Should Kids Have Phones?
By, Joseph Jarvis
My Opinion
I think that it is good for kids to have phones starting at middle school age because it is a time where kids get more freedom. However, if kids get them when they are in third grade, a lot of phones have the internet on them, so the kids could look up bad things even though they may not know that it is wrong.
Pros
Phones allow kids to keep in touch with there parents and friends. Phones can help parents teach kids responsibly by setting rules for them. Phones are good for older kids learning to drive in case they are alone and they see a crash or other type of emergency. Partselect.com states "Some cell phones have tracking devices in which a parent or guardian can track where their child is to ensure that they are safe and where they are supposed to be at any moment." Ink.niche.com further states "A cell phone can also be a touchstone in times of crisis. If a questionable situation arises at a child’s school, parents are able to reach their children via the cell phone. Or, if children feel they are in a dangerous situation, the cell phone can be a lifeline, too."
Cons
The cost of the phone and the data plan. It increases the chances of kids getting cyber bullied. Kids could use them to cheat during tests, and older kids could be tempted into texting whale driving. "Children can also receive calls from anyone who has their number unless there are specific blocks on their phone. Parents have no way of knowing who is saying what to their child" states partselect.com. In addition, "Our brains evolved to communicate face to face," says Gary Small, a professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine, in California. "A lot of this is lost with texting.”
Summary
All in all, I think both pros and cons have good arguments, but I am going to have to say pros was a bit more convincing, Because: A. It had more reasons, and B. All the reasons where true in a lot of cases. However, that is not all. I also think that the pros side is more convincing because all the reasons were more detailed.
What I found interesting
What I found interesting was that 15% of teens who are texters send more than 200 texts a day, or more than 6,000 texts a month. I don't thing that is very good for you.
Have I changed my opinion
Have I changed my opinion? No. I still don't think it is right for little second graders having iphones and internet access, and I still think that the good time for kids to get phones is the age of 12.