Kids and mobile phones

[TooNice]

This is not a rant, I am just wondering what people's opinions are in regard to giving children access to mobile phones nowadays. As a kid, I never knew there were such things as mobile phones. I am sure they existed, in the forms of a brick, and to a very limited population.

By the time I got to middle school, I became aware of mobile phones, but thought they were exclusively for businessmen. Our school forbade the use of mobile phones altogether (mainly targeted at the rare few of the more privileged who managed to get their parents to buy them one).

Yet by the time I got to uni (not that many years later), it has already become a necessity. And now I see kids with mobile phones when I did not even know they existed. Guess this must be how my parents felt when they first saw television or other things I took for granted as a child

I am not sure if most schoolboy/girl carries a mobile phone. I rather suspect that most do by the time they are in their early teens though. Do you think that parents should/should not allow access to mobile phone to their children?

I like the idea of giving access to children modern gears so that they familiarise with technology. There are some cons in the form of misuse, but it also give parents an easier way to contact their children. Or should parents be expected to know exactly what their kids are up to at that age?

[staffsMike]

Workin in a school (and having been in many recently) I can confirm that most students regardless of age in a secondary school have them, post year 7 certainly.

Some schools have banded them due to them being used for making stupid/bullying videos for youtube etc..

I had one student trying to show me obscenity on his phone the other day.. obviously I wasn't best pleased and quite frankly if I had the enegry to deal with the aftermath I would have thrown it out the window. Raising the issue of taking a mobile phone, in the school I work in you have to have senior members of staff to get anywhere near them lol

I love having a phone, I don't see a problem with kids having them for their basic intended purposes.. it's the added extra's I don't like. They should have those disposible/cheap and nasty phones for school imo, that way they can only do the basic phoning/txting IF they need it, i.e direct contact with parents etc..

[shelley bda]

I'm in two minds about Kids and Phones, We never had them when we were Kids... but I know times have changed, that said I don't really see the need for them at School. My Kids aren't allowed to take theirs, as if they need to get hold of me then they can ring from School or ask someone to contact me, if they miss a bus they can use a phonebox, or they wait for the next one. On the other hand if they go out at night or are staying over someone house then I like them to have their phones just in case.... or if they are on School trips which are out of hours, then can contact me when they need picking up

[TooNice]

Now, this may be a silly question, but do you think that phone boxes are less common now? I hardly ever use them since I have a mobile, and when I would like one (e.g. to call numbers non-inclusive of my free minutes), I can't find one easily.

And how do you monitor a child's mobile phone use?

@staffsMike: Would you go as far as suggesting those? http://www.teddyfone.com

[staffsMike]

Errrrm.. no lol That just looks stupid..

Last time I looked ina phone box you needed a card

[Behemoth]

I'm going to be a totally boring on sold now and say that no kid under the age of 16 needs a mobile phone. I didn't have one till I was 19, and that was purely because they were so expensive (even on pay as you go back in 2000)

I agree its great for parents peace of mind that they have them, but do they really need to take them to school to text their mate who is only in the next seat away ? In the same room ?

Phones can also be used as mocking someone who doesn't have the latest model. Not having one with a camera, MP3 player, I could go on.

Then you see and hear about this business of kids being bullied and having photo's/video's taken of the deed in question and used on the internet to bully the victim some more by putting the vids on youtube or beebo or whatever.

They weren't around when I was at school and I managed perfectly well without one, so did everyone else that I went to school with for that matter.

Anyway I'll get off my soap box now.

[lodore]

I didnt bother with a mobile phone for at school. i went to a local school.
my sister got my dad's old phone since she went to quite far away school (1 hour bus trip each way) it was used just to contact our parents in case of emergancy or like bus late etc. I dont use my mobile much these days eiether tbh lol.

[fezfezed]

....Phones can also be used as mocking someone who doesn't have the latest model. Not having one with a camera, MP3 player, I could go on.

Ah yes I remember when the first polyphonic ringtone phones came out and I was stuck with old bleepy (aka Nokia 3330). It leads to unnecesary divides and bullying in school. Really parents have become too easy on their kids these days. Plus there is nothing worse than having to commute on a bus in the morning that goes through a few secondary school areas (aka the Number 8 bus), with 'yutes' sitting on the back seats listening to music that they have leeched of limewire through sub par speakers on their phone.

[TooNice]

@Behemoth: Ah yes, those are some of the points put forward when I had that discussion (okay, it's not complete coincidence I made this thread). I can relate to you, give or take one or two years when it comes to the year I started using mobile phones.

The thing though, is that a lot of things are not 'needed' in our parent's youth that we probably did take for granted as we grew up (let's say a computer). In fairness, I can't think of many reasons in favour for. The fact that I am in favour of letting children play with all the technology available so long as it's safe, is more of a personal bias. It can be used as a safeguard for parents to keep in touch with their children for various reasons, though I am not sure how much convenience does it add (really, the teachers should be easy to keep in touch, and know where the students are).

I am even less sold on the arguments against though. Bullying will happen at school, with, or without mobile phones. Kids can pick on various things, such as the clothing, trainers, freckles etc. - I can't see the absence of mobile phone changing that.

Capturing videos of people getting bullied in camera is an issue, but can mobile phones be blamed for that? The Teddyfone may be daft (and *cause* bullying to occur), but restricting kids to no-frill phones is the way forward?

@shelley bda: Did you opt for PAYG or contracts for your children (I am guessing PAYG makes more sense in case they lose it or something)? And is there anything you do to ensure that they are not misused in some way (as commented above)?

[Behemoth]

@Behemoth: Ah yes, those are some of the points put forward when I had that discussion (okay, it's not complete coincidence I made this thread). I can relate to you, give or take one or two years when it comes to the year I started using mobile phones.

The thing though, is that a lot of things are not 'needed' in our parent's youth that we probably did take for granted as we grew up (let's say a computer). In fairness, I can't think of many reasons in favour for. The fact that I am in favour of letting children play with all the technology available so long as it's safe, is more of a personal bias. It can be used as a safeguard for parents to keep in touch with their children for various reasons, though I am not sure how much convenience does it add (really, the teachers should be easy to keep in touch, and know where the students are).

I am even less sold on the arguments against though. Bullying will happen at school, with, or without mobile phones. Kids can pick on various things, such as the clothing, trainers, freckles etc. - I can't see the absence of mobile phone changing that.

Capturing videos of people getting bullied in camera is an issue, but can mobile phones be blamed for that? The Teddyfone may be daft (and *cause* bullying to occur), but restricting kids to no-frill phones is the way forward?

@shelley bda: Did you opt for PAYG or contracts for your children (I am guessing PAYG makes more sense in case they lose it or something)? And is there anything you do to ensure that they are not misused in some way (as commented above)?

I agree, without the phones bullying would still happen, and I wasn't trying to blame them for it either. I was just pointing out that now if bullied and if caught on camera phone that it can be passed around and the victim can be tormented with it more.

When I used to get a pasting off someone in school, for doing nothing, to be reminded of it verbally was bad enough, but you could deal with it. To see it again and again is the really nasty part, its no wonder alot of kids (not all) have deicded to take their own life (in the very extreme cases) or to not bother turning up at school.

Anyway I'm off to bed now.

[DeadElvi$]

kids shouldnt have mobiles or at least mine wont

[0iD]

I allowed the eldest two to have one once they reached their teens. The same will apply to the youngest. Having said that, keeping 16 & 18 yr old daughters in contract phones is an expensive business

[Stringent]

I'd never let my kids have contract phones, they can take their credit out of their allowance. Bullying would still happen, phones are the in thing, where as before it was the clothes or how your wore your tie etc. The fact that phones are media devices too makes them more annoying. Taking photos, videos and upload them straight onto YouTube/Facebook/MySpace. I'd also not allow my kid to have such a Social Network site account either till of age.

Do kids need phones? Well no, if they go out with mates sure. Not in school though. If they need to contact their parents they can get reception to ring them for whatever reason.

[0iD]

Well my issue with PAYG phones as they got older is that I never wanted them to be unable to call if they needed picking up, or help etc because they'd run out of credit. Phones in school are indeed unnecessary, you see them all at break huddled in bunches, or in corners texting each other, even though they are probably only feet apart.

Kids never seem to look up these days, just wander around, head down, staring at their mobile/mp3 player.

[listy]

mrs want to get a mobile her kids but way i say it once they are old enough to keep it in credit maybe

[Bugbait]

If my children were catching public transport I'd want them to have a prepaid mobile in case of emergencies. Having used the London public transport for a few years I'd struggle without a phone to contact the wife and friends when needed. Wouldn't put them on a contract though, and the phone would be about 5 generations old and so crap that no one would want to steal it. By the time they "need" it for social seasons they can pay for it themselves.