More and more children are showing up at school each September with cell phones. Many parents
buy their children a cell phone because it is a nice safety measure. It gives those working
parents a little sense of control and security to know when their children are off campus
and on their way home.
But having a cell phone might be a problem. Parents may find themselves facing a
frightening bill at the end of the month. The reason: chatting on the phone
and sending text messages can soon become the favorite pastime of preteens and
teenagers. Worse still, cell phone in schools can lead to classroom distractions,
text-message cheating and inappropriate.
Knowing their children can always be reached is reassuring for parents. But before buying
their child a cell phone, I think parents should decide if the child is really capable of
managing his or her own phone. Besides, parental control must be exercised in the use of
the phone. For example, they should set limits on how long the child is allowed to stay on
the phone.