Morgan Pozgar sends over 4,000 texts a month.
This is her ‘training’ for the LG National Texting
Championship.
She competed against thousands of people on April 21, 2007.
She texted the word supercalifragilisticexpialidocious in 42 seconds.
She won $25,000.
She is 13.
Imagine the day when the Olympics and Physical Education classes are
replaced by texting and video game championships and training, when you
might walk into a pre-school class and overhear the teacher asking the
kids to make sure their cell phones are turned off. Ok, I am
exaggerating just a bit, but you get the idea. Cell phones
are a major concern for many parents.
I feel that families can be well prepared to approach the cell phone
dilemma with confidence and allow kids to have a modified cell phone
starting at a young age (I personally think you can start at
7). As a young person, who might have abused my cell phone
privileges a few times, I want to provide some steps for parents to
protect their child from the dangers (and abuses) of a cell phone as
much as possible:
(If your child already has a phone, see if you can switch plans or make
some new ground rules starting at Step 6.)
Step 1: Weigh the Pros and Cons
Cons:
- Potential health risks: brain damage, hearing loss, radiation or
tumors
- Protecting children’s privacy from unknown
callers, advertisements or hackers.
- Controlling children’s communications with
friends, social engagements and who they are in contact with, when they
are too young to understand all of the risks.
- The gift that keeps giving, high phone bill costs
Pros:
- Allows you and them to keep in contact at all times, no matter where
they are.
- Easier to make plans, pick-up times and locations so the
child does not have to wait in an unsafe place, borrow a strangers
phone etc.
- In the case of an emergency, it can be a lifeline, where
children always have a method of reaching you if phone lines are down
or there is no other phone.
- GPS features can allow you to keep tabs on your child at
all times.
Step 2: Talk to Them
Find out if they want a phone and why. You want them to be on the same
page as you, so there are no surprises (and they do not get their hopes
up for a blackberry and really get a Disney Phone). This will
also help you have an idea of how they plan on using it to get the most
cost-effective plan.
Tell them your concerns about having a cell phone and that you plan on
having a number of ground rules and a service that will also have
guidelines. (again prepare them)
Step 3: Research a Service and a Phone
Sprint Service and Phone
*Allows parents to set wireless ‘boundaries’ for
the phone to work.
* Controls which contacts can be entered into the phone book.
* Restricts incoming calls to those that are programmed by the parent.
Cost: $79.99; the parental control feature is part of the phone and can
be added to your family plan.
Verizon Service and Phone
*”Chaperone Service” parents can restrict numbers
and calling times
* “Child Zone Service” allows parents to locate
your child’s phone from your phone or computer. You set up
the locations such as home or school and receive text messages when the
phone leaves those areas. (thank goodness this was not around
when I was in High School)
Cost: The Chaperone service must be activated by a Family Share
account, which is $9.99 per month. Chaperone with Child Zone feature
costs $19.99 a month.
AT&T (Coming soon a service called: “Smart
Limits”.)
* Limits for number of texts and instant messages
* Limits dollar amount of down loadable purchases (ring tones, games,
etc)
*Limits times of day the phone can be used
*Limits who the phone can call or text (incoming and outgoing)
*Limits Internet content access
FireFly Phone $39.99
* Has 5 buttons to store up to 20 numbers, has designated buttons for
‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’ and
‘emergency’.
* PIN protection allows parents to limit incoming and outgoing calls to
numbers stored in the phone book.
*Also has upgrades: GlowPhone $49.99, FlyPhone, $99.99
TicTalk $99, $9.99 a month (AT&T only) also pre-paid cards.
*Kids ages 6 and up and comes with five educational games
*Parents can put the child’s spelling list in to be used in
Hangman.
* Parents control incoming/outgoing calls, the times of day to call
Whereifone $80, $20 per month plans
*For ages 6 to 10 built in GPS, fed to you via web or phone access
*Parents can see where the phone has been- get periodic updates.
* A 20-number phone book where parents can restrict calls
* An “SOS” panic button for emergencies.
Step 4: Check Out What Other People are Doing
I hate recommending this, but talking to other parents or your school
is a good idea to gauge what other people are doing with their kids in
your area.
Step 5: Make a Purchase
I think it is great to buy it with them, so they can get excited and
understand that it is a big deal and a big responsibility.
You might consider having them pay for part of it or do chores to earn
it. (again glad this post was not around when I got my first phone)
Step 6: Set-up the Rules and the Phone
Program in all relevant numbers, put the GPS reminders or limits on the
phone and your computer. Make sure YOU know how to work it
before handing it over to your kid, one of the major loopholes the
teens I know abuse, is that they know their parents couldn’t
figure out who they have been calling even if they wanted to, because
their parents cannot work the phone. After you have figured
it out, hand it over with a very specific set of guidelines and rules,
with the consequences laid out clearly (I like written contracts for
things like this).
Step 7: Trust Them…closely
Tell them you trust them with this big responsibility and let them try
it while keeping tabs.
I hope that this helps you make your decision about getting your child
or teen a phone. Whether your child has one already or not, I
really think phones can actually help you keep your kid safer with all
of the new features that are out there.
About Vanessa
Vanessa is the Creator of RRules.com - an Editing Parenting Guide and
Teen Encyclopedia. Her mission is to improve parent and teen
relationships and their individual lifestyles. Read her Profile or
visit her Blog Page - Vanessa Van Petten
