Positive Parenting: The Cell Phone Zone

The idea of children having cell phones has quickly become one of the great debates in households across the nation. On one side of the coin, giving your kid a cell phone provides instant access to him at all times. On the other side of the coin there is the issue of being distracted by the phone. And even still, there is the underlying issue of age—how young is too young to have a cell phone? 

We live in the age of information and parents are noticing an increasing need to provide cell phones to their children; especially if they are working parents who may rely on the tried-and-true school bus to bring their kids home safely. Many parents are finding their backs up against the wall with this issue because cell phones are all too quickly getting into the hands of children as young as 8!

At the end of the day only you can decide if your child needs a cell phone, but there are several factors to consider.

Cell phones nowadays have many features that automatically give your child access to the Internet. There is no parental code to block certain websites from a phone unless you opt to go with a carrier that caters to younger children (e.g. Firefly and TicTalk).

Another issue to consider is that more often than not, a cell phone can be a bit of a distraction, especially when it comes to school. A few schools in New York noticed this, and have banned cell phone usage on school premises. 

As a positive parent, your child's safety is paramount, and through taking proper measures you can definitely ensure that your child is safe should you decide to get him a cell phone.

One of the major things to consider is the exposure to radiation that a cell phone will subject your child to. Ask yourself if it is an absolute necessity. If you find that it is, then consider getting a kid-friendly, prepaid telephone that will enable you as the parent to have more control over your child’s usage as well as reducing any potential cyber-dangers that your child could be a target of.