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Help! Should a 10 year old have her own phone? |
Xeleven
Joined: Mar 14, 2002
Posts: 64
From: Oslo Norway
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Help me out here guys! I'm under a lot of pressure from my daughter who is 10 years old. She wants her own phone, all her friends have one, but so far I've said no way. I mean, they use it for games and sending meaningless SMS's to eachother, costs a lot of money as well.
On the other hand, if I'd been 10 I know I would have given my parents a hard time, and you know how it is when everybody but you have something.
So, should she get one? Am I just being old fashioned about this? |
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Bazboy
Joined: Feb 25, 2002
Posts: 390
From: Leicester, UK
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Makes sence for her to have one I think.
On the positive side of things, you can call her whenever you want to make sure she is safe and ok. She can also call you to let you know if shes going to be late from a friends place or school or wherever it may be.
Kids nowadays want want want!!! And 9 times outta 10... they GET GET GET!! LOL..
And ur right... when I was 10 I wanted loads of things to... but did i get them.. NO!!! The perils of having strict parents. 
Id buy her a nice little phone if I was you mate.
Baz |
jack078
Joined: Mar 10, 2002
Posts: 187
From: toronto
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mate, in my opinion, child has a cell phone is a good thing (if its affortable). cuz is better for us, parents to contact them, knowing where they are, who they are with. kinda safety stuff for a child in nowadays.
but for SMS, NO for sure, useless for them, waste money.
if I were you, I would get her a cell phone (of cuz the cheapest one) and cut off all the SMS service. Just let her use it as a Cell Phone.
when I was 10, I wouldn't imagine what is Cell Phone... lol
todays kids.. lol so damn lucky! |
socarb
Joined: Dec 05, 2001
Posts: 81
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No! Every time they discuss brain damage from cellular phones they can't find no reliable evidents - except for children. Children seems to be more sensitive to radiation. So don't risk anything with your daughter - buy her something else. That's my absolute advice! (I'm myself a researcher...) |
mhorton
Joined: Jan 13, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: UK
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I think she should have one. If she is going out with her friends you can call her to see where she is and to tell her to come home or whatever. It's a good for safty
I had my first phone when I was 15.. But mind you 10 is a bit young maybe...
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Super G
Joined: Mar 07, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: France
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To my mind, it makes sense to buy a phone to a kid, but only for safety reasons. Though kids have been safe earlier without any phone, parents seem to feel better when they know they can reach their child and vice-versa, at almost any time. Of course it depends on where you live, whether it is a safe area or not, etc.
However, a mobile phone is always an item some do like to steal, and that's the bad side of it, because although a phone brings the safety mentionned above, it also makes your child more vulnerable to being robbed.
Now if you go for it, you could think about a prepaid service, and educate your daughter so that when the monthly allowance is reached, she can't use it anymore (emergency calls would still work though. They work without any SIM card) meaning that you wouldn't prepay for more communications. Then she would learn by herself to put some limits to the usage of her phone. Also, phones have call barring functionality, which allows you to monitor more carefully what to allow to your child.
The choice is yours!  |
mixin
Joined: Jan 26, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Notts, UK
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It would be a good idea to get one, but when in the news have you ever heard a story about a child using a mobile as a safety device?
She is only 10, i personaly dont think she is old enough to own one. After all, it will be you who will be paying the bills, and the cost of all those expensive SMS's she sends. The only way to show her the true costs of the phone, is to let her pay. Then she'll realise she wont have enough cash to keep it up and running.
I think all it is is peer presure. after all, you said all her friends have them, i think she just feels left out. You should ask her why she really wants it.. see if she what answer she gives. Then you can decide what to get her.
And even if you do decide to get her one, you can pick nokias up for dirt cheap nowadays. It doesnt even have to be an advanced phone, limit her to voice calls and sms, dont get her a wap phone  |
peanut
Joined: Mar 18, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: UK: Oxon and Leics
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Medically speaking i don't think it is wise as child bone tissue is more absorbent to radiation. If you do get one only allow to take it in situations where it may be needed and block the number to just one or two numbers
This post was posted from a T68 |
Xeleven
Joined: Mar 14, 2002
Posts: 64
From: Oslo Norway
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Thanks guys! You've certainly given me a lot to think about. Seems like most of you are in favour of giving her one, and if I do I will for sure insist that she uses a hands-free soulution because of the possible radiation risks
Thanks again, though the desicion hasn't become a lot easier |
PC_Power
Joined: Jan 08, 2002
Posts: 59
From: Sweden
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Say NO! And buy her a TV or something...
Wait for two years and buy her a cool phone (not a Nokia 3210, 3310, 3330)
Then she will be the queen! |
EyeSee
Joined: Mar 07, 2002
Posts: 4
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I wouldn't let a child have their own phone myself, especially at that age. Like a couple of people mentioned above, children are at a much greater risk from radiation than adults. Everything i've heard on the news/tv programs have warned of the dangers to children.
I wouldn't risk it. Maybe when she hits the teenage years but not yet. |
mixin
Joined: Jan 26, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Notts, UK
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buying a "cool" phone for a child is not wise.
I remember reading somewhere that the majority of items taken of children in street muggings in mobile phones. if you bought your child an expensive phone, and they were mugged, then not only do they lose the phone, but the child can be mentally scared aswell.
Buying the child a cheap 3210, it would have less appeal to a mugger, and would be less lilkely to be stolen. and, a 3210 has all the features that a child needs... do they really need voice dial, GPRS, colour screen, etc etc...
[ This Message was edited by: MixiN on 2002-03-28 13:27 ] |
socarb
Joined: Dec 05, 2001
Posts: 81
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I wouldn't trust a handsfree too much in this case. She must have the phone somewere, mustn't she...? |
john74
Joined: Dec 21, 2001
Posts: > 500
From: GREECE/AUSTRALIA
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Yeah why not it aint no drug,just make sure she doesnt take after her Dad with bad habits (expensive phones and Motorcycles) 
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Xeleven
Joined: Mar 14, 2002
Posts: 64
From: Oslo Norway
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@john74
..I stand corrected... Think I'll just show my daugther your replies and underline that you guys, and not her friends, are the ones that know what they're talking about. Hopefully, she'll be off my back for a few months then.
Thanx again |
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Posted: 2002-03-28 12:08
