|
|
We are living in an age of technology and it is impossible to keep your child away from being tech savvy. Your child knows more about all the latest gadgets and computers than you do. So it is slightly impossible for you to keep him away from it. So is it necessary to give your child a mobile phone?
Practical decision
It is not necessary to give a mobile phone to your kid but it is a practical decision. If your kid has busy schedules, or he is at his friends place, you can know about it. The right age to give a mobile phone is when he is matured enough to handle it and manage the monthly limited balance. In case of emergency, like for example if you are going to be late to pick him up from that dance class or he has an extra class, a mobile phone might be handy to inform.
Rules at schools
Generally these days most schools allow kids to carry mobile phones, but they don’t allow it to be switched on in the classroom. It can be only used in the school premises during a lunch break or before and after school. Make sure you don’t buy an expensive phone, because the sole purpose of a mobile phone should be to contact your child.
Parental control
Try getting a pre-paid connection instead of a post-paid one because your child doesn’t need to make many calls. Put a complete ban on web access and too may text messaging. Make sure they spend enough time studying and playing outdoor games too. Because technology can make people especially kids hooked on to it.
You need to ask your child to give his number only to his friends and people whom he can trust. This will help his number from falling into wrong hands and guard him against threatening calls, insulting text or picture messages.
Cell phone etiquette
Make your kid follow some cell phone etiquette. Teach him to turn off the phone during school hours, keeping the phone on silent mode and make sure he doesn’t misuse the phone. Ask your child to limit endless conversations with his friends and not use the phone to gossip or take embarrassing pictures or filming videos of his friends or other classmates and uploading it on websites or using mms feature. It is a criminal offence.
Some kids might use their mobile phones to cheat in exams by using the camera to click pictures of their study material and use it to copy in their exams. This can get your child suspended or he might lose a year.
Now that you know the pros and cons of giving a mobile phone, it’s for you to decide as parents whether and when is it the right age to give a mobile phone to your child. Remember if used in the right way, technology can be a boon.
|
|
