Kids and Cell Phones

[4570Man]

I’m not really thinking about trying to keep them from danger as much as I want them to work through the process of solving their own needs without using technology or depending on parents to do it for them.

Are you going to train them in the use of a horse and buggy before they get their first vehicle? I’m assuming they probably have or at least access to a computer for school. Did you give them a typewriter first? You’re not doing anybody a favor with this level of thinking.

 

[oosik]

So.... she ran up a $700 bill. But I hope he was thinking - " I sure don't want to deprive the little darling the use of modern technology". And NO - I would NOT expect her to work off that bill. Her father gave her the phone - let him pay the bill.

Mayhaps - they both learned a lesson. A child can not be expected to have the knowledge/experience to use the phone in an adult manner. The father learned that he made a mistake.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Are you going to train them in the use of a horse and buggy before they get their first vehicle? I’m assuming they probably have or at least access to a computer for school. Did you give them a typewriter first? You’re not doing anybody a favor with this level of thinking.

hah exactly how I see it. You need to guide and empower the young folks. Not stunt them.

 

[bcp]

And someday...



Bruce

 

[atsah]

YUP.....:laughing:

 

[5030]

No kids at home. Aren't we lucky. One is a highway patrol K9 officer, the other is a newspaper publisher. I dislike cell phones myself. Wife and I use FM tranceivers to communicate on the farm and I have a SAT phone for when I go hunting.

 

[DMax82]

Yep, his kids are really going to struggle later in life if they don't spend their adolescent and teenage years posting selfies on Instagram, playing Candy Crush, tweeting dumb things, and Snapchatting pictures of their naughty bits. I love how folks are talking about the need to embrace technology like a kid messing around on a cell phone is the equivalent of a graduate degree in computer science from MIT. Let's get real, the kids aren't saying "get us a high end desktop PC so that we can learn AutoCAD, or Javascript, or Photoshop", they are just wanting to waste time on a cell phone. As somebody mentioned, they will be using computers at school, and probably are at home too, so it's not like the are total Luddites. Teach them how to interact with people fact to face. Let them learn multiplication tables, how to read a paper map, and how to actually think, because you know...batteries die and signals get lost.

Why in the world wouldn't you want your children to use and embrace technology? In my business if you did that you would be in the bread lines.

I'm guessing that the OP's 6-14 year old kids aren't in your business.

Amen... As a business owner my smart phone is worth real money. My office can now go with me anywhere, and frees up my life to do other things. I have literally been out on my tractor, roll into the shade, check emails, make calls, sign a contract, and close a deal. I firmly believe my smart phone allows me to be as successful as I am. At 61 I spent most of my life without one... I would never chose to go backwards.

If the OP's 6-14 year old kids wanted cell phones to sign contracts and close deals, I'm sure that he would be happy to get them phones. But they probably want the phones for less productive and less lucrative reasons.

Question for the OP: I just reread your posts, and you actually didn't mention your kids' feelings on the matter. Are they hassling y'all for phones or do they not really care? Just curious.

 

[atsah]

Yep, his kids are really going to struggle later in life if they don't spend their adolescent and teenage years posting selfies on Instagram, playing Candy Crush, tweeting dumb things, and Snapchatting pictures of their naughty bits. I love how folks are talking about the need to embrace technology like a kid messing around on a cell phone is the equivalent of a graduate degree in computer science from MIT. Let's get real, the kids aren't saying "get us a high end desktop PC so that we can learn AutoCAD, or Javascript, or Photoshop", they are just wanting to waste time on a cell phone. As somebody mentioned, they will be using computers at school, and probably are at home too, so it's not like the are total Luddites. Teach them how to interact with people fact to face. Let them learn multiplication tables, how to read a paper map, and how to actually think, because you know...batteries die and signals get lost.



I'm guessing that the OP's 6-14 year old kids aren't in your business.



If the OP's 6-14 year old kids wanted cell phones to sign contracts and close deals, I'm sure that he would be happy to get them phones. But they probably want the phones for less productive and less lucrative reasons.

Good post...

 

[Bikewanderer]

Why in the world wouldn't you want your children to use and embrace technology? In my business if you did that you would be in the bread lines.

Its funny because most business owners I know say they are looking for kids who can be independent and think for themselves, who can also carry on a normal social interaction with customers. They are plenty technologically competent. They have computers they use as school that the older kids bring home. They have a house phone to call friends, email, and skype on the two desktop computers we keep in the living room. We have pretty fast internet here. I知 not the lease bit worried about them being tech savvy. They already are. I think that technology is great if you can use it to leverage your time and your tasks and be more productive.....but you first have to know how to do those tasks. I知 in sales...I use technology all the time. It would do me no good if I just sat there and looked at my feet in my customers office.

They致e got their whole lives to become addicted to those devices. I prefer to let them be kids.

 

[Jstpssng]

I see an the OP's point as part of an altogether different problem. in life there are deadlines; if you don't learn to meet them than you aren't going to be very successful. It seems like every parent I know plans their schedule around their kid's activities, and often hear complaints that the kids don't have any free time, and there isn't enough time for the family to do things together. OTOH I can't tell you how frustrating it is to be out with a college kid training him on his first summer job; and every other thing his mother is calling him.

 

[ovrszd]

This discussion seems to constantly reinforce a misperception. A Cell Phone doesn't reduce a kid's ability to communicate face to face. A Cell Phone doesn't create a non-imaginative or non-creative person. This is another example of our society not taking personal responsibility for their actions. It's always someone or something else's fault.

I have a 10 yr old Grand Daughter that has a Cell Phone. So do her 14 and 16 yr old Sisters. All three girls have excellent communication skills and are very self sufficient and productive for their respective ages.

Not sure what sports practice has to do with the title and subject of this discussion??

 

[Bikewanderer]

Well I started the thread and I was lamenting the fact that it seems things like ending practice on time and planning ahead Have gone the to wayside and Because my kids don稚 have cell phones makes it difficult for them to get A ride home when they need it. Heck, it makes it difficult for me also. I go to the gym every day at 4:30 and I haven稚 been in a week because my daughter keeps calling me before I知 even there asking for a ride home. I feel bad making her sit in front of the school for an hour and a half waiting on me. But it really ticks me off because I can稚 seem to plan my evening.

The real problem is that the school and coaches seem to be unable to just make a schedule and keep it. It would be easier for my daughter if she had a cell phone but that doesn稚 really solve the problem. She doesn稚 drive and her mom doesn稚 get off work until five and if I知 not on the road for business I try to go to the gym every day from 4:30 to 5:30 which makes me unavailable unless we plan ahead. If she had her own phone she could probably keep calling people until she found a ride but the real problem seems to be the school.

I致e talk to other parents about it and they all agree it痴 a problem but they just excepted as normal. Most voiced concerns that if they start raising trouble with the coach that their kid won稚 get any playing time.

To me this seems to be a problem caused by cell phones. It seems we as a society have gotten lazier in regards to scheduling and I guess I知 just now realizing it.

 

[ovrszd]

You have a legitimate complaint in regards to the sports Coach specifically.

I can't stretch my thoughts about this far enough to make the connection that it's caused by Cell Phones.

 

[Bikewanderer]

Does anybody know why every apostrophe I use looks weird?

 

[Jstpssng]

You have a legitimate complaint in regards to the sports Coach specifically.

I can't stretch my thoughts about this far enough to make the connection that it's caused by Cell Phones.

Apparently his kids are the only ones without phones, so he is the only one complaining. I still don't see why there should be such a problem having a schedule and sticking to it... isn't one of the purposes of sports to teach kids about teamship and following rules?

 

[Bikewanderer]

You have a legitimate complaint in regards to the sports Coach specifically.

I can't stretch my thoughts about this far enough to make the connection that it's caused by Cell Phones.

I see it as a societal change brought because of cell phones. When there was no way to call and tell people when youæ±*e done you had to make plans ahead of time and just stick to them. This is definitely not the kids fault but my choice not to let them have cell phones is causing them some real difficulties.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Yep. I was thinking the same thing. Help kids deal with the world as it is. Or jam them into the world as you think it should be.

 

[ovrszd]

Does anybody know why every apostrophe I use looks weird?

That usually happens when using a Cell Phone to respond.

 

[atsah]

Seems to me from a post here that you can limit certain things they can do with the cellphone, why not get them a phone and adjust what they can do with it and still be able to supervise what they do on it.. I think cell phones are important these days and with proper supervision they are very useful..

 

[aczlan]

Does anybody know why every apostrophe I use looks weird?

Yes

That usually happens when using a Cell Phone to respond.

Depends on the phone.
What happens is that some phones use a "fancy" quote that is angled rather than straight and the website does not support those characters.

Aaron Z