Phone for Kids – Should Kids Have Cell Phones?
Just 10 years ago parents would not even consider giving their children cell phones as they were costly and reserved for business only. However, these gadgets have now become a must-have accessory for people of all ages including kids. The dilemma for parents is whether to equip their child with such a device or not. Consider the pros and cons of both options.
Pros of cell Phones for Kids: Safety with cell phone tracking
Safety is the major advantage of equipping kids with cell phones. When a child has a cell, he/she will be able to contact you straight away in case of an emergency. It takes just a single phone call which can be dialed instantly. If the emergency is really serious, kids can call the emergency number and get help from the police, the fire department and paramedics. It is true that kids live in a fairly protected environment, but unfortunately, all sorts of accidents can happen and you would not want to put your child at greater risk by leaving him/her helpless in a difficult situation.
Peace of mind is a benefit that you will enjoy when you give your child a cell phone. You will be able to contact your kid at any time to find out where he/she is. Your youngster may have forgotten to tell you that he would have football practice after school. You just need to call him if you see that he is running late and the matter will be resolved. You will not have to worry helplessly, call his friends’ parents and drive around town to find him. In such situations, a cell will save you and your kid a lot of stress.
Once you give your kid a cell, you can subscribe to use a cell locating service. Basically, these services allow you to trace your child’s phone at all times.
Keeping an eye on children while letting them go where they want on their own, take independent decisions and take responsibility of their actions is another superb benefit that cell phones can give you. How can you do this? Once you give your kid a cell, you can subscribe to use a cell locating service. As phones emit signals at all times and these signals are picked up by the radio towers of telecom networks, the data obtained is processed and the location of users is determined. Basically, these services allow you to trace your kid’s phone at all times.
You will be able to pinpoint the location of your child from any computer, smartphone or tablet without calling him/her. It does not matter what kind of cell the youngster has. A good-quality service like Lociloci will trace a person’s phone irrespective of its model, make and year of production. There is no need for you to install any software or hardware on your child’s phone. You will be able to learn the location of your kid no matter where you are. You will not have to call him/her or send a text message. You just check to see that the youngster is where he/she is supposed to be and go on with what you are doing. It is that simple.
Your child will learn responsibility when he/she is given a cell phone. The youngster will have to learn to keep the gadget with him/her at all times and how to take good care of it protecting it from common threats such as breaking, moisture and heat. A cell gives children, especially teens, a sense of independence. When they are independent, children learn how to be more responsible. Your youngster will learn to keep appointments and to organize his/her schedule.
The child will develop the habit of calling you when he/she will be late and when something unplanned comes up. At the same time, you will be able to keep an eye on your kid by tracing his/her phone whenever this is necessary. With services like Lociloci, you will really make the most out of your child having a cell phone.
Convenience is another benefit of cell phones for kids. Communicating with your kid will be super easy and quick. If she leaves her art kit at home, you can readily call her that you are on your way to brining it. She will not worry about the missing items and you will not worry that she may go back to the house to get them while you will not be there. This is just one example, but it shows how helpful cells can be in everyday life.
Cons of cell Phones for Kids
Distraction from important and beneficial activities is one of the major disadvantages of cell phones for kids. Older kids, in particular, love texting to their friends at all times and even at school. This may affect your child’s behavior and grades adversely. Many phones have pre-installed games which create further distraction from school work and other beneficial activities such as reading and playing sports. The more sophisticated devices have cameras, music and video capabilities and enable cell internet browsing. These can really take the attention of your child away from important things.
There is a way to deal with this drawback of cell phones. Just get your child a prepaid phone with basic features only. It can have a fancy design and color so that the youngster will appreciate it as an accessory, but it will certainly not distraction him/her from the important things in his/her life.
The cost of the cell phone and the cost of the cell telecom services certainly constitute a drawback for many families. Most of the fancy phones kids are crazy for tend to be quite expensive. Besides, with the introduction of new and more sophisticated gadgets to the market on a regular basis, older cell phones become outdated quickly while kids want to be in line with the trends. As a result, parents can expect to be forced to purchase phones more frequently than they have thought. Even though cell services have become cheaper, if you have a kid that loves to call and text his/her friends a lot, you may get considerable bills.
Even though the use of a cell by a teen can get costly, you can take adequate measures to prevent this. You can explain to your child the benefits of a plainer phone and/or promise to get him/her a fancy smartphone only if he/she will use it responsibly.
When it comes to the cost of the services used, you can control it as well. If you give the youngster a prepaid phone and give him/her a certain amount of credit for a set period of time, he/she will most certainly use it responsible. Using up the credit will not leave your child at risk. Firstly, all national emergency numbers can be dialed from any phone without credit. Additionally, you will still be able to locate your child using a service designed to trace a person’s phone like Lociloci. If you see that the youngster is not where he/she is supposed to be, you can readily call their number to confirm that things are alright.
There are fears that cell phones may be carcinogenic. Researchers have not identified a precise link between the use of cells and brain cancer, but they fear that if these devices could cause brain tumors they would be more dangerous for kids as their nervous system has not developed fully yet. These devices may be capable of causing damage only when voice phone calls are made and they are held close to the ear and the brain respectively. They are perfectly safe to carry around. That is why experts advise parents who have concerns about the safety of cells to add a hands-free set to the device used by their kids.
What is the verdict? Kids should have a cell phone so that they are safer while their parents have a greater peace of mind. The cell and its use for safety purposes can be enhanced with the use of a service designed to trace a person’s phone. You will give your child a sense of independence while you will keep a close eye on him/her privately without interfering with his/her activities by calling all the time.