I think it is both good and bad that 78% of teens have a cell phone. The one major positive aspect of it is that if a teen is in an emergency situation they can easily call the police for help. On the other hand, cell phones have become such a large part of the world to teens that they cannot function without them. It causes a distraction for them in school, and is annoying in movie theaters as well.
While I think that cell phones are necessary with our culture being the way it is these days, it is also a dangerous area to enter. Kids need to be in contact with their parents and be able to get in touch with someone if they need help. However, giving an adolescent a smart phone opens up their world to a whole new level of accessibility. Parents can't keep track of what their kids are accessing and the things they are using. The level of distraction is also very important to keep in mind. Kids are now going to be able to go from texting in class to surfing the web and the displacement effect here can be extremely important. This is a very difficult area for parents to decide what to do
The fact that 78% of teenagers have their own cell phones is a little scary to me considering these are all kids ages 13 to 19. Because of age and knowledge about the world, I feel kids in their early teens are more vulnerable to getting drawn into the online world because it may not be something that they have been fully exposed to or allowed to use at all, on a family computer, for example. Because they are less aware of the dangers on the Internet and on social media sites, being able to access these things freely will definitely increase their curiosity and lure them into using them frequently. However, this is not to say that kids in their late teens are not drawn in by the Internet and social media or that they are not vulnerable. On another hand though, allowing ones teenager to have a cell phone during their teenage years gives both parties the ability to contact one another or an authority if there is an emergency. With all of the dangers that can potentially happen in today's society, contacting someone to help may be one's only option and a lot of times, using a cell phone is how one would accomplish that. Ultimately, though there are multiple facets to this argument, being able to reach someone in a dangerous time may be the factor that outweighs the rest when parents debate whether or not to give their teenagers a cell phone.
I think that having a cell phone is a large part of surviving in today's society. Sure, I use my cell phone to find directions, find restaurants, google a random question, check social media, etc. However, I also use it when I'm walking by myself at night so protection is just a call/text away. But what do children use it for? I think children are more interested in the social media and other applications (may be appropriate or not) on the cell phone. I think there are pros of the child having the cell phone because the parents can reach them at any given time and trust that they can also reach them when needed. However, children are so technologically advanced these days that they get away with more than the parents think on these phones. This idea is what's dangerous about these children having phones so young.
I think that it is important for teens to have cell phones these days. I am a little surprised, though, by how many teenagers do have cell phones (78%) because I thought it would be a lower percentage. I agree with Kelsey when she wrote that giving a teen a smartphone opens up a whole new level of accessibility that is not always monitored by their parents. The Internet can be a scary world and not always appropriate for adolescents. Giving them another outlet to use the Internet in an unsupervised manner can be harmful. On the other hand, cell phones and smartphones are great because they can be a way to connect with someone in an emergency, etc. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer when asking whether or not teens should own smartphones. I think it just depends how responsible the user is.
I agree with the above posts that in today's society having a cell phone is essential for teens. However, I feel like the age at which children are receiving cell phones is getting lower and lower. At first I did not see the need for teens to have cell phones or younger teens especially. However it is more that I don't think they need smartphones in their teen years. I believe that having a cell phone is a great safety measure and makes it easy for parents to get in touch with their child. Like Kaleigh and Kelsey said smartphones open up accessibility to things that teens maybe should not have access to. Including, the internet, social media sites, and other apps. I think that parents just have to be aware of what a smartphone provides their teenagers with and talk to them about how to appropriately use them.
I agree with Katherine that it is different today because it is more that teens do not need smartphones at such a young age. I actually received my first cell phone in 6th grade because I told my parents that it would be helpful to have my own phone since I would be staying after school so often for sports. They agreed and I was put on their nextel family plan. These cell phones were much different then so I didn't think it was a distraction issue. It really started out as a way to contact my parents and my few friends who started getting cell phones. Today, however, the impressiveness of smart phones that offer so many games, apps, and connections to others owned by young teens can easily be seen as a negative influence causing distraction and displacement from important activities like exercise and academics.
I agree with many of the posts above that suggest that there is no wrong or right answer for the fact that so many children have cell phones. While the statistic of 78% of kids having a cell phone is a little surprising, I think that it is almost a necessity at this point. Kids are valuing their independence and need safety measures, like a cell phone, to get in contact with their parents. I think the main problem with kids having cell phones is not the number of kids who have them but the type of phones these kids have. At a young age I do not think it is necessary for children to have smart phones. That type of unrestricted access to everything on the internet can lead to problems. However, I fully support children using phones as a means to contact their family and friends.
I think it is both good and bad that 78% of teens have a cell phone. The one major positive aspect of it is that if a teen is in an emergency situation they can easily call the police for help. On the other hand, cell phones have become such a large part of the world to teens that they cannot function without them. It causes a distraction for them in school, and is annoying in movie theaters as well.
ReplyDeleteWhile I think that cell phones are necessary with our culture being the way it is these days, it is also a dangerous area to enter. Kids need to be in contact with their parents and be able to get in touch with someone if they need help. However, giving an adolescent a smart phone opens up their world to a whole new level of accessibility. Parents can't keep track of what their kids are accessing and the things they are using. The level of distraction is also very important to keep in mind. Kids are now going to be able to go from texting in class to surfing the web and the displacement effect here can be extremely important. This is a very difficult area for parents to decide what to do
ReplyDeleteThe fact that 78% of teenagers have their own cell phones is a little scary to me considering these are all kids ages 13 to 19. Because of age and knowledge about the world, I feel kids in their early teens are more vulnerable to getting drawn into the online world because it may not be something that they have been fully exposed to or allowed to use at all, on a family computer, for example. Because they are less aware of the dangers on the Internet and on social media sites, being able to access these things freely will definitely increase their curiosity and lure them into using them frequently. However, this is not to say that kids in their late teens are not drawn in by the Internet and social media or that they are not vulnerable. On another hand though, allowing ones teenager to have a cell phone during their teenage years gives both parties the ability to contact one another or an authority if there is an emergency. With all of the dangers that can potentially happen in today's society, contacting someone to help may be one's only option and a lot of times, using a cell phone is how one would accomplish that. Ultimately, though there are multiple facets to this argument, being able to reach someone in a dangerous time may be the factor that outweighs the rest when parents debate whether or not to give their teenagers a cell phone.
ReplyDeleteI think that having a cell phone is a large part of surviving in today's society. Sure, I use my cell phone to find directions, find restaurants, google a random question, check social media, etc. However, I also use it when I'm walking by myself at night so protection is just a call/text away. But what do children use it for? I think children are more interested in the social media and other applications (may be appropriate or not) on the cell phone. I think there are pros of the child having the cell phone because the parents can reach them at any given time and trust that they can also reach them when needed. However, children are so technologically advanced these days that they get away with more than the parents think on these phones. This idea is what's dangerous about these children having phones so young.
ReplyDelete-Karlyn Tupper
I think that it is important for teens to have cell phones these days. I am a little surprised, though, by how many teenagers do have cell phones (78%) because I thought it would be a lower percentage. I agree with Kelsey when she wrote that giving a teen a smartphone opens up a whole new level of accessibility that is not always monitored by their parents. The Internet can be a scary world and not always appropriate for adolescents. Giving them another outlet to use the Internet in an unsupervised manner can be harmful. On the other hand, cell phones and smartphones are great because they can be a way to connect with someone in an emergency, etc. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer when asking whether or not teens should own smartphones. I think it just depends how responsible the user is.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above posts that in today's society having a cell phone is essential for teens. However, I feel like the age at which children are receiving cell phones is getting lower and lower. At first I did not see the need for teens to have cell phones or younger teens especially. However it is more that I don't think they need smartphones in their teen years. I believe that having a cell phone is a great safety measure and makes it easy for parents to get in touch with their child. Like Kaleigh and Kelsey said smartphones open up accessibility to things that teens maybe should not have access to. Including, the internet, social media sites, and other apps. I think that parents just have to be aware of what a smartphone provides their teenagers with and talk to them about how to appropriately use them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Katherine that it is different today because it is more that teens do not need smartphones at such a young age. I actually received my first cell phone in 6th grade because I told my parents that it would be helpful to have my own phone since I would be staying after school so often for sports. They agreed and I was put on their nextel family plan. These cell phones were much different then so I didn't think it was a distraction issue. It really started out as a way to contact my parents and my few friends who started getting cell phones. Today, however, the impressiveness of smart phones that offer so many games, apps, and connections to others owned by young teens can easily be seen as a negative influence causing distraction and displacement from important activities like exercise and academics.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many of the posts above that suggest that there is no wrong or right answer for the fact that so many children have cell phones. While the statistic of 78% of kids having a cell phone is a little surprising, I think that it is almost a necessity at this point. Kids are valuing their independence and need safety measures, like a cell phone, to get in contact with their parents. I think the main problem with kids having cell phones is not the number of kids who have them but the type of phones these kids have. At a young age I do not think it is necessary for children to have smart phones. That type of unrestricted access to everything on the internet can lead to problems. However, I fully support children using phones as a means to contact their family and friends.
ReplyDelete