Technology and children need balance
Maybe middle school-aged children aren’t the picture of responsibility, particularly when it comes to having a cell phone. But by the time they’re teenagers, some might have had their phones for as many as five or six years.
More and more children are getting cell phones, according to Chicago-based C&R Research. Twenty-six percent of 8- to 11-year-olds in America have their own cell phones. For those 12 to 14 years old, that number jumps to 58 percent.
Some might find those numbers shocking. They’ll probably only go up. Kids with cell phones is a reality.
The phones don’t belong in schools as a social tool. Kids shouldn’t be chatting or texting during the school day. You don’t want a student using a phone as a music player in gym class. And schools’ strict policies about cell phones take care of these distractions.
Cell phones can also help keep youths safe.
Children can face danger when they are away from home. They could be approached by a stranger. They might become lost. They might find themselves in a threatening situation. There are legitimate uses for cell phone.
Also, they can help parents keep in touch. Kids with cell phones really have no excuses when a parent can’t track them down.
Of course, schools have established rules, and youths will spend a lot of time testing rules of all kinds through the school years. There will be violations.
Kids are getting phones as soon as they learn to read. That’s not a surprise. The numbers aren’t shocking. It’s just a matter of parents recognizing the reality, setting rules and finding the most benefit they can.
