ANSWERS: 49
  • It's not a need, it's a want. Make a deal with him. Get his grades up, get chores done, whatever you need him to do, and he can have one. Then you have a tool you can leverage - his grades start to slip, whatever, he loses it.
  • He probably wants a cell phone more than he actually needs one. How old is he? If he's old enough he could always get a job and help you pay for the phone...
  • i think they are a good idea. you can keep in contact with them especially if they are the type for rolling in late lol. if i had a mobile when i was a teenager then i wouldnt have stayed out late half the time because my dad would have been straight on the phone telling me to get in NOW they can be a good thing in emergencies aswell
  • It's good to keep in touch with them when they're out.
  • I agree with the way my parents handled this situation with my sister and me. We didn't get a cell phone until we started driving by ourselves, and I wasn't allowed to drive by myself till I was 17/18.
  • I think cell phones are good in cases of emergency. If you think your teen is responsible he should be able to get one. Tell him he needs to go get a prepaid cell phone and use his allowance to buy the minutes since you won't cosign a regular contract type of service for him.
  • In this day and time it could give more peace of mind to you as well. Knowing you can contact him if you need to and he you. I guess it depends on the teen. A responsible young man should have his own. Abuse of that privilege results in losing it. Also a powerful tool for you.
  • I think that when they turn 16 and get a job to pay the bill then its ok for them to have one...
  • You can always track him with GPS. Really, my brother and I got cell phones in HS when we were into multiple activities. Things happen, especially when you can't drive, you sometimes need a way to contact people. We never really wanted them and frequently referred to them in exasperated tones as "the tracking device" or, when off, "the tracking device... deactivated." I think it's just safe and practical. You don't have to get him a bazillion minutes, just enough for emergency use. Even when I went to college (and my parents, wanting to talk to me, footed the bill because that's the kind of cheap I was when going into debt at the rate of 24,000 big ones a year), I had 100 minutes a month. All for them.
  • if he goes out alot then yes it would be a good idea that way you can always know where he is, and if something happens he can always call you. good for your piece of mind and you dont have to get a mobile on a plan you can go prepaid that way you can see how much is being spent and wont end up with a large phone bill.
  • I think it's ridiculous. Especially since it causing distactions at school and that's from the parents calling all the time. I'm only letting mine have a cheapie pre-paid one if at all and they have to pay for the minutes themselves. They will also only get if they're going somewhere and I'm not going with them. Once they're home I get the phone back.
  • If he ends up with one, I would disable texting or that's all he'll be trying to do during class, while walking, eating, breathing, driving, or chewing gum. I think an easier alternative is to purchase an 800 number directed to your cell phone. He can call you from any payphone without so much as a penny in his pocket (or a calling card for that matter).
  • I have 2 teenagers who both have phones and I like it that way so when there out n' about I can reach them at any given time. I added unlimited texting as well so the bill won't cost me and arm and a leg. As soon as my 3rd child gets older and detachs himself from me and wants to be with his friends more he too will have a cell phone.
  • Phones are always really useful to help you stay sure of where/how your kid is. If some crazy circumstance comes up he can call and you needn't worry. It doesn't matter if it's a nice phone or not, but you can't always borrow someone else's.
  • Get a pre-paid phone (Metro PCS, Virgin Mobile) and have him use his own money for it. The cell phone can be peace of mind if he's out late or if something happens.
  • Of course there's a safety issue involved, it would be nice for every parent to know that there's a way for you and your teen to get in touch with each other in case of some emergency. But honestly, how often would this really be necessary? There are phones available elsewhere. It also encroaches on the whole "trust" experiment that teens need to earn from their parents. You can't tell your kid you trust him and then keep him on a leash (aka cell phone). My ex girlfriend's mom did that to her constantly, and she was 23. I found it quite absurd. I would say, if he insists on having it, he can have one when he can get a job and pay for his own phone and cell bills.
  • It is not good, if you pay for them, you can give thme cell if they work or if they study so far from you.
  • Even elderly people and technophobes have cell phones these days. They all look at me funny when I say I don't have one. I don't see why I need one though - they're expensive, and if you really need to get a hold of someone, everyone else has a cell phone you can use.
  • I would only give a teenager a pay as you go phone at first. If they can prove they are responsible, then I would consider getting a phone with a plan that can be added onto my service.
  • Well, I feel that I need my phone. If I'm out at night, or coming home late, I need to be able to contact home. Or my mum goes slightly mental ;) They like the fact I'm always reachable. Even if I don't have enough twenty pences to use a phone box.
  • If he's old enough to get a cell phone, he's old enough to get a job to pay for it, that's my philosophy. I'm a nanny and my boss got her freaking six-year-old a cell phone...which he never used (except to call me on occasion, and usually when we were in the same room--he thought it was funny), and proceeded to lose. I think if a kid thinks he needs a cell phone he needs to be willing to take responsibility for the bill(and old enough to do so)...try a pay-as-you-go plan, as that could probably be more affordable for him. If HE is the one receiving the bill in the mail and seeing the cost, he's more likely to use it only for emergencies rather than to mess around and call or text his friends all day.
  • Being 15 I think cell phones are great. Would you rather them not get a cell phone and when they go out with their friends you can't get reach them? The whole reason I got my cell phone was because I was suppose to meet a small group of my friends at the movies but then nobody could go and they tried calling me at my moms house but I wasn't there [My parents are divorced and my dad took us to get dinner before he dropped me off]. The message never got to me that nobody was coming so I paid for my ticket and waited. I finally realized nobody was coming but I didn't have any extra money to call my dad to pick me up. If I had a cell phone at the time I would have 1. gotten the message that nobody was able to show up 2. been able to call my dad and tell him I was all alone
  • To me cell phones are a waste of money but if he wants one so bad why doesn't he go out and earn the money to pay the bill?
  • absolutely no cell phones, ???? who needs them just use a call box in my favourite stae of texas yaaaayhaw!
  • i was a good kid when i was a teen, but i had an awful memory, so was always forgetting to call my mum to update on my where abouts, so she got me a mobile then she could call me if she was ever worried or just wanted to make sure i was ok. but actually once i had it, i remembered to call her more, and she liked that so we were both happy.
  • Okay up to a point. They are very useful for contacting you when there are no phone boxes around but please get a pre-paid phone for your son. I think it is very unethical for phone companies to sign up teens to contracts that are well nigh impossible to understand. There is always going to be some kid with the newest and latest model with more "bells and whistles" than the phones the other kids have. Only buy a basic model which is pre-paid. Once your boy is working, he can upgrade if he so wishes.
  • Teen + cellphone = money pit. I still don't understand how OneTel went belly-up. First he has to get a job and buy his own cell-phone. But do him (or her?) a favour and make 'em understand how many hours they have to work to pay for the damn thing, both in the buying and in the ongoing call costs. (Okay, they are cheaper than they used to be.) It's dead money that could have been used to do something constructive in this world. Why don't teens have more interest in CB radio? Sure, it's not as convenient as a cell-phone but there are no call costs. After the initial purchase it is free!
  • get him the cheapest phone in the world and see how he handles it. Depending on that buy him a cellphone or not.
  • My 14 year old got one for her 13th birthday. She started going out on her own with friends and not only did she want one because she was suddenly "grown up" but i felt safer being able to contact her.
  • I disagree in any need for cell phones for anyone. I'm a science girl and I know for a fact the horrible electromagnetic waves that come out and not to mention the chance you will develop brain tumors. I'm 14 and I have no urge to get a phone, and hopefully I never will
  • the kid will be out a lot more and is going to need a cell phone soon! then he/she wont need to keep asking there friend to use there cell phone and thats a pain for them.
  • my parents were the same way when i wanted a phone. they didnt think it was nessicary, but i talked them into it anyway. they were so happy i had one beacuse they could get ahold of me when i was a practice, at a friends house, etc. it was so nice for them to always know where i was ( for the most part ;) ) not to mention that if practice was running long, all i had to do was shoot them a call and they would appricate not having to wait around in the parking lot for me to come out.
  • In cases of emerency they are very practical.
  • Yes i think that your teenager should have a cell in case of emergencies. And if you are scared of it getting stolen or lost just make it a cheap second hand one. all the best louise
  • I'm 26 and don't use one. Cell phones are evil.
  • FOR IT -They can call you whenever they need you -They can talk to friends without annoying you -They can keep track of time -They can call you in case some stranger comes and tries to take them AGAINST IT -Cell phones get really annoying -They cause trouble -People can say mean things -They kinda cost alot of money -They can send bad pictures -If they are old enough to drive it can cause accidents. I cant think of something else right now.
  • Just get him/her a cellphone already, catch up to the changing world... everyone needs a cellphone. Jeez.
  • I hand my phone over to my teenager when I drop him off at the movies, a sporting event, the mall or a large park. BUT- he isn't one of those kids who talk on the phone all the time. He knows it's to call home when it's time to pick him up, or in case of an emergency.
  • I think they are a necessary evil I agree with the advice above about using it as an incentive - chores, exam results etc. but phones are part of daily life these days and not having one could be viewed by his peers as a handicap. And yeah - I do think they provide additional safety. If something terrible were to happen to them and the phone could have helped - it will play on our minds. The rule that I hope to apply later in life with our little one is that I don't want to break any boundaries (First kid to have a mobile phone in his group) but I also don't want to be old fashioned - last kid to get one - no way! Good luck!
  • Honestly, I'm 15 now and I have a prepaid phone. My parents say I can't call friends on it because they want me to use it wisely. They said when I can get a job, I can get my own phone. I just keep it with me wherever I go. My parents don't ask for it when I get back home though. I asked my mom if I could get on a verizion plan. She said yes because I proved I was responsible with the pre paid phone. I never called any friends on it because if I did, I would get in trouble. When I do get this new plan, I'm not going to abuse it, I'm treating it like my other pre paid phone. I just don't want to keep dealing with getting more top-ups every month. My parents always say, school comes first before anything and I've been working very hard to get those good grades so I can have more privilages. I also do chores to get freedom, fyi.
  • personally, i didnt get a cell phone until i got a car. i begged and begged for one when i was about 14 because "all my friends had one." i was a very responsible kid. i think that if your kid is responsible then 14 is an ok age. thats when they are going and hangin out with friends and its just easier for them to call you when they are out of their movie, or done shopping. but there are those kids that arent very responsible. in that case 16 is ok. i think that if they have a car they should have a phone.
  • i had a phone since i was 8. it's a must-have for me.
  • my mom gives the best answer for that question i've ever heard: there aren't any more pay phones, so what's a kid to do these days? if your teen is active in school activities, it's a good idea to get a phone. if not, then what's the point? another good idea is to give him your old phone- it still works when calling 911, and isn't that all he needs?
  • get him a prepaid phone.start w/ $50 on the account. if is acts like an adult,treat him like one and add more time to the card,when necessary.If not,then cut back on recharging the account. no monthly bills,no contracts...
  • yes he should be able to have one, because it will help him sociallise with his friends, he wont feel so left out, and he will also need a cell phone incase of an emergency.
  • sure. give him a phone. block the picture sending/recieving though. just a fore warning.
  • I think all teens and kids that go outside and hangout or play should have a cell phone. If you really think about it it's a good thing because what if there was a guy (or girl) following them in a car. Also what if they got hurt and they didn't know any phone numbers, in a cell phone you can program numbers in them so if they got hurt they can call you or 911.
  • Cell phones for teens are fine as long as they're paying the lion's share for their use. Don't give him a free ride because he'll keep expecting it.
  • I gave my kids all one when they turned 16 and started driving. If they wanted one before that I told them to get a prepaid and pay for it themselves. Its amazing how fast they decide they don't need it when it's coming out of their own pockets.

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