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NO!!! My children WONT be having one until they are 16 and driving and then it will be the prepaid kind only for emergency situations. Why add one more distraction for them while they are on the road?
They can use the home phone....period.
No. And neither do parents, by and large. It's just a matter of convenience. And who needs to call anybody from the grocery store, bank teller line, a table at a restaurant, from the church pew, or while sitting in a movie theater? Essentially nobody! No pay phones anymore? Big deal. All the other kids have cellphones. Our kid can call us from a friend's phone - just like we used to do with our friend's parents' "house phones." Our older kids didn't have cellphones until they went to college. The youngest won't have one until she goes to college. 1st full-time job - they're off our plan and on their own.
NO!!! My children WONT be having one until they are 16 and driving and then it will be the prepaid kind only for emergency situations. Why add one more distraction for them while they are on the road?
They can use the home phone....period.
So, they won't have one until they are 16 AND driving to avoid distraction while on the road? How can they use the home phone while driving if there is an emergency?
I bet 5-10 years from now, this discussion wont even be relevant. So many people are getting rid of their land lines and going to go just to cell phone usage. The land line will be so antiquated just like the rotary dial phones and push button phones in the future. Who would have thought that pay phones would be nonexistent?
Remember people use to think that the cordless phones were so bad. My grandma was scared to death to use hers when she got it for Christmas one year. Now, I do not know ANYONE that doesn't have a cordless phone in their house.
I think parents who get them for their kids do it for a sense of security. Even if it may be a false sense what does it really matter? If its JUST ONE more thing that can HELP their kids then I see nothing wrong with a parent who allows it.
Times really are changing. Personally, I do not see ANY difference of my kids talking on a cell phone than talking on a regular phone when I was growing up. I remember my parents complained that I was on the PHONE all the time.
I think kids now are staying in touch with people in general more on the social networks( facebook, myspace) more than the phone anyhow.
My 13 yo has one. Has for the past 2 years. For me to get in touch w/ him whenever I want, and vice versa. Of course, he's welcome to call his friends on it, but once he hits his limit he can only call people w/ TMo service. I like him having it and frankly, I make no apologies to anyone else for it. Not to be rude but it's not really any one's business if I choose to pay to get my kids a cell phone. My money, my kid and all that.
When I was a kid, my parents knew where I was and called the house.
How did we ever survive?
That's like someone saying "We used horses and carriages to get around just fine when I was young. I don't think all these folks need cars to get around. We survived just fine w/o them." It's progress. Things change as technology changes and the previous gen never likes the changes.
That's like someone saying "We used horses and carriages to get around just fine when I was young. I don't think all these folks need cars to get around. We survived just fine w/o them." It's progress. Things change as technology changes and the previous gen never likes the changes.
I was responding to another poster who said, "but how will I know whose house my kids are at?, or something to that affect, and I was saying basically, there are ways around that, e.g. know where they are going.
I don't think cell phones are like horse carriages. I think giving cell phones to young children is -- in many situations, but perhaps not all -- a sign of our indulgent times.
I don't think cell phones are like horse carriages. I think giving cell phones to young children is -- in many situations, but perhaps not all -- a sign of our indulgent times.
Like those rich folk who gave their kids their own carriages, horses, cars, bedrooms, ipods, mp3 players, tvs, more than 1 pair of shoes, etc.? Each generation is usually richer than the ones before them and each chooses to give their kids something the ones before them didn't have/couldn't afford.
Why? Because the economy is sinking like the Titanic and we're headed for another Great Depression.
It's going to be a real kick-in-the-pants for a lot of people. When it comes down to buying food and paying rent or letting junior text message on his phone all day, what do you think people will choose?
For myself, as soon as my plan expires, I'm ditching my phone or buying minutes in advance. My cell phone cost me $384 last year.... Forgetaboutit!
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