| |
| |
|
Mobile & Cell Phone Information |
|
|
|
How Young is Too Young? Buying Cell Phones for Kids
Take a random tween, age 8-12, place them in front of a rotary phone and observe at the blank stare of bewilderment. Yes, gone are the days of the landline, pushed aside by the next wave of technological advancement. Mobile phones are fast displacing landlines in many homes; accompanying this movement is the fact kids regularly use and know how to use these cell phones. The mobility of cell phones means you can be anywhere and have the necessity, or should I say the convenience, of a phone. Cellular service providers and manufacturers would enjoy nothing more than exploiting the vastly untapped tween market. However, is it necessary to provide cell phones to kids age 8-12? What makes it necessary today? Is the simple the notion of having the technology enough reason to equip younger and younger customers with phones? Where do we draw the line when it comes to tweens owning cell phones, and when should we be restricting use? The remainder of this article will discuss the pros and cons of purchasing cell phones for kids. It will discuss the social aspects, health concerns, and cost issues. Social and Cost Issues: Weighing in at a paltry 56 grams, designed with a smaller frame to accommodate smaller hands, measuring 88 x 44 x 20 mm, one of the leading cell phones targeted exclusively towards the 8-12 market, the Firefly. It offers up to 2.5 hours of talk time, and up to 100 hours of standby, basically it's your bare bones cell phone that permits parent's to limit outgoing calls to certain numbers and also sports 'mom' and 'dad' buttons for quick dialling. The Firefly is marketed with such catch phrases as "Parents of pre-teens understand that it's time to start loosening the reins and letting their kids travel unsupervised to school, the library, or friends' houses." Pro: Yes kids need a safety mechanism and having a cell phone handy does provide added protection in the form of determining whereabouts and phoning for help. Con: Big safe mechanism, however, if any parent purchases a cell phone for their kid using the catchy marketing ploy directed to parents, '...start loosening the reins and let their kids travel unsupervised,' they have the wrong perception regarding the purpose of a phone. Anybody who believes that providing a cell phone to a child automatically provides them with responsibility and ability to take care of themselves, when they were unable to do so before a cell phone, are relying too heavily on 'parenting by technology'. Be mindful of such reasoning when thinking about buying a cell phone. Con: Another item to consider, are we turning our kids into internet and mobile phone junkies? One should question whether connecting kids 24/7 to their friends via cell phone will influence their social habits. Also, cell phones are quickly becoming the norm and the fashion. Kids will demand to be hip like their buddies from school who sport the latest cell phone, or any cell phone for that matter. Parents will be pressed to give in to ignescent demands of 'everyone else has one', or 'I want to be cool like the other kids'. Sure it may be good to have your kid fit in, but since when is school primarily a popularity contest? Furthermore, when does fitting in cost so much?! The thing with cell phones is there are monthly costs attached -- not a one time sunk cost. Chances are you will pay the monthly fees. Some options are available to have 'pay-as-you-go' options, you pay for whatever minutes you purchase, however, either or, the more your kid talks on the phone, the more you pay. Don't forget too that cell phones are more than phones. Almost all (the Firefly does not) have text messaging and more complicated communication tools included that have an attached cost as well. Boy, this is starting to get expensive! Health Issues: The Firefly cell phone is designed to give the bare phone essentials. However, this phone is a candybar style, which means the antenna is located within the phone unit and does not protrude out. This means cellular frequencies are closer to the brain. The question now revolves around how early is too early for exposing kids to cellular frequencies on a regular basis? On one hand you don't want to risk your child's health, on the other hand scientific research is still inconclusive when it comes to cell phone 'radiation'. The juror is still out on this one, be your own judge regarding the health impacts. There you have it, some helpful reminders to consider before going out and dropping a couple hundred dollars and an additional twenty per month, minimum, on a cell phone for junior. One certainly cannot downplay the safety benefits, you never know when it could save a life, however, at the same time, there are many con items to consider before sending buying a a cell phone for junior. One thing is for sure, the little handset device will never replace supervision from an adult when supervision is due. Barry Nagassar is owner and operator of DiscussWireless.com. Visit DiscussWireless for useful cell phone fourms that include cell phone reviews, PDA reviews, discussion regarding manufacturers, service providers, and the latest tech news. Shop and compare cell phone and PDA prices among competitors in the SHOP section.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Convenience Of Prepaid Wireless Service And Phone Cards Prepaid wireless service and phone cards are a convenient, reliable way to make prepaid local, long distance and international calls. In the old days it was very expensive and almost prohibitive to make a call overseas, especially to countries like Germany, France, Russia or Taiwan; never mind just to the next state. Can You Anticipate The Cell Phones Of The Future? We have become a society that demands the most technologically advanced equipment, and cell phones are no exception. That's why the cellular telephone industry is changing so rapidly. What is SMS? What is SMS?SMS, also known as short messaging service, is the rage in Europe and parts of Asia. Gradually SMS is gaining momentum in the US as a low cost messaging solution. Internet Cell Phone Deals - How to Take Advantage of Them The internet can be a great place to buy your next cell phone. How many times have you been in the mall and were harassed by some pushy wireless telephone dealer? The internet store is a sharp contrast to this type of environment. Camera Cell Phone Camera cell phone - benefits.Camera cell phone is a great new development in the current market. Contemplating Selling Your Cell Tower Lease For A Lump Sum? Many landowners who have leased land for a cell tower on their property are receiving letters from third party companies. These letters suggest to the landowner that due to wireless carrier consolidation and due to technology, that the cell tower lease may be terminated early. Cell Phones Can Damage Your Eyes A recent scientific study identified a link between microwave radiation of the kind emitted by cellular phones and two different kinds of damage to the eye. At least one type of damage apparently never heals. Why Your Business Should Consider SMS As an organisation, the use of SMS might seem too innovative or unprofessional.So why are "forward-thinking" organisations throughout the world welcoming SMS open-heartedly. Cellular Phone Plan Choosing a cellular phone plan for all your needs.Cellular phone plans are offered by a variety of cellular phone companies like AT&T, Sprint PCS, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, Cingular Wireless, and many more. Mobile Phone Accessories Discounted Mobile Phone AccessoriesMobile Phones have become a part of everyday life with more and more people enjoying the service and extra freedom they provide. Their popularity has prompted BB Shopping - a leading UK online store to offer mobile phone accessories as gift items at discounted rates to our customers. Cell Phone Etiquette CELL PHONE ETIQUETTE Okay, I'll admit I have been pushed over the edge. This morning, while reading the newspaper, I learned that a major airline is going to allow the use of the cell phone while taxiing to the gate! Can you imagine what that is going to be like? For two years I have thinking about doing a seminar on cell phone etiquette. What Are Smart Phones And Do You Need One? Smart phones are a combination of a cell phone and PDA functions all in one device and are much bigger and notably more expensive than regular handsets, generally costing in the neighborhood of $600. However, one won't need to carry around two separate units. 4 Dazzling Midrange Cell Phones Your next cell phone can be a stripped down model or contain features virtually unheard of one year ago. Chances are you will select something in between; in any case we are featuring four dazzling midrange flip top cell phones for your examination. Cell Phone Batteries, Money Saving Tips It's hard to imagine what the world did before the use of cell phones! We have become so dependent on having a cell phone that we tend to panic if we forget it at home or if the battery dies. Cell phones are an important part of most everyone's life that allows them to be reachable 24/7 for family, friends and business associates to contact them. The Benefits of Digital Analogue is the process of taking an audio or video signal and then turning it into electronic pulses. Digital is the process of turning the signal into a binary format, represented by a string of 1's and 0's. Cell Phone Reviews - Reaping the Benefits Of Online Wireless Reviews There are a lot of benefits that are offered by the major cell phone carriers today that many people don't take advantage of - simply because they're unaware of them. Among these is the opportunity to write online cell phone reviews, with the promise of some type of compensation, such as a free phone or specific accessory. Add a Cell Phone Booster to Make Life a Little Easy Cell Phones have become a mainstay for every earthling. Right from 8 to 80 this has become a part and parcel of every day life. Donate Your Old Cellular Phone To Support A Worthy Cause With new features being added to cellular phones at an incredible rate, you may be considering upgrading your phone to a newer model. If you want to use your phone to send e-mail, take pictures, play games, or access the Internet, a new cellular phone can be an appealing option. Wireless... Are You Connected? If you look around at any given time in public, you are likely to see people talking on a cellular phone. They are everywhere and growing. Camera Cell Phones -- More Uses Than You Could Have Imagined I was shopping in the large superstore with my five-year-old daughter, perfectly unaware that in the next few minutes I would be living through every parent's nightmare - in an instant my child would disappear from my side. She had been looking through the little dresses right beside me and, when I called her to go try one on, she was no where to be found.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
