Kids and cell phones

[MJ (Premo)]

Have any of you broken down and bought your school aged kids a cell phone? I'm going to get my daughter one because of the crazy logistics of picking her up after school.

I'm leaning towards t-mobile or att. Has anyone come across a good limited local service plan? Are those pay as you go plans a rip off?

Originally Posted by Mrs. Jones

Have any of you broken down and bought your school aged kids a cell phone? I'm going to get my daughter one because of the crazy logistics of picking her up after school.

I'm leaning towards t-mobile or att. Has anyone come across a good limited local service plan? Are those pay as you go plans a rip off?

Experience with T-mobile and they suck...I have verizon and love it. I'd go with verizon or maybe something pre-paid or something you don't need a contract with.

[CMC122]

This drive's me crazy. That is all I hear from my 10 year old. So and so has a cell phone and so does so and so

I'm not in your situation but I really don't understand why a child needs a cell phone. You really don't know each day how she is getting home?

[MJ (Premo)]

Originally Posted by CMC122

This drive's me crazy. That is all I hear from my 10 year old. So and so has a cell phone and so does so and so

I'm not in your situation but I really don't understand why a child needs a cell phone. You really don't know each day how she is getting home?

Believe me I don't like it either. She goes to a small private school and the busses don't go into the neighborhoods. They pick up and drop off at locations up down the highway. Her dad will pick her up everyday, but life happens and I want her to have a way to make contact with someone. She rarely gets on the home phone, so I don't she'll be on a cell phone much. It's really me that wants her to have it. I'm a worrier when it comes to my kids.

[CMC122]

Originally Posted by Mrs. Jones

Believe me I don't like it either. She goes to a small private school and the busses don't go into the neighborhoods. They pick up and drop off at locations up down the highway. Her dad will pick her up everyday, but life happens and I want her to have a way to make contact with someone. She rarely gets on the home phone, so I don't she'll be on a cell phone much. It's really me that wants her to have it. I'm a worrier when it comes to my kids.

That I understand. I would be worried too about that.

Verizon is the best in this area.

[Ken King]

Before I would ever get a youngster a cell phone I would want to find out what exposing one so young to the emmitted RF energy would cause.

This article http://www.globalchange.com/radiation.htm says studies show that 2 hours of exposure kills brain cells in rats.

[Penn]

In some cases, maybe as Mrs. Jone mentions, school-aged kids might need a cell phone.

But I have to tell you, I've seen these - what we used to call "teenyboppers"
using these phones as if they were toys. In many cases, it's a status symbol; if you don't have one, you just aren't anybody, you know?

Where I work, my store manager has confiscated a couple from the youngsters(16-18) who he's spotted using them while on the floor, yakking away, when they should be doing something. They will call each other from 20 feet away, just because it's cool!

[BuddyLee]

Originally Posted by penncam

In some cases, maybe as Mrs. Jone mentions, school-aged kids might need a cell phone.

But I have to tell you, I've seen these - what we used to call "teenyboppers"
using these phones as if they were toys. In many cases, it's a status symbol; if you don't have one, you just aren't anybody, you know?

Where I work, my store manager has confiscated a couple from the youngsters(16-18) who he's spotted using them while on the floor, yakking away, when they should be doing something. They will call each other from 20 feet away, just because it's cool!

Not to mention the ignoramous's that get into deep conversations while driving.

I don't have a cell phone. Just one of the many things I've given up in order to go to college.

[Suz]

We use verizon. Both my son's (17 years old) are required to have one because they drive and because they work late hours. I pay the basic charge and they pay everything over it. IE: text messaging etc. I think they are both responsible when driving with it. Especially the youngest (by 2 minutes!)-he won't even answer it if he is behind the wheel!! In todays world, their having one is less worry for me-and I don't need anymore stress in my life-work (NMCI) is enough!!

[carolinagirl]

Penncam is correct - alot of these teenyboppers are using them as a status symbol. My 12 yo has been asking for one for over a year now, because two of her friends have one. It is ridiculous.

One of her friends in the neighborhood left Sat. for vacation in Fla. with her family. Last night, the friend calls from her cell phone in Fla. and leaves my daughter a message saying call me back, it doesn't matter what time because my cell will be on. They are 12 yo for God's sake!! I told my daughter you will not be calling her back today or any other day on that phone. She barely calls my daughter when she is home, so I don't know why she is calling from a cell in Fla.!