Would you let an 8yr old have a PAYG Phone?

raven83

1940sGal wrote: »

My 11 year old cousin has just been bought a Blackberry. Her parents have admitted to struggling financially but they still feel the need to buy her a BB. It's ridiculous

Exactly my point. I know of people that are in debt upto their eyeballs yet they will make sure their kids have all the latest clothes and gadgets, lots of my DDs friends have Ipads! While I would love to be able to have one, they are just a extravagant toy, and I would rather my kitchen cupboards were full to the brim, instead of empty if I was to buy one!

fannyanna

I don't really understand this whole concept of young child and modern technology.

My 10 year old step-daughter has had a mobile phone for a few years now and we've just found out that she also has a twitter account. I don't really see how that's appropriate but maybe I'm an old fogey lol.

mrcow

mazza111 wrote: »

Think I'm against the grain here too. My kids had them from a young age. Mainly because they were going to places without me. Karate, diving lessons etc. Where they got the bus home. They only used it to let me know they were at one bus stop so I could go to the other bus stop to meet them. Have to admit, the older one was about 12 then though.

Great for keeping in touch if they have to go somewhere, but the kids usually spend more time playing games on them than using them to call or text

That's a bit different though. If a 12 year old is going out alone via buses etc then a phone would be a handy resource to have. Especially as pay phones aren't as available as they used to be when say we were 12.

An 8 year old however wouldn't/shouldn't be going out alone like that. They are going to have no need for a phone.

Some kids in my son's class have iPhones - their parents are idiots. The kids have no need for the phones - they can't even use the phones as they have to hand then into reception. So their school days goes like this:

Mum drops 8/9/10 year old off into playground.
Kid shows off iphone in playground before school
School whistle goes
Kid saunters round to reception to hand in phone
Kid is late for school (every day) and I tell them to get a move on as they wander past.

School ends
Parent picks up child from playground
Parent walks child round to pick up iphone.

The whole process is completely pointless. These children have no actual use for a phone whatsoever. They just have unimaginative parents who either can't think of something better to get them or who are bowing to peer pressure.

An eight year old shouldn't be off playing out where you don't know where they are. If you don't know where your kids are playing, then you need to be setting clearer boundaries.

Once a child hits secondary school, it's slightly different as boundaries are naturally widened.

1940sGal

fannyanna wrote: »

I don't really understand this whole concept of young child and modern technology.

My 10 year old step-daughter has had a mobile phone for a few years now and we've just found out that she also has a twitter account. I don't really see how that's appropriate but maybe I'm an old fogey lol.

I don't think you're being an old fogey. Why on earth does a 10 year old need a twitter account? Bizarre!

raven83

fannyanna wrote: »

I don't really understand this whole concept of young child and modern technology.

My 10 year old step-daughter has had a mobile phone for a few years now and we've just found out that she also has a twitter account. I don't really see how that's appropriate but maybe I'm an old fogey lol.

Don't even get me started on children that are on Social Networking sites, makes my blood boil :mad:

suejb2

No, my D.D is almost 10 and has been asking for a phone since her 9th birthday.Our case is where would she be going that would need a phone? She is either in our house, around at Nanas, or playing on Nanas road.Secondary school is the time to get we think.

1940sGal

raven83 wrote: »

Don't even get me started on children that are on Social Networking sites, makes my blood boil :mad:

Especially when you consider what can be seen on the likes of facebook and twitter. One look at that lad who was sending abuse to Tom Daley would be enough for me to ban any child of mine from having that until they were at least 15 or 16.

**Patty**

krlyr wrote: »

How about a compromise - not sure of your budget (but second-hand could be an option) but something like an iPod touch has many features of a smart phone without the safety risk of an actual phone. Something she can put apps and games onto and feel part of 'the club' with her friends, but no monthly fee (not really interested in them myself, but I'm pretty sure you can get them without sim cards and just use Wifi internet) either.

I'm off to sit in the old fogey camp.

Am scratching my head at the *no* to a £20odd basic phone but a £120+ Ipod touch is a compromise?
TBH.....the scope for inappropriate use is much wider with a Touch than ever a basic mobile would be.

raven83

1940sGal wrote: »

Especially when you consider what can be seen on the likes of facebook and twitter. One look at that lad who was sending abuse to Tom Daley would be enough for me to ban any child of mine from having that until they were at least 15 or 16.

I've seen kids as young as 7 on it. And there are often pitcures of their mums on nights out getting up to all sorts of drunken antics, do I really want my daughters to see that? Hell no! Not to mention the things posted on the news feed that can be rather explicit. I just don't think it is nice for kids to be on it. Kids don't play like they use to either which is a sad shame, and a lot of it is due to too much technoligy.

andygb

1940sGal wrote: »

My 11 year old cousin has just been bought a Blackberry. Her parents have admitted to struggling financially but they still feel the need to buy her a BB. It's ridiculous

Our nutty relations always let their four year old son play with their Iphone (to keep him quiet I suppose), and there are always tears when they try to take it off him!:mad:
So, what is their great idea to stop this?

They are buying him an Iphone for his 5th birthday:eek:

How mad is that?