Should parents give children (under the age of 15) cell phones?
For example, I had a co-worker whose son was 11 and he had to walk home from school, mostly alone. He had a cell phone for safety purposes. It was restricted to mom, dad, grandma and 911. It also allowed him to not have to find a quarter to call her if he wanted to do something besides go straight home after school. Many schools won’t allow children to use the phone in the office to call home unless they are sick, so this way he could speak with her (or his dad) with very little hassle. If I had a 14 year old that was babysitting, I would want him/her to have a cell phone, again for safety. If power goes out, cell phones will (sometimes) still work. However, if we’re talking about “I have to be able to keep up with Billy and Susie and everyone else,” as the reason for giving it to them, then no. Unless they can pay the whole bill on their own, then I would have to re-think it.
