With threats to our children both real and imagined at the forefront of the news almost any day of the week, it’s no surprise that cell phones have become a crucial accessory for parents and children. While some may debate whether a kids cell phone is really necessary, many parents feel safer having a cell phone then going without.
Perhaps the biggest concern that parents have aside from loss or theft of the mobile phone is that their pre-teen children may run up a large cell phone bill. This can be avoided by using a prepaid cell phone rather than one with a monthly bill. However, while this will prevent the situation of expensive phone bill, it also risks the possibility of insufficient cash being in the account when that emergency phone call needs to be made.
For those parents who want to exert further control, there are specialty cell phones for kids, like the Firefly that doesn’t even feature a numeric keypad. Parents have to program the phone numbers in; ensuring that only approved contacts can be called. Many of these phones also feature a built-in GPS so that parents can track their children’s whereabouts as well. The Disney cell phone has the GPS feature as well and costs only $50.
If you’re looking for a free cell phone for kids, make sure you read the fine print. There are numerous carriers like Cingular, T- Mobile, Verizon and Sprint that offer free cell phones, however you generally have to sign up for a monthly plan in order to get them. Some free cell phones come in pairs that allow contact to occur only between the two phones; these phones act more like walkie-talkies than mobile phones.
While it is important to do everything that is possible to keep our children safe, many debate whether giving cell phones to children is a step in the right direction or not. Plus there are potential health consequences from the regular use of cellular phones, so it’s advised that only children 8 or older use one.
