Is It Safe For My Teen To Carry A Cell Phone? Questions To Ponder For Teen Cell Phone Use
All I wanted when I was 12 was the newest David Cassidy record
. Recently my 12-year-old daughter has been pleading for her first mobile phone. Her sales pitch is that it will make her safer. After pondering this for awhile, I began to research the safety aspect of getting her this big-ticket purchase, a cell phone.The most practical aspect of buying a cell phone for my daughter was her ability to contact me in case of an emergency. This does not include running out of money at the shopping mall. This safety measure allows me to give her more freedom, within our set boundaries, and assures me that she can phone me at any time, for any reason.
But several questions remained. We need to talk about her use of the mobile device at school. Many schools now have strict policies on the use of cell phones on campus. Ringing cell phones are disruptive during class and texting teens are probably not paying much attention to the math lesson.
Who was going to pay for the mobile phone? Would my daughter use allowance money or money earned babysitting and her new summertime job? We all know mobile phone use can get quite costly if it is not scrutinized frequently.
How was the cell phone going to be used? I know that cell phones are now used for harassing fellow classmates, cheating on tests and organizing the overthrow of small third-world governments. Should I ask her to use the cell phone only for emergencies or put a limit on the friends she can call?
One of the merits of getting her the cell phone was my ability to track her whereabouts using the GPS feature on the phone. So now when she calls me to tell me she is home, I can actually check from work to see that she has arrived safely.
A big fear I had was text messaging. I have heard recently about the racy text messages that teens are sending and receiving. I was sure an adult conversation would be needed to explain to her why this was inappropriate behavior. A study found that one in five teens had sent or posted a naked picture of themselves. My daughter would need a reminder that these photos remain forever and may come back to haunt her in a college school application or future job search unless she plans on a Girls Gone Wild career.
After listening to numerous educators, kids and parents, The Wireless Foundation, CTIA-The Wireless Association and its members have developed the "Be Smart. Be Fair. Be Safe: Responsible Wireless Use" campaign (www.besmartwireless.com). They offer valuable tips to help parents begin start a conversation with their kids about mobile phone use.
Since this was a pretty big investment, I want to make sure her cell phone is protected from damage. We all remember how her iPod ended up in the bathtub. After a quick online search, we found a cute and cuddly cell phone cover in the shape of a pink monkey. My daughter was able to attach the plush cell phone accessory to her backpack using the heavy duty key-clip. Now her cell phone is safe from drops and dings and will hopefully last awhile.
At least until the conversation about the birds and bees occurs.
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