In an age of technology where virtually anything is possible, people feel more and more compelled to protect their children. One of the ways that they do this is by purchasing state of the art cellular phones for them. Their intentions in doing so are good because they have the desire to know where their children are every second of the day, and that is good. The problem with this is that in most cases, the children often have other ideas for their cell phone which you never would have even dreamed of.
One of the hugest problems with cellular phones these days is that a cellular phone is more than that. It may have many other functions including text messaging, picture messaging, a camera, and internet access. In addition, kids tend to have the ability to pick up on new technology much faster than adults, giving them a chance to do bad things without their parents knowing. In addition, you are no longer just listening for an inappropriate phone call because your child can text without you even knowing it.
In the worst case scenario, your child could actually be taking nude photos of themselves and distributing them on the internet or simply sending them to their friends, which in all likelihood will have the exact same effect. This type of messaging is commonly referred to today as sexting which is to say Sex Texting. In committing these acts, your son or daughter may be charged with child pornography charges and have to file as a sexual offender for the rest of their lives. In an even worse case, real sexual predators will gain access to these photographs and have a negative or even fatal impact on their lives.
Cellular phone related traffic accidents are steadily on the rise, so when your teenager comes to you begging for a phone, keep that little statistic in mind. It may seem like a good idea, but it is also a good idea to keep your child alive if you love them. In addition, remember that your child may over ulterior motives when asking for a cellular phone.
If they want one so badly, then it would be best to inform them that they need to go out and find a job so that they can pay for it, because cellular phones are part of an adult world, and if they are so eager to become a part of that world, then they need to fill out applications and maybe have some business cards printed up for themselves; after all there are some sites offering free business cards these days!
Still after reading this, many parents will desire to get their child a phone for security reasons. If that is the case, be sure to take with your cell phone provider to figure out the best plan to really protect your child and their future. Many phones these days come with parental controls, and you can opt to disable text messaging and camera phones.
No matter how hard it may be, be a good parent and do the right thing for you and your child!
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