Mobile phones play an enormous role in society today. It’s hard to find an adult that doesn’t own a mobile phone of some sort. So as it goes, kids are wanting to get in on the action. However, once your child or teen has a phone it is important to teach them to use it responsibly. So we are sharing some of our tips for responsible child and teen mobile phone use.
According to Nielson, the first age for kids to have a mobile phone is between 9 and 10. Once you’ve bought a mobile phone for your child or teen, they use it to send, on average, 2,272 text messages a month!
However, not every child, or parent, is ready to let that happen. So we’ve compiled a list of a few tips to help you promote responsible mobile phone use for your child or teen.
- Before buying a mobile phone for your son or daughter ask yourself, “Do they really need a phone?” With young children especially, the first consideration should be safety, not socialization.
- Discuss the cost of “extras” (excess texting, ringtones, apps, web access). Explain that cell phones are expensive, and set up consequences for running up a large bill.
- Create guidelines for mobile phone use. No phones in school or during meals and a set “turn-off” time at night are great starters.
- NO texting or talking while driving for teens. Car crashes are the #1 killer of teens, so keep the distraction of mobile phones out of the picture.
- Make sure they answer when you call. You bought them the phone as a means of communication, and you’re paying the bill, so they can answer when you call.
- Buy a ZOMM to make sure your child doesn’t lose his or her phone (even if it does seem to be permanently attached to their hand). Plus, 911 will always be one button-press away.
- Establish consequences for breaking any of these rules – and stick to it!
Do you have rules set for your child’s mobile phone use? Share your tips in the comments section below!
Tags: kid mobile phone, kids, mobile phone, mobile phones, responsible mobile phone use, teen mobile phone, teens, zomm
These are great tips. Cell phones can be a great way for parents to stay in touch with their children. And wow!… almost 3000 text messages per month. That’s insane.
One reason to buy is for the security of being able to keep in touch with your child. I bought a Just5 phone for my 9 year old kid to make sure that he is safe in case of emergency.
Wow! These are really valuable ideas, and I hope that parents of young children and teens alike will take these suggestions seriously and do all they can to keep their children safe!
The ZOMM is a great idea! I haven’t seen the “cell phone leash” before reading this article and it is an intriguing idea.
However, if you are considering a cell phone for your child, I have another possible solution. KAJEET.
Kajeet is a cell phone company that was created with kids in mind. They offer very affordable, NO CONTRACT plans using the SPRINT PCS NETWORK. They also have GPS locator available for all phones, and this company has far and away THE BEST PARENTAL CONTROLS I HAVE EVER SEEN!
I don’t know about you, but if I can’t see who is calling my child’s phone and who my child is calling, my child will Not have a cell phone.
We live in a dangerous world, and we need to utilize any safety measures possible when it comes to our kids!
If you are actually going to buy a cell phone for your child, I hope you will do what we did – and seriously consider KAJEET.
I know of a site that offers a 15% discount on any Kajeet phone: http://www.kajeet.com/180. Or you can simply go to http://www.kajeet.com and (at checkout) type in the Promo Code: SAFETALK for the best discount kajeet has to offer.
[...] phone safety is important for everyone. However, with the rise of cell phone use in children (the average age of first-time cell phone users in the US is between twelve and thirteen), it’s [...]
It’s a pretty great review. I also think that if you are going to give your kid a phone it needs to be a prepaid phone for sure. When my son turned 11 I finally cave and bought him a cellphone, I went the prepaid route because I really do not like surprises when it comes to the house bills, and Tracfone did the trick for us, he likes his phone, he texts to the speed of light… lol and I dont have to worry about a huge monthly bill.
That sounds like a very smart decision! Thanks for your comment!
[...] The uses for ZOMM are a bit more obvious for teens. Since many children are getting cell phones as teens (or even tweens), getting them a ZOMM will protect them twofold. First, it provides a [...]