by Z. Blake

Created on: August 25, 2009   Last Updated: August 28, 2009

As with most mod cons, teenagers want to own cell phones, but it's not always right for a parent to give their child everything he or she desires. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project the figure for teenagers owning cells reached 71% in 2008, but is this surge in the best interest of young people? With this question in mind, let us weigh up the pros and cons of allowing teenagers to have cell phones.

Cons:

1) Health risks: Possibility of brain damage, hearing loss, radiation or tumors.

2) Phone bills and other costs: A cell phone is a gift that you have to keep giving - not a one-time payment.

3) Safety: Not knowing who the child is in contact with.

4) Necessity: Is it needed or just an indulgence?

5) Internet: If the Internet is accessible via the cell phone, is the teenager permitted to surf the Web unsupervised?

Pros:

1) Peace of mind: The teen is always just a phone call away.

2) Emergencies: Should something bad happen, they always have a way to call for help.

3) Convenience: Useful for arranging collection times and meeting places.

4) Learning: A cell phone can teach responsibility and money management, if used with rules.

5) Happiness: It will please teens to own one and stop them from feeling left out.

Allowing a teenager to have a phone has a lot to do with trust- they must be sensible about the costs and who they talk to. On a landline teenagers can be overheard, whereas a cell gives them the option to text. Surveys carried out by the CTIA (the Wireless Association)into the usage of cell phones by teens show that they are spending an equal amount of time texting and talking. Texting is so popular that 47% admit to being able to text blindfolded! Parents should decide if their child can be trusted with this privacy.

As mentioned, phones can be used to teach responsibility. For this to be effective there must be rules. One valuable idea is to draw up a teen-parent contract that defines the limits and consequences regarding the usage. The negotiation of this "contract" allows parents to gauge how willing their teen will be to adhere to the rules.

One important rule involves the appropriate times for using the cell, such as before 9pm or not during dinner. Limits should also be set on call minutes and texts allowed per month. This will teach them how to be money conscious. Other rules may involve Internet usage and downloads. It must also be decided if a teenager's phone will be checked by the parent e.g. reading text messages and call

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