All I wanted when I was 12 years old was the newest Barbie Doll outfit. My 12 year old daughter has recently been begging for her first cordless phone. Her selling point is that she will “make it safer”. After pondering this for days, I began to look at the safety aspects of making this investment.
The most practical part of buying a cell phone for my teenage son was his ability to contact me in an emergency. This does not include running out of cash at The Fashion Barn. This security measure allows me to give him more freedom, within our established family rules, and ensures that he can call me at any time and for any reason.
But several questions remained. We need to discuss the use of your mobile device at school. Many schools now have strict policies about cell phone use on campus. Ringing cell phones are a disruption during class and teens texting probably aren’t paying close attention to the English lesson.
Who was going to pay for the mobile? Would my daughter use the allowance money or the money earned babysitting and her new summer job? We all know that mobile phone use can be quite costly if not monitored frequently. How was the mobile phone going to be used? I know that mobile phones are now being used to harass classmates, cheat on exams, and plot the overthrow of small third world governments.
Should I ask her to use her cell phone only for emergencies or put a limit on the friends she can call? One of the merits of getting him the cell phone was my ability to track his whereabouts using the GPS feature on the phone. So now when she calls to say she’s home, I can check from work that she’s okay.
One big concern I had was text messaging. I’ve heard all about the explicit text messages that teens send and receive. He was sure it would take a conversation with an adult to explain why this behavior would not be acceptable. One study found that one in five teens had sent or posted a nude photo of themselves. My daughter would need a reminder that these photos will stay forever and possibly come back to haunt her on a college application or future job search, unless she plans a “Girls Gone Wild” career.
After listening to numerous educators, children, and parents, The Wireless Foundation, CTIA – The Wireless Association, and their members have developed the “Be Smart. Be Fair. Be Safe: Responsible Wireless Use” campaign (http://www.besmartwireless. com) ). They offer valuable tips to help parents start a conversation with their children about mobile phone use.
Since this was a pretty big investment, I want to make sure your cell phone is protected from damage. We all remember how his camera ended up in the bathtub. After a quick search online, we found a cute and cuddly cell phone case in the shape of a Dalmatian dog (just like our family pet). My daughter was able to attach the plush cell phone accessory to her jeans using the sturdy key clip. Now her cell phone is safe from drops and bumps and will hopefully last a while. At least until the conversation about the boys happens.