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This also promotes not being able to think for yourself. When kids are given a challenge their gut reaction is to simply look up how to get through it rather than think about it and try to solve it on their own.
There's a balance that is needed, which most people in this age are not able to achieve, kids included.
If you want to know a FACT there is no solving it on your own. The war in Bosnia started in 1992 and ended in 1995. That is a set of facts. If you want to know facts you look them up. Looking up facts does not affect whether you can think for yourself or solve a problem.
Since I don't have kids, I didn't skew the poll by clicking any of the options. But - honestly - *I* don't have a cell phone, and haven't felt any need for it. I have a sister and elderly parents with medical needs, so it's not like I can't appreciate the need to communicate in case of emergency.
If it's an emergency, they will be able to dial 911 faster than they can call me, and that's who they *should* call first. I'm on their list of emergency calls in case someone -else- needs to get ahold of me to tell me they're in the hospital (or dead). My work number, and my home number. I wouldn't be able to get to my parents right away anyway, because they're in Florida and I'm in Connecticut. So a few more hours isn't going to make any difference at all, if I don't find out about the emergency til I get home and check my voice-mail.
If it's my sister, and she's dead, well she won't stop being dead if I find out now, instead of a couple hours from now. If she's in the hospital, she's in good hands, and I'll see her within 15 minutes of my finding out where she is.
If it's my husband, he knows where I work, and he knows the phone number of the gym I work out in. And the same applies to emergencies involving him, with regards to needing to know this very moment, vs. needing to know as soon as I'm available.
I imagine it's the same with children. I never needed a cell phone when I was a kid - of course they hadn't been invented yet, so none of us had any need for them.
My 15 year old daughter has an iPhone 4, it really isn't that big of an expense for me. She knows if her GPA falls below 3.5, she loses it immediately, and I regularly read her texts, I can do that online. I also regulate her Internet access to shut off after 9pm. Doesn't really do much good when she has a computer too though.
I can't be a hypocrite, I'm texting and on social media sites as much as she is. Then again, I graduated high school and college.
Hmmm, that's weird. All of our schools have cell phone blockers, and if kids are found using phones when they shouldn't be, they are confiscated.
Please explain how all your schools have "cell phone blockers" and exactly what a "cell phone blocker" is??? And if they have "cell phone blockers", how are the kids using the phones and getting caught???
Please explain how all your schools have "cell phone blockers" and exactly what a "cell phone blocker" is??? And if they have "cell phone blockers", how are the kids using the phones and getting caught???
It's called a CREW system, (counter remote controlled improvised explosive device warfare), route clearance teams in Afghanistan have em on their vehicles and carry small backpack mounted versions when dismounted. They're basically cell phone jammers, that keep terrorists from using them to set off IED's.
What I CAN tell you however, is that schools do not have this kind of technology, or the money that goes along with it. About e only thing they could do is build the school underground or out in the middle of nowhere where there's little to no coverage.
I have never ever heard any teen claim (or parent believe) they *only* use a smartphone for homework. Most teens (and adults) usecomputers, tablets and smartphones for a combination of things.
ETA...1000s of texts per month??!! Oh noes! So now its not just smartphones that are evil but texting as well? Meh. Back in the 1970s I spent HOURS chatting on the phone. You know, really getting to know my boyfriend by having deep, intellectual conversations like "you hang up first" (giggle) "no YOU!".....Yes, kids were SO very much smarter back then.
Oh..and we passed notes in class too. And no, the notes had nothing to do with math.
Oh yes. When I moved out of my mother's house at age 17, I had a huge box of notes I'd saved over the years. We passed notes in class, in-between class, and then also used notebooks to communicate, swapping it every class period.
I also spent hours talking on the landline until my mother yelled at me to get off, or unplugged it!
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Originally Posted by AnonChick
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I imagine it's the same with children. I never needed a cell phone when I was a kid - of course they hadn't been invented yet, so none of us had any need for them.
Well I will say that back in my day (80's), there were pay phones *everywhere*. Try and find a pay phone these days! So no, I didn't need a cell phone but when I was running around with friends, as teenagers will do, I was still expected to call home if we were changing location or plans, or going to be later than expected, and it was no biggie to find a pay phone and do that.
In the late 80's when my mother's work provided her with a pager, she would send it with me when she was not on call, and it gave ME more freedom because she knew she could always page me to call her if she was needing me home or just wanting to check up on me. I knew that if I didn't answer the page I would end up grounded. Win-win. Answering a page was, as I said, no biggie since no matter where I was there was always a phone within a couple blocks and I always had phone money tucked away.
As I said in my 1st post, I don't see the necessity of a "fancy" phone but I do see the need for my 15 year old to have some sort of phone at this time, and the phone service we use actually has parental controls that would allow me to disable the phone during certain times. I could set it up so that the cannot use it at all during school hours, but there have been no problems so I haven't had the need. I can also set it up so that certain numbers cannot be contacted, but again, this has not been necessary because he's a good kid and trustworthy.
On the other hand I can see these features being very useful in the future with DD when the time comes!
It's called a CREW system, (counter remote controlled improvised explosive device warfare), route clearance teams in Afghanistan have em on their vehicles and carry small backpack mounted versions when dismounted. They're basically cell phone jammers, that keep terrorists from using them to set off IED's.
What I CAN tell you however, is that schools do not have this kind of technology, or the money that goes along with it. About e only thing they could do is build the school underground or out in the middle of nowhere where there's little to no coverage.
Pretty much what I figured and that's why I asked. It's so annoying when people post that "OUR schools have..... blah, blah, blah....." as if they're schools are so special and the only school in the nation that has these amazing things for the kids or that has such a quality program and cares about each and every individual child and there is no bullying or fighting, etc etc etc. They drink the gallon of Kool Aid and expect that everyone will believe it.
Cell phone jammers are illegal in the US, even in public schools. They pose a safety and security risk. Imagine Sandy Hook, had kids *and teachers* not had access to cell phones.
As someone mentioned - there aren't any more payphones. Me, I have no problem with not having a payphone; I have a big mouth and I'm not afraid to use it to ask someone if I can borrow their cell, as much as I loathe the idea. But I'll be damned if I'm going to pay a monthly fee just in case once, in a decade, I have need for anything other than a landline, or AIM on my wireless connection on my tablet. I'll also be damned if there's an emergency - maybe a fire, or a burglary, in a supermarket when I'm shopping, and no one can get in touch with their loved ones to let them know they're alive - or on the way to the hospital - just because some doofus didn't like the idea of customers/employees using cell phones on the company property.
With no more phone booths it became increasingly difficult to call home, and it was just easier for me to find her when I needed to. Actually we went to such a big church that I would use the cell phone to find her there.
But one thing I wish I would have done is taken the phone away before bed time and make that a hard and fast rule. Come to find out she was up half the night talking to people. Take the phone away before bed and put the battery in a separate place from the cell phone. My kid would find the phone and take it in the middle of the nigh after I was asleep. Sneaky.
What does this have to do with whether kids should have one now?
I was a teenager recently. My 13th birthday was Dec 25, 2005, and my 18th birthday was Dec 25, 2010. The iPhone was out for most of that time. You can't stop me from posting - I had something relevant to say, and I said it.
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