I think this is a highly personal issue and depends on the child and the parent, their agreement of how and when the phone will be used, and how responsible the child is.
Nicole will be 15 in a couple of months and has had a cell phone now for about a year and a half. I got it for her when I started my new job because it meant she'd be coming home to an empty house after school. Yes we have a land line, but I liked her texting me when she was on the bus. I then knew she'd be in the house in about 15 minutes, and she always called me when she was. Paranoid? Perhaps ... but in this world where kids disappear, it makes me feel more secure. Security blanket? Perhaps, but what price can you put on your child's safety???
Of course, Nik is a very responsible kid and in the year and a half has not once lost the phone, lent it to someone to use unsupervised (meaning she knew they were only calling parents for rides or something like that), or gone anywhere near her total minutes per month. She also knew if she did it would be gone. As parents we need to teach them from a very early age that we say what we mean, and we mean what we say. We had long talks about the phone and just like with her computer (which she's had since she was 11), she knew if she abused it or broke the rules, it would be gone. She also knew I wouldn't hesitate to take those things away.
Now that she's in high school and involved in so many marching band events, I feel better knowing she has a way to find a ride if needed or get in touch with me. I have no regrets in getting her the phone. She's proven she can be responsible with it and she's used it several times when she's needed a ride unexpectedly. She's proven to me she can handle the responsibility, and I feel more secure knowing she has it with her. As long as they don't have them on during school hours, they're allowed to have them. As for band events, her director only asks they have them off during performances and they store them with their other stuff in the bags they bring with them to all events. He doesn't want them on the field, in other words.
They're so much a part of our world these days, and it gives me peace of mind knowing she can reach me and I can reach her anytime. Yes, we were probably all raised without them, but we were also raised without computers and yet here we are, using them daily. They're part of our world. But like any piece of technology, you need to use it responsibly and teach your child to do the same. Cell phones are not toys, and I've taught Nicole that and she understands it.
Carol
