Thoughtful Thursday: Kid + Cell Phones, Not in My House

****I know this isn't the post I had scheduled in the Weekly Newsletter, but after my first birth as a doula last night, and nearly 16 hours, I didn't have it in me to write another post. So here's a oldie, but a goodie from Moms in Boyland. Hope you enjoy and I'll have that video update about the birth soon! ****

Remember when you were a kid, if you wanted to speak to a friend you had to call their house phone and pray that you didn't get a busy signal? Or when you wanted to tell your neighbor about the newest video game you had to actually walk over to his house and speak to him...in person!

Long gone are the days when human interaction actually involves human beings; instead we've been replaced with tweets, texts, emails, and remarkably long status updates. Our kids are now able to use technology in ways we never imagined. My 6 year old is savvy to Facebook etiquette. He once told his brother not to write a message to a girl he liked on her Facebook wall because then everyone would see it. Ah-mazing.

The fact that my 13 year old even has a Facebook page was something I grappled with for a long time. I understand that it has become an integral part of the way I connect with my friends and family. So after laying down MANY rules like "I will have access to your password", "No spreading gossip", and "Only going on after all homework is done", we let him get a Facebook page. I got major "cool" points for that one.

Now, I am the WORST mother in the world because EVERYONE in the 7th grade, but my son has a cellphone. I think its funny that he is dying for a phone, to call his friends that he would only call when he forgot to write down an assignment. I told my son if he needs to call his friends then use the ancient invention called the land line.

You would have thought I suggested going to school in his underwear by the look I got. Nothing irks me more then watching 10 year olds chatting on their iPhones. Here are my reasons for not giving my son a cell phone, especially a "smart" phone:

1. He doesn't want to call his friends, he only wants another way to "fit in". My job is to be his parent, not his accomplice in succumbing to peer pressure.

2. Heard of "sexting"? Now imagine your 12 year old getting propositioning messages or inappropriate pictures from the girl who wants to get his attention. What happened to passing notes?

3. He doesn't go anywhere without me or his father. If he did, for some reason and there was an emergency, there would be at least 10 other people around him with cell phones he could borrow.

4. PORN, at 4G speed. Enough said.

5. My son gets distracted from a barking dog while doing his homework. He doesn't  need another thing to steal his attention.

6. He loses...I mean "misplaces" everything.

7. Kids should be playing outside with other real kids, not pretending to play games with virtual friends.

8. The phones that he wants are expensive (I'm still trying to convince my husband why I need one).

9. It stunts their reading, writing, and social interaction skills. (WTF, LOL, ROTFL, I h8 doin, hw it totally sux.)

10. I want to raise an articulate child, not a texting zombie.

So if, and when I decide to get my son a cell phone it will have no texting ability, only be programmed with essential numbers, not be Internet capable and only be used for calling people...shocking I know. Once he has a job and is old enough to pay for a smart phone he can have any phone he wants. But, best believe if I call and it goes straight to voicemail, he will have one crazy mom on his hands.

What do you think the appropriate age is for a kid to get a cell phone?

No longer "cool" in Granolaville,

Posted in: cell phones,kids,mind,thoughtful thursday