs a phone?

My youngest son who is just 8yrs old, has a phone and i was told that, that was irresonsible

That is the crux of the debate, an eight year old with a cellphone, and that being irresponsible.

Also you say;

im not sure what innercity ghetto you are referring to, but no one is going to violently rob a child for a cell phone at a school

In the scenario where the cellphone becomes of utility (stranded at ball game), you don't know where your child is, do you? Anyway, kids being robbed for cellphones happens, and it happens a lot, and it happens on the way to and from school too.

"Recently published Home Office research shows that children of school age are at least five times more likely to become victims of mobile phone theft, including robbery, than adults." (http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/stolengoods/stolengoods3.htm)

From that report (because I doubt you'll take the time to read it);

"One third of all robberies involve a mobile phone only",

so giving your kid a mobile phone increases the likelyhood of them getting robbed by 50%, way to go, parents! Make your eight year old a target!