Buying A Cell Phone For A Youngster

By Author: Neo Nashville
Total Articles: 30
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Just over a decade ago, very few children had their own cell phones. This was due to a combination of parental reluctance and the fact that mobile phones were still an expensive luxury at this point.

Since then, mobile phones have got a lot cheaper, and pay as you go contracts have become available that preclude the possibility of running up a massive phone bill. Recently, several phones have come onto the market that have been specifically designed for children, with bright colours, large speed dialling buttons and parental controls amongst other features. Today, nearly fifty percent of under 15s in the UK have their own cell phone.

Mobile phones can be a good way for parents and children alike to get in touch with each other in an emergency, or if one of them is running late for whatever reason. Some phones have a GPS chip installed in them, which allows parents to see where their children are at all times via a laptop computer or PDA connected to the web.

Giving a child their own cell phone can be a good way to teach them responsibility, and the value of money. A pay as you go phone will give children ...
... an immediate sense of how much their phone use is costing them, and will convince them of the need to limit their phone use for financial reasons.

One of the reasons why parents are often reluctant to let their children have mobile phones is that they worry that they will distract them from their schoolwork, or expose them to unwelcome influences.

Another common concern is that children will run up giant phone bills by talking to their friends all the time, without realising how much it is costing.

Naturally, the mobile phone manufacturers have managed to find ways to allay these concerns. Most of the kiddie phones that are currently available allow parents to set strict limits on what the phone is used for, and when it can be used.

If you do buy a child their own cell phone, it is a good idea to set some clear boundaries for their usage of it, such as not allowing them to use it in the classroom, at the dinner table, or after a certain time at night.
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