The type of phone you buy your kids

Norma

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This evening on "A Current Affair" they mentioned that the camera phone rage in Europe is *advertiser censored* video's, and that it could be hitting the US at any time. They mentioned that if you're thinking about getting a mobile phone for your child, make sure you don't purchase one with a camera, as these video's will be distributed everywhere.

I tried to find a link about this at today's show, but they don't have the info from this particular segment.

If anyone can find anything about this, will you please post the links.
 
Yes I would be very interested, as I just bought my oldest a camera phone when he graduated grade 8.

It is a FIDO phone, pay as you go and I will "raise bloodly hell" if he gets anything on his phone that is not appropriate as it is a kids' account and they know this.

Tell me more......please
 
CyberLaw said:
Yes I would be very interested, as I just bought my oldest a camera phone when he graduated grade 8.

It is a FIDO phone, pay as you go and I will "raise bloodly hell" if he gets anything on his phone that is not appropriate as it is a kids' account and they know this.

Tell me more......please
:waitasec: No offense intended, but why on earth would an 8th grader need his own cell phone? Why are parents buying their kids cell phones? I don't understand this trend. What could possibly be so important that a child needs to call all his buddies while he's on the bus or at recess or walking home from school? I'm in my 30's and don't have a cell phone - what's the urgency??
 
SieSie said:
:waitasec: No offense intended, but why on earth would an 8th grader need his own cell phone? Why are parents buying their kids cell phones? I don't understand this trend. What could possibly be so important that a child needs to call all his buddies while he's on the bus or at recess or walking home from school? I'm in my 30's and don't have a cell phone - what's the urgency??

My son is 9 and has one - HOWEVER, the ONLY times he EVER takes it with him are during football and soccer practices. We don't always stay and watch him practice so if something should happen and he gets hurt, etc., our numbers are programed into it. (most kids do have them for this reason) He is not allowed to use it other than to call us or his sister (who's away at college). He doesn't know the number to his phone so he can't give it out to anyone.

If he wasn't in sports, he wouldn't have one either. And it's not a camera phone - it is a regular one.
 
My 8th grade daughter has a cell phone also.. But like Jules (wow, we agree again) she can only use it to call us to pick her up from volleyball practice, basketball practice, etc... She does know her own number and some of her close friends have the number.. But they rarely call it.... WE have let her use it on occasion when someone else in the house is on the home phone or if we are out somewhere and she wants to call a friend to arrange a sleepover or something.... But she ALWAYS has to ask before using it....
 
Ah, thanks Jules and Lisa - that makes a little more sense then. I was assuming people who bought their kids cell phones let them take them everwhere (to school, on the bus, etc...). If it's just to be used in an emergency or to call parents to let them know where they are, I guess I can understand it. It's sad that we live in a world where kids aren't safe and NEED cell phones!! Thanks for the explanation.
 
Well my son has been out and about in the neighbourhood since he was 13.
last year in grade 8....

He found a wallet, on the bus, "should I give it to the bus driver or drop it off at the Police station on the way to school." I told him to drop it off at the Police Station........he phoned me for guidence.....

He "forgot" the address of his friends house, so instead of wandering around the neighbourhood, trying to remember where his friend lived and what the address was, he called me and I told him........again he phone me for guidence

A cell phone is a safety "tool also", it keeps parents in touch with their kids and the kids have the "security" of knowing that their parents(and guidence) are only a phone call away..........

That is why my former grade 8, now grade 9 son has a cell phone.

My other kids don't as they are not out and about in the world alone as they do not go anywhere without big brother or a parent, so no need to keep in touch with them, they are right beside me or hubby or a responsible adult.

But the oldest, is a very independent young man.....and feels secure with a communication tool at his disposal.........and I as a parent "feel secure" knowing that my oldest child is just a phone call away........

But the phone is a "pay as you go" so he knows that when he makes calls, it comes off of the 25 dollar a month "budget". If he goes over this "budget", it comes off of his allowance. This really helps him decide what calls should be a priority and what is not a priority(like chatting with friends)

But the one thing he does like, taking pictures of his friends at school, or something that he would like to show me(like a specicific pair of shoes, shirt, etc).

A video phone and a camera phone are two different technologies.

If *advertiser censored* was "distributed" to a minor child, the company could be charged criminally......that is why I feel there is more to this story then meets the eyes......also cell phone records are confidential and they don't sell them to *advertiser censored* people, as a)it is a breech of confidentially and b)who would use a "service" provider if they "voluntary" allowed *advertiser censored* to be distrubuted on their network........the company would be held liable as this is "unsolicited" and illegal.

Any service provider should be signing their own "bankrupcy" claim if this happened........people would cancel their contracts(with cause), as this material would be deemed offensive which is a breech of contract......
 
I just bought my son a new phone. The ROKR. It's the phone where you can download itunes and use it like an ipod. It has both a camera and video on it.
He is in the 11th grade. We first got him a phone last year as he plays sports and we wanted to make sure he could call us if he needed to.
We took text messaging off the phone so he can not use it. The only people my son calls on his phone are us, his grandparents and his sister who is also away at college.
Since my son takes the bus to school, I like the fact that he can call when the bus driver is late or they break down so I won't worry about him.
 
Ya'll are cracking me up!! LOL Instead of wondering why anyone would buy a kid a cell phone, I'm wondering what anyone is doing letting their kids wander the neighborhoods and go to sports practices alone. :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
Jeana (DP) said:
Ya'll are cracking me up!! LOL Instead of wondering why anyone would buy a kid a cell phone, I'm wondering what anyone is doing letting their kids wander the neighborhoods and go to sports practices alone. :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

Mine doesn't wander the neighborhood alone nor does he go to practice alone. He is dropped off at practice. Most of the kids on his team are dropped off. Usually it's just the coaches there with the kids for a majority of the 2+ hour practice. Most of the kids have cell phones for the reasons I listed above. They all have them in plastic ziploc bags with their names on the front to be used in the case of an emergency. Since I use my cell phone for EVERYTHING - most call it rather than our home phone never knowing where I am - I didn't want to give him mine to use.

May seem silly to some, but for the kid who broke his foot a few weeks back, it was invaluable.
 
True, however, there are about 30+ people out there - be awfully difficult to do anything. I did stay with him last year, but this year they practice at the middle school right behind our subdivision, so I don't always. I'm usually there for 15-20 minutes when I drop him off, run home and fix dinner, then head back to catch the last 15-20 minutes. He is with all the same people from last year, so we feel comfortable doing that - same with his soccer team. They have played together for 3 years.
 
I plan on getting my daughter a cell phone when she starts HS. It's 3 years away, but I'm thinking ahead. Especially if she is going to be taking the bus, I want her to have it with her so she can be in contact with me and vice versa.
 
MrsMush99 said:
I plan on getting my daughter a cell phone when she starts HS. It's 3 years away, but I'm thinking ahead. Especially if she is going to be taking the bus, I want her to have it with her so she can be in contact with me and vice versa.

The kids here are not allowed to bring them to school - they will be taken away. My niece had that happen. They called her mom and REAMED her out over it - made her come get the phone and told her if there is a next time, it won't be returned.
 
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/46206.html

Meanwhile, the industry is apparently readying for the inevitable uptake of mobile *advertiser censored* and starting to wrestle not only with content-rating but also how to control access by under-age consumers. Many Web sites that carry adult content require only that a user acknowledge he is over 18, while others require a credit card number in addition.

Ovum analyst John Delaney said carriers will want to give their customers options with respect to accessing *advertiser censored*. He said Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) rolled out a service that automatically blocks phones from accessing adult content, a feature that would be popular with parents who buy phones for their youngsters, he noted.


and
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/business/article_1048801.php/Porn_to_be_available_on_cell_phones

WASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI) -- A ratings system similar to movies is in the works for cell phone downloads ahead of an expected move to be able to download *advertiser censored*.

The trend is already lucrative in Europe where people can download *advertiser censored* on their cell phones like they do ringtones and music, The New York Times reports.

As phones become more hi-tech, allowing people to send and receive email, browse the Web and take pictures on phones with bigger screens with brighter color, industry analysts say *advertiser censored* is sure to come.
 
Our kids are permitted to have their phones at school as long as that aren't used during class.
 
Jules said:
The kids here are not allowed to bring them to school - they will be taken away. My niece had that happen. They called her mom and REAMED her out over it - made her come get the phone and told her if there is a next time, it won't be returned.


Oh I'm sure she won't be able to use it in school. But they can have it if they are turned off. Which is fine. She will have it if there is an emergency and she needs to contact me right away.
 
MrsMush99 said:
Oh I'm sure she won't be able to use it in school. But they can have it if they are turned off. Which is fine. She will have it if there is an emergency and she needs to contact me right away.

This was a few years ago - maybe things have changed some. My niece wasn't using her's - just had it with her - and they took it away.
 

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