ANSWERS: 52
  • Not really.
  • No, they don't, but as a parent, it was a useful tracking device and I won't let the kids leave without one and we have a rule about them ALWAYS answering my calls. They thought they were getting a special treat, but really it was me.
  • yes and no. giving them a phone for emergency purposes is a good idea. but you're deluded if you think thats what it'll be used for. = )~
  • I'd be a lot happier if kids of this age were paying for their phones in some fashion. It instills responsibility and moderation.
  • Good question. I think in certain situations they do need them, even tho' we got along fine without them when we were younger. I have 2 grown daughters and a 16 year old son, and they got their cell phones when each one started driving. I just couldn't handle the thought of their car breaking down late at night when they were on their way home and all alone. But, it didn't take long for them to turn into their mass media control center, so they could be like all their friends. I just feel like they're safer with them.
  • Under 14, no. but around 18 its probably a good idea. Having them pay for some if not all of the bill and any overcharges would be a good way to teach responsibility and independence. Like credit cards for older kids they can be very helpful if used correctly.
  • Their need their own fone for communication
  • under 18 yes im 17 and im the only one in my faimly that can keep the peace and truth be told i would rather get a 2 am phone call saying i got 10 min to get ready vs a reliteve banging on hte door at 2:10 say ing lets go. and if some one gets hurt i would like to know.
  • I did not die without a phone so I know it is not a need. Neither is a t.v., or a mp3player, or a video game, or a lot of other things that kids today just can't seem to live without. They need love, guidance, food, clothes, shelter, support things like that. The rest are just privileges given to them and not a necessity.
  • I personally don't see what's so BAD about children having phones. Growing up I had my own phone line. Well sort of, it was a party line for years. Anyway, I spent hours on the phone with my girlfriends talking about boys, music, school, clothing, and whatever. It was a social activity for me. I enjoyed it. I rarely went out anywhere other than school. Sharing a line with my parents wasn't an option because they were business owners. Their phone was a business line. My daughter has her own phone and pays most of the bill herself. The only restrictions that we do have is no calls after 9 PM. I know they don't NEED a phone except for emergency. As adults, we don't NEED a lot of the things we have either. I don't NEED my computer or the internet, I sure as heck WANT it though.
  • No, they don't need a mobile, at all. After all how did people survive before the mobile boom? It's a want. Theres positives and negatives to both of course. In my opinion children at a young age shouldn't have mobiles. They are vulnerable and a real target for people who are looking to steal mobiles. Having said that even adults who have mobiles get their mobiles stolen.
  • No, I grew up without a phone and so can they.
  • I think that 16 is a good age for a teenager to be given their own phone. Since they can get their driver's license at 16 they should be able to get a phone at 16 too so that they can call for help if they need to or to be able to tell their parents where they are. These are practical reasons for a teenager to have a phone, but for the most part a phone is just a want because they want the phone to spend all day talking on, not for practical uses.
  • For safety reason only.
  • It depends on what they are involved in. My 13 yr. old needed a phone at Boy Scouts so he could call me to pick him up. The 11 yr. old shares the phone with his brother at soccer games, same reason. They get the cell phone when I drop them off at the local movie theater to call me when it's done. As the only parent around who can't be in two places at once and no family to help within 1500 miles, that phone is a god-send.
  • Only to contact their parents. Now days it's nice to be able to reach them at all times.
  • it's both. they want to be able to talk to their friends without having to argue over the phone. they need to be able to contact thier parents if they are stuck somewhere or need to be picked up (I have not seen a payphone in ages. If they were still around I would say they should use them instead of a cell phone but they are not so much so this is a legitamate need)
  • It's a want thing that quickly was turned into a necessity by our own reliance we place on luxury items. People can do without them but refuse to yo...
  • i think its a saftey issue in todays society or maybe its just where I live, but I am 16 and I do not feel safe leaving with out it
  • If they drive, I would say it is a good idea to have it for safety reasons. And if I can track it via GPS, that is helpful as well. I do not approve of it during school or when they are at work or doing home work.
  • It depends on whether the kid needs the phone or not. If they're in sports, or band, or other after-school activities, they would have good reason to need one. Unfortunately, some people waste good money on phones for kids who don't need them. Some kids around here have them, and they're only 8 or 9!
  • everyone needs food, water, shelter, sleep. don't know how a phone is a need. I have never heard of anyone dying because they didn't have a phone
  • depends what they do after school..sometimes they need to contact their parents but otherwise it is good to keep in touch with friends :D
  • Nope. If they get a job and would like to buy and continue paying for one, they may be allowed to own a phone. They need food, oxygen, education, and love. All else is by parental conscent.
  • Only if the cellphones were to be abled to call 911 only. Too much talking and inattentiveness in school, out of school, even while driving. Cellphones should be only for adults.
  • Only for emergencies,other than that,no.
  • If their parents want them to have it to contact them, yes. And even before 18, you're grown up enough in my opinion, you can start working at 16, then it's your own money to do what you want with it. In this modern age, so many people have cell phones, you would be out of the loop if you didn't have one, you would miss plans with your friends, it'd be more difficult to hook up with girls etc.
  • no one needs a cell phone. People want them, folk managed without them before. However i would struggle without mine, since alot of my pals dont have a house phone.
  • No. No more than they need $100 jeans, $200 sneakers, or $300 grills. Maybe a prepaid job for when a kid is going camping or on a school trip, things like that. But day to day, if a kid is where he/she is supposed to be then they are near a phone. Teenagers are another matter, especially ones who are driving or going out with friends. Then they should have a phone and be required to check in on a regular basis.
  • Nowadays, everyone does.
  • Well, I'm under 18. And I barely use my cellphone. Communication through the internet does the trick for me.
  • I'm under 18 and I need a cell phone. And yes, I do NEED it, seeing as I don't have a house phone.
  • need is relative. if the child does a lot of stuff independently, it may be a good idea for safety. plus, cell phones are just plain convenient. i know they've been super useful for me many times.
  • Did you hear about the abducted child in florida who was able to break free from his ties and contact the police from his cell phone that he kept hiddden? Yes...I think it is VERY necessary in this day and age.
  • No, I think it is not necessary for a child to have a phone, unless they are working and can pay for it themselves, a great way to teach responsibilty.
  • It depends on circumstances. If it is for essential communication that would not otherwise be possible, then yes. If it is to maintain a constant flow of chatter, gossip, and worse(like 'sexting'), then absolutetly not. Unfortunately, the availability of public (pay) phones has dwindled with the increasing popularity of cell phones.
  • I beliueve if they are responsible about it then they should be able to have one. Let them know the rules of the phone and if they go over they have problems. I don't seem to have any problem with my daughter.
  • Some do... If they don't overdo the texting or calling of their friends. Latch-key kids without a home phone (actually, their own cell would probably be better, as they could call if they had to stay after school, or something happened with the keys or on the way home...) ANY person who commutes anywhere, including the mile or so to school, needs a way to communicate with their spouse, parents, the police, AAA, or other guardians. If they work, or have school, a distance from home, it can also be helpful. Cases can be made both for and against. The against usually involved too many calls, too many texts, too many services, too many... If the kid is responsible, there should be no reason to NOT let them have one. (It also depends on the service plan, of course.)
  • some do, yes. When my daughter was entering her junior year in high school, she was accepted into a highly competitive program run by our state university system which required her to live on campus during the school year, and her having a cellphone was the best way for her to stay in touch with me... http://asmsa.org/ If she had not been accepted into ASMSA she would most likely not have gotten a cellphone so soon as we live in a very small community and there would have been little need for her to have it....having said that, however, the bottom line is, these days a teen should be able to have instant communication with his/her parents just on the off-chance s/he finds him/herself in a situation beyond his/her control, as can happen in a heartbeat...
  • As a parent, my kids having cell phones was a sense of relief. I am able to reach them if I need to talk to them, and vice versa. Make sure that they are on the right kind of plan that you can afford. If they like to text alot, get unlimited texting -- I learned that expensive lesson one month.:(( One example, my son's car broke down out in the middle of the boonies. He was able to call us and we went and got him and the car. My 11 year old has one as well. If he's at his friend's house, I can call him to come home or whatever. If he gets hurt, he can call me. My mom and I were talking about this same subject the other day, and we both wished that cell phones were around when I was a teen.
  • I got my son a cell phone for Christmas. He is gonna be 9 in July. My son goes to his "father's" house and he won't let my son call me.(even tho it says it in the court order) So I just got my son his own cell so he can call his mommy whenever he wants to
  • If they are in High School and are involved in sports or other school functions then yes it is ok to have a phone ... If they need to get a ride home or for whatever reason to call Mom or Dad. It can also be a good thing if it is fixed with GPS to track them in case for the awful idea that they are kidnapped. It's not just a distraction for them it can also help them. There are many pro's and con's to having a cell phone even as adults ...
  • I think that A basic cell phone is good to have,without all the bells and whistles,but try to get THEM to use it.Noooo.Basic cell phones allow your child to communicate with you,and you with him in important,or emergency type situations.They can also help prevent your child from being accousted or abducted.If a predator sees your child talking on a cell phone,he or she is less likely to trouble him/her.I think that that is just fine.*
  • I think in this day and age of everyone being out and about and only together in the evenings and on weekends, a cell phone is a good idea. I think it's best if teens pay for at least part of the bill (texting and web access especially) and are taught proper etiquette (no texting at the dinner table, church, weddings, funerals, WHILE DRIVING, etc.).
  • Of course not. The only *need* two suits of clothes (one to wash, one to wear), one balanced meal a day, and shelter from extreme weather. An education of some sort is a good idea in the modern world. But holidays, visits to friends outside walking distance, television, computers, games, food outside the basics of a balanced diet, are all luxuries - as are cell phones. Just choose which luxuries you give them.
  • No, nobody really NEEDS a cell phone no matter what their age, but especially under 18. Now, if they are using it in a business context, then I can see more of a need for one.
  • Very few people of any age NEED a cell phone. Children do not need one. People got along just fine without them for many years.
  • Absolutley not. I didn't have a cell phone until I was 32 and I always seemed to be able to reach anyone I needed.
  • Yes people any age needs a cellphone, in this century thing get scary and you never know what could happen out there. :p
  • In our case, yes. It has been one of the most beneficial gifts we have given to our children. Not only can they ring us if they find themselves in any difficulty or need to ask something quicky but we know where they are at all times. It's a tremendous help.
  • No more than the rest of us. Age really has nothing to do with it. Of course, if they run up an outrageous bill then they should get it taken away unless/until they show some degree of responsibility.

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