Buying a cell phone for a youngster
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Posted On :
Jun-10-2009
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Article Word Count :
457
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It wasnt so long ago that no children had their own mobile phones.
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It wasnt so long ago that no children had their own mobile phones. They were very expensive luxuries, even for adults, and parents were naturally reluctant to give their child something that would end up costing them the earth, or worse, landing them in trouble.
A lot has changed in recent years, however. Handsets have tumbled in price, and pay as you go arrangements have taken the sting out of the monthly bills. Also, there are a number of phones that are now on the market that have been specifically designed for children, with colourful, chunky designs, safety features, and parental controls. Nearly half of all children under the age of fifteen have their own mobile phone, a figure that would have been unimaginable just a short decade ago.
Some parents see mobile phones as a good way of keeping in touch with their children in case of emergencies or delays. You can also get phones that are equipped with GPS (Global Positioning System) technology, which allows you to monitor the whereabouts of your children via an internet-capable PC or phone, so you never need to worry about them getting lost again.
A lot of parents also see a mobile phone as being a good way to teach children the value of money and how to handle responsibility. Pay as you go phones force children to evaluate their cell phone use in terms of the money that it costs. If they cant afford to go to the movies because they spent all of their pocket money on an hour long phone call, they will soon learn to restrict their phone use to more sensible levels.
One of the reasons why parents are often reluctant to let their children have mobile phones is that they worry that they will distract them from their schoolwork, or expose them to unwelcome influences.
Another common concern is that children will run up giant phone bills by talking to their friends all the time, without realising how much it is costing.
Thankfully, there are things that you can do to prevent this from happening. Most of the mobile phones that are aimed specifically at children, such as the Firefly and the LG Migo incorporate parental controls that allow you to restrict mobile phone usage to numbers and times that you approve of, block access to the internet and game downloads, and feature large speed dial buttons for emergencies.
If you do buy a child their own cell phone, it is a good idea to set some clear boundaries for their usage of it, such as not allowing them to use it in the classroom, at the dinner table, or after a certain time at night
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Buying a cell phone for a youngster _1036.aspx
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Author Resource :
Vodafone always have great mobile phone deals including exciting new Sony Ericsson mobiles.
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Keywords :
mobile, sim only,
Category :
Communications
:
Mobile Phones
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