Yes

by Gordon D Easingwood

Created on: July 27, 2010

Allowing your child to both own and use a cell or mobile phone can be a positive life lesson and an effective parental teaching strategy, it is also a way to develop a more trusting relationship.  Whether you personally have embraced cell or mobile phone technology you have to face it, it is a massive part of modern day communication and is becoming more so.  That means knowing how to use one can be an important life skill in much the same way that using a computer is.  That is not to say you should do so without restrictions, some rules should be used and strictly adhered to for your child’s safety.  Make it clear that a severe breach of any of these rules may see them forego access to a cell or mobile phone.

There are several negative aspects to allowing you child to use a mobile phone.  No one is entirely sure that cell or mobile phones are entirely safe due to the electromagnetic energy they transmit; though there are ways to limit and control this more information can be found here.

 There is also the risk of potential costs incurred by a child not realising the cost of various forms of communication.  To this end I recommend getting them a pre paid or pay as you go cell or mobile phone so the amount of credit is strictly limited and controlled.  If you also only top this credit up, say once a month it can also allow your child to develop budgeting skills or see first hand how rapidly credit can be used.  If you do go for a contract phone check with the service provider to see if they will impose a maximum limit on spending, many of them do offer this service. 

Like any purchase it is worth shopping around to find the most suitable and best deal for you and your child.  Some service providers provide free calls between certain numbers for example between yours and your child’s phone which allow them to contact you when they run out of credit, these services can ensure greater piece of mind.

Cell or mobile phones can also be used to access the internet so are prone to the similar sorts of content and unsavoury people you may find there.  Restricting access to these services whilst making your child aware of the dangers can help greatly.  Also agree in advance that you will occasionally check what your child has used their cell or mobile phone for.

Cell or mobile phones can be expensive so ensure your child is fully aware of this and takes proper care of it.  This may be reinforced if the child would have to replace it out of their own allowance or pocket money.

Check the school rules for use of cell and mobile phones whilst your child is attending talk it through with them and ensure that these rules are complied with.

There are also of course upsides, when your child has a cell or mobile phone they are only a brief phone call or text message away.  If required they can contact you and vice versa.  It is also possible to install GPS applications that allow you the piece of mind to check where your child is via a computer.  If you do this make sure they are aware of it otherwise it can become a sore point.

Owning a cell or mobile phone allows your child to broaden their social network and keep in touch with relatives who live further away.  This will also strengthen some of these relationships and give your child a greater sense of community.  Of course children will use slang when communicating in this method but this is no different to how they would speak to each other in person.  It can also give adults an insight into the language they do use.  It is however important to discuss different forms of communicating with your child when is a phone call or text appropriate and when is a face to face talk what is needed?  It can also give them insights into how people they view in different standings should be communicated with should they be casual or more formal for example.

There are several other common applications such as the cameras that are becoming more common on cell or mobile phones.  These give you another area in which you can introduce and encourage you child in the right way giving them a further lesson in life it also gives them the opportunity to photograph things and show you small mementoes of things and events you may have missed.

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