If you saw a ten year old girl with an iPhone....

Pacificplayland

When I was 12 I saved up all of my money I earned helping walk dogs and clean cages at a pet store, I bought a $150 dollar Discman Lol and a CD, I remember kids and adults alike would chime in with their two cents, people would say things to my mom too... I guess my point is technology is a HUGE part of reality and it's only gonna get bigger. When my son is that age and he wants something like that he is going to have to prove to me that he is responsible enough and he is going to have to earn the privilege somehow. i.e. chores, good grades etc. Those people that talked down to your daughter were in the wrong, just like the people that talked down to me about my Discman.

dad106

Nah I don't think it's jealousy.. Considering everyone and their mother has an Iphone these days, all you are doing is joining the Iphone sheep when you buy one.. which is why when I bought my first smartphone, I bought I an Android.

Baaaaaaaa!

I can't agree with you on that one. My first introduction to "I" anything was my iPod. Then my husband got me an iPad which I absolutely love. I was due for an upgrade and because I loved my iPad so much I went with the iPhone because it's a smaller version of the iPad and because I need an iPhone for my business.

I'm not a sheep and I don't follow the crowd. I got my iPhone because it's what I wanted. I also want to get a Mac because I'm tired of the windows platform and how ****ty the system and the computers are. I know a lot of people who have Mac's and absolutely love them.

Does that make me a sheep too?

I had an Ipod Touch for years... and at first I wanted an Iphone too.. why? Because everyone else had one and I wanted to be cool.Plus since I already knew how to work the Ipod touch, I knew the Iphone wouldn't be much different. Then I went and played around with all the phones at the Sprint store and fell in love with the Samsung Galaxy SII.. and haven't looked back. It's a lot bigger then the Iphone and now that I have latest Android update I love it even more.

I have a Macbook myself... and it's a great computer. Reason why I got is because they can't get viruses like Windows Comp's do.. even though mine tends to go through chargers like it's nothing, but thats it's only flaw.

With Apple products, all you are really paying for is the name... and to be like everyone else. If you really wanted one thats great, but I know a ton of people who do it just to be like everyone else and fit in.. and to me, thats ridiculous.

Krizzle4Rizzle

My best friend's daughter has a cellphone. She's 9. It's not an iphone but it's a phone nonetheless. She uses it to call her mom or another relative to pick her up from any sporting practice she is in when practice runs short. So yes, I can agree with a kid having a cellphone.

superpapa16

I'm of a mixed mind about this.

- I don't buy into all of the "dangers" our children face that are new. They were around when we were kids too and we found ways to survive.

- Times are changing though. When I was a kid at basketball practice I always had to make sure I had a quarter, then a quarter and a dime, to use the payphone to call my parents. I can't imagine the school I went to still has that payphone. Maybe they do though, however I have no idea how much money it costs to use a payphone.

- There must be a balance. You can either stand against technology and be passed over or you can accept, learn, and adapt to new tech. The technology in and of itself is not bad.

- There is a big shift happening. I'm almost 34 and when I was a kid/ teenager the things I wanted were basically the same things my parents wanted at the same age. Cars, "rock & roll", sex. I wanted a car, I wanted to listen to my music without static from "the man", and I was like every teenage boy trying to get some. From the 1950's through the mid to late 90's technology and "needs" changed but for teenagers they still were rooted in the same desires. Cars changed but they were still cars. The delivery of music changed (albums>tapes>CDs>MP3) but it was still "noise" to our parents. Just trying to get laid. Now we have a generation of parents who are facing a techno shift unlike anything they were prepared for and are doing their best to adapt on the fly.

- Did we have/ want iPhones? No, but cell phones were not very common, but I bet I would have wanted one. At the same time we did have an atari 2600, Nintendo, PCs, Gameboys, cable tv and a host of other electronics. Nooe of which our parents had, but we seemed to turn out ok.

- Somebody said, and I don't remember where I read it but it may have been on MFP, but it goes like this: "Everyone knows how they'll raise their children and then they have children." *Almost* everything you think you'll do as a parent pretty much goes out the window when you actually become one.

- My son is almost 4. He has an iPod Touch which he occasionally gets to play with. He mostly uses it for watching movies on long car rides or long shopping trips. I have gotten both compliments and judgements from people who see him with it.

- Will he get a cell phone when he's X years old? I have no idea, and I wouldn't start making arbitrary statements now about something I know almost nothing about. Would he get an iPhone? Probably not if for no other reason than in X years I'm sure there will be something entirely different.

theoneandonlybrookie

"The only time you should look in your neighbor’s bowl is to make sure that they have enough." Louis C.K.

It's none of your business. Leave it alone.

Cliffslosinit

a 10 year old has no use for a cell phone.

^^ I agree...that is why I waited until they were 12 and 14.

Kara_xxx

All this "adults shouldn't talk to strange kids" stuff is just weird to me. When I was a child it was the case that any adult could tell you off. If I were, say, dropping litter, I'd expect an adult to scold me regardless of whether they knew me or not.

Now it seems that even if you see a child blatantly behaving badly, you as an adult have no right to speak to them about it. Te comeback you get from the parents is "don't speak to my kid like that" with the parent sticking up for their child despite the misdemeanour.

Man, I feel old.

You are sooo right though!

The behaviour of some really still quite young kids (not yet teens) in my area is absolutely shocking, but no one dares challenge them in any shape or form.

Kara_xxx

Technology is here, and our kids are all digital natives. I think we need to be comfortable with that, and embrace it.

Are we also that comfortable and embracing when 11 year old girls set up illegal FB accounts and upload pics of themselves in bikinis etc? Seems to be happening rather too frequently these days.

Kara_xxx

It wouldn't be any of my business and its not my place to say anything.

LOL. My son didn't get an iphone untill he turned 17 (last year) because I refused to pay for it. Somehow, he managed all these years without it and wasn't kidnapped or molested.

Indeed, and anyone naive enough to think that an iPhone is a fail-safe against a predatory sex offender is simply deluded. And the argument of "we didn't have "sickos" in those days" is nonsense too. They have always existed and always will.

nwhitley

Technology is here, and our kids are all digital natives. I think we need to be comfortable with that, and embrace it.

Are we also that comfortable and embracing when 11 year old girls set up illegal FB accounts and upload pics of themselves in bikinis etc? Seems to be happening rather too frequently these days.

Yep! I'm a teacher and unfortunately see all of this when I have to confiscate phones or parents come in complaining about what other children in my 5th grade class texted or emailed their child. Some parents are just clueless and some are too busy doing the same thing and see nothing inappropriate about it.

Berto0391

I say forget 'em. If you as a parent feel your child is mature enough for a phone then so be it.

I would suggest certain limits or restrictions though as friendly advice.

Restricted calling times

Restricted internet maybe

Really depends how she handles the responsibility really.

I do not believe in ever overstepping my boundaries on another person's children unless they are out of control or it is an emergency situation.

This is not one of those times so I find it uncalled for.

THIS!!!!

EyeLikeTacos

It's none of my business...

Didn't I see somwhere that there are kids that are 10 years old taking Highschool Classes?

I am a single parent....my son is Eight...and He has his own cell phone...we call each other and text....He keeps his phone at his moms house...but hey...This is the best way for us to stay in touch....

travisseger

My 10-year old daughter has her own cell phone. It's my old smartphone, so it didn't cost me a dime and I pay a whopping $10 per month to add her on my plan. She's responsible and knows what she is and isn't allowed to use it for, and is very aware that if she uses it in a way that is not approved by us she will lose it on the spot. She also knows that if she loses the phone she is not getting a new one until she can purchase it herself.

I obviously have no problem with it, so I wouldn't think about saying something to another kid about it. It is none of my business what his or her parents spend their money on. It would not go well for the other person should I overhear my parenting skills questioned over my daughter having a phone.

A cell phone is nothing. My daughter's school is going to iPads instead of textbooks this year. Every kids has to have their own iPad. It only applies to 8-12 grades this coming school year, but I think the plan is to move it down to sixth grade next year. I can already hear the comments that are going to come along with 11-year olds having their own iPads, even if it is for school.

xoxobollywood1991

I can't tell anything but 90s & early 20s were the last decades of kids playing in the streets!!

robinogue

I wouldnt say anything. None of my business.

my thoughts exactly

skinnyminitea

...

MsNewBooty83

would u believe that my friends 4 yr old has one? crazy, i know, but he does. i dont think its super awesome...but if ur getting it for her primarily to use to keep in contact with her, than y not? i mean, theres cheaper phones that r less and do less, if u have the money and wanna blow it on, basically, a toy, for a 10yr old than go for it....or u can get her the free phone that comes with the contracts and put the rest of the $ into her college fund! lol

pullipgirl

I assume the parents gave her an old iphone, I wouldn't say anything it's nothing worth getting worked up over and it doesn't bother me unless I see them doing something illegal then I would say something

AJ_Pete

My daughter is 10 and HAS an iphone. Gasp.

It's my old iphone and it's for keeping in contact with her father and other family members. I see nothing wrong with it. People put too much emphasis on "oooohhhhh... when I was 10, I was climbing trees and digging in the dirt", BUT your parents, at whatever age you are now weren't answering questions via google or tracking calories via a website either.

Times are changing, embrace it.

I don't think anyone should judge her, me, or anyone based on a stupid phone.

_Timmeh_

I remember when I was like 10, I won a contest and the prize was a walkman. I could listen to music on the go. Woot!
People who I guess were out of touch with technology or bitter about it.....Unabomber says what.....commented why on earth would you want to listen to music while walking or riding a bike.
I thought it was the coolest thing.