That's bullshit. The only security risk is if as a parent, you don't know where your child is and who she is with.
I've no scientific data to show for this, but I'm pretty sure that phones are detrimental to child development. Schools are filled with braindead children who spent their whole classes texting on their phones (anecdotal evidence from several teachers of mine). And this is getting worse, because the average age at which children are given their first cell phone is decreasing. You probably wouldn't give your children unrestricted access to television, I guess. Why allow them unrestricted access to a screen then ?
> Kids not fitting into their peer group
Well, considering the toxic environment that most schools are, your kid will probably get picked on anyway (for whichever superficial reason, because kids are significantly sensitive to peer pressure and thus tend to follow the most vocal and most horrible of their peer groups).
As Louis C.K. says it:
"Just because the other stupid kids have phones doesn't mean that, OK, my kid has to be stupid otherwise she'll feel weird"
What with the low cost of cellphone service and the high cost of raising a child, I find it hard to believe that parents don't at least equip their child with a feature phone that allows voice and text. It allows you to:
A) Check in at will with your child.
B) Have them communicate if they missed a bus or are getting a ride home with a friend.
C) Tell you they messed up and are out after dark with friends on the wrong side of town and really need a ride home.
Those factors alone seem to outweigh the negatives to me.
As far as phones and school, it just sounds like cellphones are the new scourge being blamed for things the previous generation doesn't like or understand, just like music, RPGs, TV, and video games were.
Kids can be cruel, but calling the understanding of technology and social networking in the 21st century "stupid" seems shortsighted. Especially when parents/adults are some of the heaviest users of social media.
A) Well if he's smoking weed or drinking alcohol, he'll probably just won't answer your call or tell you to f* off. Kids, and teenagers especially will outright lie to you when confronted.
B) Taking a ride with a friend? Have the friend's parent phone you. Missed a bus ? Take the next one. Parent's shouldn't worry about a kid being reasonably late. In any case, there are probably plenty of strangers willing to lend their phone for a quick call. (I'm assuming daytime and a non-dangerous situation here)
This is exactly how I did when I was in high school.
C) Well, again it's about responsibility from parents. You should know where your kid is. If you know your kid is going out for the night without adult supervision, just lend him a feature phone for that night, and take it back when he won't need it (for example, in school, where he is supposed to be under adult supervision).
> As far as phones and school, it just sounds like cellphones are the new scourge being blamed for things the previous generation doesn't like or understand, just like music, RPGs, TV, and video games were.
The difference is that I didn't play video games or watch TV while I was in class. I simply couldn't. But when you give children a screen that's available 24/24 and that they can bring with them anywhere, that's where (imho) the limit is crossed.
> Especially when parents/adults are some of the heaviest users of social media.
Well, the biggest consumers of porn are adults as well, but it doesn't mean that children should have access to it either.
That's bullshit. The only security risk is if as a parent, you don't know where your child is and who she is with.
I've no scientific data to show for this, but I'm pretty sure that phones are detrimental to child development. Schools are filled with braindead children who spent their whole classes texting on their phones (anecdotal evidence from several teachers of mine). And this is getting worse, because the average age at which children are given their first cell phone is decreasing. You probably wouldn't give your children unrestricted access to television, I guess. Why allow them unrestricted access to a screen then ?
> Kids not fitting into their peer group Well, considering the toxic environment that most schools are, your kid will probably get picked on anyway (for whichever superficial reason, because kids are significantly sensitive to peer pressure and thus tend to follow the most vocal and most horrible of their peer groups).
As Louis C.K. says it: "Just because the other stupid kids have phones doesn't mean that, OK, my kid has to be stupid otherwise she'll feel weird"