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Help! Should a 10 year old have her own phone? |
neilpowell64
Joined: Mar 16, 2002
Posts: 173
From: UK
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My sister got a 3310 when she was 11.
Close enough. THe 3310 was quite a good fone then!
Not so much now  |
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kolhatkar
Joined: Mar 13, 2002
Posts: 45
From: London, England
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This is certainly an interesting debate, intensified by the fact that posters to this site are from such differing backgrounds, cultures and nations.
Whilst I agree with the majority, in that 10 may be a little too young to have a mobile, I think that once a child does have a pre-paid mobile, there is certainly a valuable lesson to be learnt.
Having to buy vouchers in order to use the phone can be a usefull lesson in budgeting and learning the value of money. Its also a first step into independence.
Wait till she's a bit older for reasons outlined by many others and also so that all her pocket money isn't consumed by pp vouchers!
Ish |
Ninja
Joined: Apr 08, 2002
Posts: 33
PM, WWW
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This is perfect timing for me...my daughter just turned 11 and has started to ask for one.....i needed to read this thanks...i was wondering this exact thing... |
Silfver
Joined: Apr 08, 2002
Posts: 22
From: Finland
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Does she need one?
Does she have lots of hobbies like football, baseball, dancing etc.
If she does, that means she is usualy at practise in the evnings and whit a cellphone could call you to pick her up and stuff like that.
If she doesen't then she don't need a phone.
I have a cousin (13) who plays hockey in the winter and football in the sommer. He has had a gsm phone (Nokia 5110) for two years now and his pill is about 5euros per month.
I think that if somebody so young needs a cellphone he or she can allso keep the pill under control.
Here in finland we can put a limit to our phones like 15 euros. When the limit is reached you can still receave phonecalls but you can't make a phonecall.
Think it over. |
gullak
Joined: Mar 29, 2002
Posts: 64
From: Copenhagen, Denmark
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New tech things is good, but the need for most of them isn't permit for a 10-11 year old child.
I can see the point when it comes to being able to reach them, or them being able to reach their parents, after some activities. But then you should have a phone that is so cheap and big that it wouldn't mean the world if it was lost, and it wouldn't be easy for your daughter or son to forget it somewhere because of the size. And another good thing with a big phone for special occasitions is that they won't beg you to let them bring it so school. And then, make a rule not only with own kid, but the whole class, he/she is in, that cell phones are banned in school. They have no purpose besides from being showed off and it will delay the needs for a phone in the childrens mind, because it then wouldn't be so visible to them.
Let them be children for as long time as possible  |
Genghis
Joined: Mar 20, 2002
Posts: 141
From: Cardiff, Wales
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Hi there, just my input. My little sister has had one since she was 7, my mum gave her her old contract phone and put a pay as you go sim in it. So far she has had it a year and a half and it hasn't been nicked, she hasn't had any complaints from the teachers in school (or any other adult for that matter) she calls home all the time to ask permision to stay out later and if she can go to a different park with her friends, and suprisingly she still only has two eyes and one head ;-) so the radiation cant me that bad.
My mum puts £5 credit on the phone per month as part of her pocket money, and even if she runs out of credit we can still call her.
I was suprised to find out that the majority of kids in her school carry a mobile phone (especially here in wales where we only just got colour tv and the power stations are run by donkeys instead of coal :-D), the teachers put it in a news letter saying that any phones used while in the class room will be confiscated and returned to the parents, but that just seems like common sense to me.
In my oppinion, Good idea, within reason. |
jems
Joined: Apr 09, 2002
Posts: 55
From: Quezon City, Philippines
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If you can afford it, give her a cellphone. It's for your peace of mind because you can contact her anytime and know her whereabouts.She will be able to call you when she needs help or something. If your server has a Mapping service, you can locate you kid anytime without her knowing it. |
roadrunner
Joined: Mar 23, 2002
Posts: 26
From: Hungary
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Very interesting opinions, I'll surely be more understanding when we will have to come to deceison in a couple of years.
Still I'm afraid, that the original question is a bit ignored, and we are debating whether a cellphone is a good thing or not. (It's easier to decide than whether pizza is a good thing or not )
I have to admit that the examples everybody have written are unquestionable, still my opinion is that if you'd really want to find the reason why children at the age of ten want a mobile phone is mostly that the others have one, sending sms and calling each other while in school is funny, there are games in them, having one feels adultish, and it is great to show off.
(Like 10-20 years later having a fancy convertible car but wearing jogging suite. ) |
jamojdm
Joined: Jan 13, 2002
Posts: 290
From: Manchester - UK
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Give her an old phone with a pay as you go sim in it. Kids round here in Manchester UK are having phones stolen almost as fast as they get them. Gangs are forming that go round and steal phones by ganging up on young people.
If I had a daughter i'd give her an old 5110 to get her going. If she looses it she looses it. If she doesn't and keeps it for say 6 months get her a good phone???
I can see definate benefits to it but also see many drawbacks.
Hope i helped
Jamo |
cadcad
Joined: Mar 01, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Lebanon
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Ah! Sorry, I forgot to ask also: how do we know if the slots are 4+1 or they remain 3+1 after the upgrade! Thanks again.
This post was posted from a T68 |
cadcad
Joined: Mar 01, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Lebanon
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NO SHE SHOULDN'T. Am telling u that after an experience!
This post was posted from a T68 |
Deltayoda
Joined: Mar 03, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Los Angeles, California
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Although, I dont have kids, yet, hehe, I agree with a lot of people here to give her an old phone and then buy her a new phone if she keeps it a well good condition (don’t tell her you’ll buy her a new one, or the scams off, hehe). As for emergency use, I think it’s a great idea, but what happens when she runs out of minutes and she can’t call you?
However, I have to also agree with jamojdm about gangs and stolen phones, especially at such a young age. I’ve been to France about 2 months ago and I’ve seen kids ganging up on a little guy for his phone (which I happened to stop with a few people).
I think it all pretty much ends up to how your area is around you, her school, and the area she tends to hang out at.
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lor
Joined: Mar 07, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Planet Bob
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only get her one if you think she really needs one, it could be at any age. not because everyone else has one or because it's the in thing at that moment.
she could be 11 or 12, or even 16. hell, i didn't even need a cell phone till i was 22.
[addsig] |
Silencer
Joined: Mar 18, 2002
Posts: 105
From: Norway
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My boyf's cousin didn't get one until he was 16. (Last year) I got my first at 23. My boyf got his at 31.
My personal opinion, based on scientific material, is that maybe it's wise to wait a little longer.
I guess it's a kind of "big- city- fenomena" that kids have to have cell- phones in an early age.
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Aut vincere aut mori, sic itur ad astra.
[ This Message was edited by: Silencer on 2002-04-22 16:26 ] |
evoke
Joined: Mar 05, 2002
Posts: > 500
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So what did you do? Did you get your daughter a mobile phone in the end?
Ed
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The Hacienda must be rebuilt!!
[ This Message was edited by: edwardm on 2002-05-22 22:24 ] |
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Posted: 2002-04-07 14:07
