Parents, think twice before giving your child a cell phone

By Brittany Strickland

October 26, 2007 | Media mogul Ted Turner said, "To be happy in this world, first you need a cell phone and then you need an airplane. Then you're truly wireless."

It appears true that we now live in a world dominated by cordless access and quick fixes. Cell phones are well-known commodities that are no longer a luxury but a necessity. The invention of the cell phone, attributed to Dr. Martin Cooper and his coworkers, has become a part of our everyday lives, ensuring that the device never leaves our hands, our purses, our briefcases, or even our bookbags.

Bookbags? The question then exists: who should be using these cell phones? Should young children be able to have cell phones as adults do and if so, do they really need them?

There are many debates as to whether or not children should have cell phones. Whether the concern is for their communication enrichment, the unnecessary grown-up regime that accompanies these phones, or even for health factors, this is a heated subject. According to an article by Don Maisch of the United State Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are bigger issues to consider. In an article stating that children can be ten times more likely to contract cancer than adults, due to harmful chemicals, there is a belief that cell phone use can also lead to an increased threat due to the mobile phone microwave radiation that easily penetrates children.

According to the previous EPA report, "the fastest growing group of cell phone users are children and young people." This should not be tolerated. Not only are there risk factors caused by immature cell phone use, but there are also inconveniences such as a cell phone going off during class or people texting while they are chatting with someone else. There is a sense of personal ambition and common courtesy that is lost to Generation Y.

In a study conducted by Sir William Stewart, a British biochemist and president of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Stewart stated that, "If there are currently unrecognized adverse health effects from the use of mobile phones, children may be more vulnerable because of their developing nervous system, the greater absorption of energy in the tissues of the head and a longer lifetime of exposure. In line with our precautionary approach, we believe that the widespread use of mobile phones by children for non-essential calls should be discouraged. We also recommend that the mobile phone industry should refrain from promoting the use of mobile phones by children."

It is wrong for corporations to aim their advertising at kids who cannot vote, who cannot drive, who can barely get into an R-rated movie let alone a PG-13, and yet their accessories for "Back to School" include a mobile phone. Why? Young children see only short-term satisfaction; they do not consider the long-term effects, and they shouldn't have to. At that age, kids should be outside playing or experimenting with their creativity instead of wasting their time on the phone. They should be developing their communicating skills -- those which are developed from person-to-person.

It is true that the mobile phone industry has been targeting children primarily between the ages of 6-12. Just by looking at the MSNBC Consumerman Web page, there is an easily accessible list of the best cell phones for children -- Verizon Migo, Disney Mobile, TICTALK by Enforma, and Cingular Firefly -- just to name a few.

The average 6-year-old should technically be in kindergarten -- why do they need a cell phone? However, the controversy then arises concerning the safety of children, especially between the tween and teen years. After all, the Counter Pedophilia Investigation Unit provides statistics stating that cases reported to law enforcement agencies consisted of 67 percent of sexual assaults occurring to juveniles under the age of 18, and 34 percent of those violated were under the age of 12.

Is it necessary for children to have cell phones to keep them safe or is there more harm in the use of them? Adults should accept the fact that cell phones are made for people juggling responsibilities. They should be given to students who begin to drive and go off on their own, for safety reasons, but parents should be aware enough to keep an eye on their children so that it then becomes unnecessary for these youngsters to need a cell phone to remain safe.

The bottom line is, parents have the right to give a cell phone to their child if they wish, but they should reconsider the consequences. Whether or not there are minor effects such as stunted communication skills or there are major effects such as the diagnosis of cancer, parents should consider what is important to them. They should be responsible enough to make sure their kids stay out of harm's way and prepare them for the "real world" when it is an appropriate time. It is not worth the risk of losing your child or your child's capabilities just because they wanted a cool accessory or you wanted to be able to get in touch with them in a more convenient manner. Sometime our quick fixes need to be fixed.

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