13 Apr 2006

Cell Phones for Kids Under 15: a Responsible Question

Rest assured: if your child under 15 has asked you to get him or her a cell phone, you are in good company. The number of parents weighing the pros and cons of buying a cell phone for their kids (ages 15 and younger) has been growing exponentially in the past five years. According to a study by The Yankee Group, close to 50% of kids today own wireless phones-an even split that illustrates the dilemma most parents are facing in this regard.

Kids and Cell Phones: What Parents Like

On one hand, parents see a cell phone as a valuable way to be in touch with their children in case of emergencies big and small. If your daughter's soccer practice is running late or if you are stuck in traffic on your way to picking her up, the kid or you can just pick up the phone and let the other know. And if you are a particularly apprehensive parent, a cell phone equipped with GPS technology enables you to monitor your kid's whereabouts at all times.

Many parents also see a cell phone for kids as a valuable tool to teach how to handle an added responsibility. The size of the wireless bill, the list of phone calls and whether the child stays in touch when he or she is supposed to are all things that can be used by the parents to teach accountability.

The Main Concerns About Getting Kids Their Own Cell Phones

On the liability side, a cell phone can give the kid freedom to communicate with anyone, posing similar risks as the Internet--text messaging from strangers, cyber bullying, calls to or from unwanted parties or simply excessive distractions. Then there is the more mundane factor of cost: since children do not yet fully understand the value of money, they can easily rack up cell-phone bills of jaw-dropping proportion--unless some sensible precautions are put into place.

The Available Cell Phones for Kids: the Cingular Firefly and the LG Migo

Luckily for parents, many wireless companies have listened to their concerns and introduced kids' cell phones specifically designed to be parent-approved and child-friendly. The Cingular Firefly--one of today's most popular kid's phones--has visible mom and dad speed-dial buttons, a phone book restricted to 20 numbers, a large 911 key and parent-programmable restrictions for incoming and outgoing numbers. Another popular phone for children, the LG Migo, features only four speed-dial buttons and a visible emergency key. So as long as the parents hold the PIN number, only they can add or modify the phone-book entries and the restrictions in the Firefly or Migo phones.

Cell Phones for Kids: Rules and Responsibility

So, is it thumbs up or thumbs down? As with most issues pertaining to parenting and education, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Parents need to consider whether their child is ready to take on the responsibility of a wireless phone, while being themselves prepared for the task of educating and monitoring the child on cell phone rules.

Parents who are leaning towards buying a cell phone for their pre-15 kids and want to go about it the safe way may find the following suggestions helpful:

Be completely upfront with the child about cell phone rules and etiquette (e.g. no texting or talking in class and at the dinner table)
Sign on to a prepaid plan so as to avoid the surprise of a big bill
Limit the cell phone's capabilities to exclude the Internet, videogames, text messaging or other features that may be too distracting
Closely monitor the bill so as to always know who the child is communicating with
Select a phone specifically designed to have child-friendly and parent-approved features, such as the Cingular Firefly or the LG Migo

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