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Verizon iPhone: Will You Get One for Your Kid?
The hotly anticipated marriage between Verizon and Apple is set for Feb. 10th
The long anticipated engagement announcement between Apple and Verizon Wireless was made earlier today, and tech savvy gadget lovers and neophytes alike are buzzing with excitement over next month’s wedding date, which is set for Feb. 10th.
Although the iPhone and Verizon will only have been betrothed for a short time before tying the knot, the relationship has been in the works for two years. In fact, so much has happened in the world of smartphones in a relatively short time, namely the prices have dropped considerably and the technology has virtually exploded. If you have a kid who can talk (and even if you have one that only babbles), then chances are they are clamoring for your phone, but would like one of their own. And chances are what they really want is an iPhone.
IPhones have sex appeal that span the ages. With every conceivable kind of app — from games to organizational helpers to coupons, reservations, books, and more games — they can not only make your life easier, but a bit more fun as well.
But what age is appropriate for a kid to get a cell phone, and does it have to be something as extravagant as an iPhone (the price range for the new Verizon versions is $199-$299)?
Like sitting in the front seat of the car unbuckled, not wearing helmets on bicycles and eating raw cookie dough, we all survived as kids without cell phones. We carried around dimes (and eventually quarters) for pay phones, and used them when we could find them to alert our folks of our whereabouts. When we couldn’t find them, we occasionally got scolded upon arriving home for not trying harder to find one. Either way, life went on.
Of course now we know better. We’d never stick a little kid in the front seat (air bag danger!), let them ride a bike without a helmet (brain trauma!) or eat raw cookie dough (salmonella! trans fats!). And if a cell phone can give us some reassurance that they’re safe, and they can get in touch with us if they’re not — or let us know they missed the bus, want a playdate, or would like something other than fish for dinner again — is that such an extravagance?
If I had the option of implanting a chip in my toddler (the kind they put in dogs) so I could always keep tabs on her — forever — I’d seriously consider it. Of course at age two she has no need for a phone, but she likes looking at videos and photos of herself on my husband’s smartphone, and it has actually appeased her on more car trips than I can count.
Sure, a basic phone without all the bells and whistles of an iPhone will also work for kids – and some of them even come with tracking devices (no skin-implanted chips necessary). And with an iPhone, it means your kid has access to the Internet, which seems even more dangerous if they have the phone when you’re not around to keep tabs on what, exactly, they’re doing.
But isn’t it also just the way the world is going? That kids are going to have access to technology whether we sanction it or not? If you don’t get one for your kids, can’t they just play with their friends’? Is it better to give them permission and keep track of who they’re calling and texting, and then set limits and controls on how much they can talk and text, the types of websites they can access and which apps they can buy, instead of worrying they might seek it out on the sly?
Will you allow you children to attend the Verizon iPhone wedding, or are they too young?
Image: Creative Commons
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0 Comments
goddess commented on Jan 11 11 at 4:23 pmHmmmm- they can get phones at age 15 or 16 when they:
• have a job for at least 3 months and have saved enough money to pay for the phone and monthly charges fo the life of the contract they’ve selected.
• maintained the best GPA possible (according to their unique capabilities) while working that job
• are capable of maintaining their other chosen extra-curricular activities (clubs, sports, music, etc.) while keeping that GPA and working during that time.The phone is not only a privilege, but a responsibility in our home. And I’m glad to say, doing this with our now almost 21 year old paid off in gold in his responsibility/accountability department. HE’;s always paid his own cell bill and his portion of the car insurance.
So we’ll see when they are ready, and what they can afford to select ;-)
Meredith Carroll commented on Jan 11 11 at 4:26 pm@Goddess — Sounds like a very thoughtful plan. I’m taking notes!
goddess commented on Jan 11 11 at 4:41 pmDoesn’t earn you brownie points at first though, LOL!
But the cool thing was- he started out wanting the best he could have, upgraded his phone a few times at his won expense- and found out he didn’t need every new release, nor every feature. I think he’s got his eye on a Blackberry next- not the top of the line, prolly a few under…..
Then again, being a poor, college kid has taught him all sorts of new lessons- like bargain shopping at the grocery store, LOL!
Laure68 commented on Jan 11 11 at 4:58 pmOK, I am going off subject here, but I cringed a bit when you talked about us surviving even though we sat in the front seat of a car without the seatbelt fastened. Required kids to wear belts, sit in car seats, sit in the back seat, etc. has saved an enormous number of lives. Just because we personally survived doesn’t mean it was a good idea. Cell phones, as much as I love them, just add convenience to your life. You really cannot compare the two.
That being said, I also like Goddess’s plan.
Meredith Carroll commented on Jan 11 11 at 5:11 pm@Laure68 — I get the difference. I was trying to make a point.
ALittleShort commented on Jan 11 11 at 5:45 pmYeah growing up in my home, in order to get a cell phone, we had to be able to pay our portion of the bill and the first phone I received was one of my mom’s old phones (ahhh how I miss you sometimes green screen nokia, you remind me of simpler times). And on Christmas or our Birthday we may get a cell phone upgrade (never went into the store with my parents, I just happen to get something better then what I had-it was probably one of those freebes but you get the idea). Oh and we didn’t get a phone until we were driving. It was mostly so she had a way to get a hold of us and we had a way to get a hold of her. This was before texting, so that wasn’t an issue. But yes, same rules will apply for my kids. I will not be having a cellphone carrying 10 year old.
Meredith Carroll commented on Jan 12 11 at 12:33 am@ALittleShort — That sounds like a good plan, but I do see the upside of a 10-year-old having a cell phone — mostly for the reasons you say — so parents can reach their kids easily. Maybe they wouldn’t pay in monetarily the way an older kid would, but they could do more chores around the house?
David commented on Jan 19 11 at 8:26 pmAll kids want a smartphone, but they do not necessarily need an I phone. Apple will no doubt be the sexy phone to have at school, but there are some really good, much cheaper options available. I recently got a Nokia E71 Smartphone from Straight Talk. The phone costs $200, but once you have it it only costs $45 a month for unlimited everything, as opposed to well over $100 a month for an I phone. You are also not tied to a contract, so there is no penalty for cancelling the service. I have had it with contracts and being ripped off with overcharges, so from now on I will stick to Prepaid.
Francis commented on Jan 31 11 at 6:45 pmAll kids nowdays have huge expectations. I remember very clearly from school how important it was to fit in and be cool. All parents have the choice between spoiling their kids rotten or leaving them deeply humiliated at school because they do not have things that others have. I don’t pretend to know the answer to this dilemma, but perhaps it is best to follow the American way. They need to earn their status symbols and if these things are important enough to the kids, they will put in the effort. Having said that, I see that Prepaid phone operators like Net10 are now bringing in some cheap smartphones, so it will be easier for everyone to have one.
Meredith Carroll commented on Feb 02 11 at 1:47 pm@Francis — Are cell phones status symbols, or a good way to stay in touch with your kids?
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