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curious My 2nd grader's friends already have cell phones. I refuse to get her one yet, but this year seemed like the right time to get my 6th grader one. It wasn't even a week before she needed a lesson on texting etiquette. She was constantly texting at places like the dinner table.
It was amazing how quickly this obsession took hold of her but I also use my phone like a mad woman so at least I "get it". With a couple exceptions, most of my friends just a few years older don't use theirs nearly as much as I do. Most of the older generations in my family still have no idea how to even send a text and hate how the younger generation constantly has phones going off during family gatherings. The "generation y" line has been drawn. I can't wait for stories of how people had to walk uphill barefoot both ways in the snow to get to a library for a book report.
A quick search turns up endless articles blaming the constant texting, tweeting, facebook, and easily accessible information for creating a generation of self-absorbed kids with poor work ethic and no attention span now entering the work place, though they are undeniably more connected, more knowledgeable about technology, and better able to balance work and play. A previous post hit on the fact that the younger ones are apparently unable to spell because of all the txtspeak, but few of them seem to think this skill is even important anymore.
Are you part of this obsession? Are your parents or does it annoy them? What age is "too young" for a cell phone and do you enforce any rules like not using cell phones at dinner or during movies? Any other thoughts or pet peeves about this txting/pic messaging/tweeting/facebooking/cellphone obsessed generation?
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March 6 2010, 23:01:08 UTC 2 years ago
Kiddo-wise, I'm not sure where I'd draw the line in the sand. Obviously no younger than 5, but I can see instances where it'd be good for a 5 year old to have a cell phone (restricted to only family calls). When I was teaching 3rd grade a good majority of them had them. Whenever the time comes for her, I'll definitely be teaching her phone etiquette. As a theatre person, phones in the audience drives me INSANE. I hope she will be just as annoyed. LOL.
For reference, I'm 29 and kiddo is 5.
March 6 2010, 23:10:41 UTC 2 years ago
My dad had to carry a cell phone with him for work ... he ran it over with his truck. Got a new one and that one is well on it's way to being busted too. He's so not technological at all. Same with my mom, though she understands it better. She's constantly asking me to text my sister and tell her this, that and the other thing.
It's hard to tell what age is too young anymore. I mean, when I was 8/10 I was still giving my Barbies haircuts and making them go to the Royal Ball with Optimus Prime ... my daughter is only 5 in kindergarten and they're already learning the internet.
I feel so old because I can say "times have sure changed from when I was a kid !!"
March 6 2010, 23:22:51 UTC 2 years ago
March 6 2010, 23:53:32 UTC 2 years ago Edited: March 6 2010, 23:54:11 UTC
Oh yeah. Glad you mentioned that! This obsession is also raising a generation of cam whores as well.
I catch my 7 year old posing like that with my camera sometimes and I'm equally disturbed. My oldest daughter and I are both pretty camera shy so I can only assume the younger one is mimicking this behavior from the other girls at school.
I keep hearing more and more stories of naive middle and high school girls traumatized and or punished when an inappropriate under-aged pic they text some boy gets passed around school.
March 6 2010, 23:42:05 UTC 2 years ago
I don't think I'm part of the obsession , but I definitely text and facebook more than I call my family and friends.
March 7 2010, 14:05:34 UTC 2 years ago
I'm getting back to the art of the handwritten letter for this reason.
I'm sure it won't interfere with my texting though. ^_O
March 6 2010, 23:43:11 UTC 2 years ago
Now resume making kissy faces.
March 7 2010, 00:03:33 UTC 2 years ago Edited: March 7 2010, 00:12:11 UTC
And no true cam whore pic is complete without gratuitous amounts of bewbage.
*edited to link my intended definition of the term cam whore before I get tarred and feathered for using the word whore to describe everyone who takes pictures of themselves.
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March 6 2010, 23:44:27 UTC 2 years ago
My little brother is ten and has a cell phone. My mom lives in a small town and he and his friends like to walk around. It's hard for him to call home if he needs a ride because there are absolutely no pay phones anymore.
My sister is 7 and doesn't have a cell phone. She doesn't need one because she's so young. She's either in school or with my mom or at a friend's house. I guess it depends on the kid.
March 7 2010, 00:10:19 UTC 2 years ago
Texting didn't create self-centered brats, it's just a new and exciting way to display that self-centeredness. Parents who cater to their child's every whim, however...
That said, I'd probably start my kid off with a kiddie phone that is programed so she can only call us and emergency, and that would be when she starts going to school on her own (likely 9 or 10 depending on how far we live from the school). After 2 years of successfully hanging onto that and rigorous cell phone training, she could get a real phone on a prepaid service and she'd have to make sure to keep up the bill herself with her allowance (she's gonna work for that thing).
March 7 2010, 00:23:37 UTC 2 years ago Edited: March 7 2010, 00:25:21 UTC
I agree, but I definitely see how preoccupied and self-absorbed some of my own friends have become with their phones. My best friend and I are usually on the same parenting page with everything, but her 5 year old even has a droid and my friend herself is so cell-obsessed that we frequently pull her phone out of her hand and put it in one of our purses when we're out with her. And she's THIRTY.
I did get my youngest one of those kiddie phones. I think those are perfect for her age.
*edit: end /i tag fail
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March 7 2010, 00:31:39 UTC 2 years ago
I txt a fair amount. My parents actually prefer a txt to let them know I am still alive.( i moved out and hate calling,always have hated to pick up the phone even as a kid) If it is a old movie that has been seen a millions times then txting is ok.
I hate netspeak or the hi hw r u doin'. I can't send or recieve photos and I am 23,but then again my daddy still pays my bills. :)
March 7 2010, 19:45:56 UTC 2 years ago
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March 7 2010, 00:32:58 UTC 2 years ago
Their communication/writing skills haven't suffered at all. They do well in those subjects. Language evolves, though, so I'm not too worried about what's happened to spelling and grammar. It's a living thing, and should reflect what's happening to us. We don't sound anything like Shakespearean plays for that very reason.
Second grade sounds awfully young, even today, even factoring for the predictable creep downward in the generations. I'm still a little worried about some of those studies about brain tumors, so I'm in no hurry to get anyone a new phone.
And I really hope that attention spans and brain wiring *does* change to fit all this stuff. I've long lamented that information can just pile in on me but my brain is still processing at my ol' caveman rate.
I'm fairly old, comparatively, so my parents, who are in their 80's, don't know from cell phones much. My dad has one so if he gets separated from people, since he's blind.
March 7 2010, 02:17:57 UTC 2 years ago
I got my first cellphone when I was in high school, even though the other girls had them since middle school. Same with my older sister. Right now in college I have a smartphone but I never use it. I don't text, I don't use it to call except for "business calls" i.e. calling for a ride, talking to mom about errands I need to run, etc. I've never felt it was important other than for emergency purposes and using the calendar function.
I hate seeing all these >children< abusing cellphones. If I had a daughter I wouldn't give her a real phone till I knew she was ready for it, and when she was in middle school I probably would give her one of those "kid phones" with the limited functionality. What does a child need a cellphone? I was fine without one.
I don't think it's just the environment that is affecting the kids though. Yeah, sure it's a big part of it but...I think it has to do with the parenting a bit too. Might be just me, though.
March 7 2010, 03:50:36 UTC 2 years ago
Are your parents or does it annoy them? My mother doesn't really get the difference between a cordless phone and cell phone.
What age is "too young" for a cell phone - Depends on the kid. When they start caring about losing stuff.
do you enforce any rules like not using cell phones at dinner or during movies? No phone at dinner (cell phone or otherwise) - if you have to take a call, leave the table - age is irrelevant. No phone at movies either - they put up a great big announcement at the start of the movie telling you not to use the bloody things - the sound and the glow is annoying.
Any other thoughts or pet peeves about this txting/pic messaging/tweeting/facebooking/cellphone obsessed generation? I don`t think its a generational thing. i was at a bar with co-workers, appalled as my 55 year old boss texted my 35 year old colleague about the plans for the evening - they were sitting across from one another....so tiresome.
March 7 2010, 07:32:21 UTC 2 years ago
But when it comes to having a cellphone, no way! To even suggest a 5 year old would need one under any circumstance is rediculous and I cant think of a reason my 8 year old son would need one either. I've seen a couple of his friends with them but only the kids who have to walk or catch a bus after school, so its a safety thing as opposed to a social thing.
If you get a 5 year old a phone you have more money than sense.
March 7 2010, 08:22:19 UTC 2 years ago
When my child gets old enough to (God forbid,lol)want a cell, I'll decide whether or not he can have one, based on how mature he is, what he's going to use it for, and I'd probably have him pay for a little too.And I'd make him wait until he was at least 13, but preferably 15 or 16. I really don't see why a young child would need one, unless I'm leaving my 7 year old to walk home alone, which I wouldn't in the first place. Generations of 7 year olds before them did fine without them...but that just leads into my "kids are growing up too fast" rant, so I'll stop there.
March 7 2010, 12:30:02 UTC 2 years ago
Blahblahblah they don't use correct grammar and text each other!! WHAT HORROR!!
I don't know when I'll allow my kids to have cellphones but it is pretty nice to have a constant way to communicate with them. I also don't plan on having a gaming system in our house so I'm not 100percent tech-these-kids but chill. Just chill. There were all sorts of "issues" with our innovations in childhood as well. And there will continue to be.
March 7 2010, 19:33:59 UTC 2 years ago
Easy communication with kids is great but texting alone isn't really the issue. It's the constant phone usage, and the smartphones are really changing people. My friend's 2st grader uses hers to play games, surf the internet, take pics, make videos, watch movies, listen to music... SECOND GRADER! She has her nose buried in that thing 24-7 and already makes "i bet there's an app for that" jokes whenever you ask her a question.
It's interesting you mention you don't plan on having a game system in the house. To me these phones seem like little phone/camera/computer/tv/video game systems all in one cept unlike consoles, the kids have 24-7 access to the phones.
We have 3 gaming systems and my kids rarely touch them, but my mom could barely pry my ass off nintendo when I was a kid. If I'd had one of these phones, she woulda had to pry it out of my cold dead hands because I never would put that thing down!
March 7 2010, 14:23:47 UTC 2 years ago
I used to be obsessed with my phone, texting, talking, at all times of the day.
My daughter at 6 years old is asking for a cell phone (I think as a joke because she knows I'm against it). She even has some friends at school that have cell phones. What a 6 yr old needs a cell phone for...no idea. I've seen only bad things come from kids who get a cell phone at a young age. As it is right now, my best friend's 13 year old is talking to boys that are 19 on it. No way I'm allowing that.
I still think once they are old enough to pay for it themselves or at least help pay for it, they are old enough to have it.
March 7 2010, 14:48:08 UTC 2 years ago
March 7 2010, 15:49:56 UTC 2 years ago
So, with these horror stories and many others in mind, I'd say... no cell phones for kids in school, elementary or high. If I was a parent, certainly no cell phone use (texting/facebooking/whatever) inside the house, not least because the cost of internet usage on a cell can be horrendous, and voice calls to friends only when not at supper/family group things.
I'm seventeen. Never had a phone. Don't want one. My family keeps two cell phones for general usage by everybody, and I almost always forget to grab one when I'm going out so that I can call for a ride home. Hasn't done me any harm! God knows there are times I'd like to commit massive cell phone robbery on all my friends and FORCE them through a couple weeks without phones surgically attached to their hands. I'm sure there'd be some withdrawl symptoms there.
March 7 2010, 15:55:32 UTC 2 years ago
FireflyMobile
The buttons with the people on them are preset keys with mom and dads numbers for emergencies.
It makes in and outgoing calls, but the only extra is games. They can change the wallpaper and ringtones as well.
March 7 2010, 19:46:16 UTC 2 years ago
It sounds good in theory but in reality this one is kind of a waste of money imo. And for what they charge I could get a "real" phone with unlimited text/calls. I just don't think she's ready for that.
2 years ago
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March 7 2010, 18:47:11 UTC 2 years ago
emm
children become adult early, especially today. my son in his 6 years uses pc free. :)March 7 2010, 19:56:53 UTC 2 years ago
I think teens these days or even this generation is horrible and I walys find myself facepalming at their stupidity. People text like it's a religion, and it makes me think that parents don't teach their children self-control anymore.
If I had children, I would not give them the privilege of having a cell phone until at least middle school (preferably not until high school). I'm completley upset with the way that my generation has turned out, & I hate when people group me with them.
March 7 2010, 19:58:16 UTC 2 years ago
sorry, a typo because I was ranting D:
March 7 2010, 22:50:45 UTC 2 years ago
But anyways, I have to say, I don't think cell phones are the problem with "kids these days" the way a lot of people seem to be saying they are, because I know a lot of people my age who are entirely responsible, polite, intelligent and caring while still being glued to their phones.
In my opinion, you should get her a phone, but one without a lot of extra features. Explain to her limitations, make sure she follows them, and if she doesn't, take it away for a week, or something.
What I think the issue is with most kids is that they're under a constant watch. I think it must be hard not to be self-absorbed, the way most parents hover constantly. I notice my peers have every second of their day planned and supervised, and then I watch them go insane the minute they're not. Start giving her the opportunity to be responsible, and make sure consequences are consistent.
......but that's just my opinion, and I'm not sure I answered the question you were asking anyways.
March 8 2010, 05:15:28 UTC 2 years ago
March 8 2010, 09:01:41 UTC 2 years ago
as far as phone etiquette goes, this is just an extension of etiquette in general -- definitely a set of skills that need to be taught and valued by parents.
March 12 2010, 18:49:15 UTC 2 years ago
Even now I text all the time on my own time, and in class if it's a conversation I can't just drop all of a sudden, like if my friend is upset and crying, I can usually balance class and texting for 20 seconds at a time. But texting and driving: never. Talking on the phone in public restrooms: nope. But even my mom, as soon as she bought unlimited texting for her phone, you couldn't even have a conversation with her if she was talking to someone "more important." Maybe the person wasn't more important, but that's how texting makes the other person feel.
I agree that kids of my generation, including myself, have no work ethic and I'm afraid I won't succeed at anything because of it. But, unlike other kids, I am much more aware of it, or at least I openly care about it.
March 12 2010, 18:54:39 UTC 2 years ago
March 14 2010, 21:15:57 UTC 2 years ago
March 21 2010, 14:38:19 UTC 2 years ago
However I'd probably limit what I paid for, and say if they wanted extra credit they'd need to pay for it themselves, and probably make it quite a basic phone to start with.
I really don't think it's appropriate for any child still in primary school to have a phone :/
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