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

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  • Ke22yB
    Ke22yB Posts: 969 Member
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    I am in Bergen County NJ all the kids have Iphones they are out in town by themselves or at the malls in groups and it keeps everyone in touch. It is their parents business what they do. As a grandpa I will see ina few years when my granddaughter is 10 what happens
  • pdj1220
    pdj1220 Posts: 175
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    I just can't think why an 8 or 10 year old would need a phone. Surely they are only out of your sight at school and I don't know of any school that allow phones. Children only need phones once they are roaming unsupervised, and 10 is too young for that.
    But there are always different situations. My son was 9 when my ex and I seperated. His having a phone of his own alleveated a lot of tension, made it easy to call and say good night and I love you, without having to go thru his mother.
  • WarmDontBurn
    WarmDontBurn Posts: 1,255 Member
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    Would you b*tch her out for it? Assume it wasn't her phone?

    Would you think her parents were too permissive?

    Would you say anything or make any judgements at all?

    My daughter just texted me to let me know that someone just gave her hell for "playing with her parents iPhone" when she told them it was HER phone, they then, IN FRONT OF HER, made some rather derogatory comments about my parenting choices and how permissive parents make bad children.

    I almost wish I was there so I could give that person a piece of my mind.

    Lauren

    I wouldn't judge...If she was just texting it could have been an ipod touch and not a phone. I know plenty of under 10 year olds that have ipod/iphone that only allows texting or the phone minutes are limited and monitored.

    people are so quick to jump to them using it negatively but if used properly they aren't evil. Computers have the same if not worse capabilities and those are used in kindergarten!!
  • Ohmydaze
    Ohmydaze Posts: 403 Member
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    I'm not a parent, but I wouldn't give a 10 year old an Iphone, or any internet phone. An Ipod touch, yes, but they only connect to internet through wifi and you can monitor what they're doing.

    To be quite honest though, I had a mobile very young - about 8, because my dad worked with mobiles for a living, and it was a second hand nokia brick. I played Snake on it, but hardly ever used it for communication since none of my friends had phones! Truthfully, a 10 year old girl shouldn't be misbehaving on the internet. It's the ones over 13 you need to watch, when they think it's fun to go on chat rooms and pretend to be much older. I've done it, I've had many many friends who've done it, and even kids I babysit for who'll try to do that with me right there.
  • anaboneana
    anaboneana Posts: 195 Member
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    unless the child has a good reason for having a phone, i don't see why she needs her own? i survived childhood just fine without one... and i had baseball, band, and swim practices, busy parents, and no older siblings to shuffle me around.

    i think it's really weird, if anything, to see kids with nicer phones than i have.

    i also am reminded of the constant cyber-bullying that's spreading like wildfire, nowadays. being that young was hard enough, now throw in a camera phone, the internet, and instant contact to other students and strangers. just tell your child to be safe and not go posting nude pictures or start sexting (or use insults to another child via her phone).
  • mkm9279
    mkm9279 Posts: 44
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    I am 30 years old and did not get my first cell phone until I was 19. I have a 10 year old daughter who will be 11 in nov. I want her to have a phone because there have been too many times when she is not with me and the adult ( my mother-in-law) never answers her phone. I want to know my daughter is safe and be able to talk to her anytime I want. Yes 11 is too young for an iPhone but smartphones are really all there are now a days. There are a lot of blocks you can put on these phones from AT&T and so on. So although she may be too young.. At least I Know that she will be safe. GPS will be uploaded defiantly.
  • Owlie45
    Owlie45 Posts: 810 Member
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    unless the child has a good reason for having a phone, i don't see why she needs her own? i survived childhood just fine without one... and i had baseball, band, and swim practices, busy parents, and no older siblings to shuffle me around.

    i think it's really weird, if anything, to see kids with nicer phones than i have.

    i also am reminded of the constant cyber-bullying that's spreading like wildfire, nowadays. being that young was hard enough, now throw in a camera phone, the internet, and instant contact to other students and strangers. just tell your child to be safe and not go posting nude pictures or start sexting (or use insults to another child via her phone).


    That's great that you had no need for one but many kids have been in situations where they would have helped.
    I
  • monicalosesweight
    monicalosesweight Posts: 1,173 Member
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    I think the big difference is that today's cellphone carriers offer services that your parents never had. The parents sometimes are offered software so they even know what websites a kid visits and can do all sorts of monitoring that didn't exist in the past.

    Now, as for the Ghostbusters inflatable proton pak - I would have killed for one of those! Did you have a costume too. Grin.
  • DMZ_1
    DMZ_1 Posts: 2,889 Member
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    You don't need a cell phone at age 10. Even 16 is pushing it. When I was a senior in high school, no one in my Senior class had cell phones and we were fine.
  • anaboneana
    anaboneana Posts: 195 Member
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    unless the child has a good reason for having a phone, i don't see why she needs her own? i survived childhood just fine without one... and i had baseball, band, and swim practices, busy parents, and no older siblings to shuffle me around.

    i think it's really weird, if anything, to see kids with nicer phones than i have.

    i also am reminded of the constant cyber-bullying that's spreading like wildfire, nowadays. being that young was hard enough, now throw in a camera phone, the internet, and instant contact to other students and strangers. just tell your child to be safe and not go posting nude pictures or start sexting (or use insults to another child via her phone).


    That's great that you had no need for one but many kids have been in situations where they would have helped.
    I

    well, i had emergencies and whatnot.. but i managed to find a phone from an office/school/friend's parent/gas station to use. and, generally, most of the times i ever -needed- a phone (like when my SUV got stuck out of town), i didn't even have cell service to use the darn thing.
    (ps.. not trying to start a fight.. i just really don't see why kids need smart phones. i will agree that a regular old-school flip phone would've been awesome to have, back then. but having internet connection seems like it would be a huge, unneeded distraction. kids have a hard time paying attention, then throw in access to games and the net... that sounds like an awful combo, imo)
  • eduardo_d
    eduardo_d Posts: 85 Member
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    I wouldn't even focus on it, commonplace around here. My now 12 year old had one at 10. They are expensive but last 3 times longer (in a case/bumpers) than any other phone you can buy them.

    Them having a smartphone creates parenting responsibilities such as teaching them what they can and can't do with it and the importance of taking care of it. That's nobody else's business but the parent's.
  • Daisy_Cutter
    Daisy_Cutter Posts: 774
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    My kids don't have smartphones...yet. However, I will say they each got a cell phone when my oldest was 9 and my youngest was 6. Yes, 9 & 6 are young for phones. This was the year I became a single mom. I worried about them a lot when I was at work. Both girls were super responsible with them and my youngest just used hers when she was at dance and she kept it in her backpack at school. I needed them to be able to contact me or one of my friends if they needed. So, no, I wouldn't cuss out any child with a phone or smartphone. I have no idea the reason behind it and I for one love the fact that I can call them at any time and check in. It's a VERY useful tool.

    Lauren I wouldn't think twice about it at all.... eh, who cares. You have a good head on your shoulders as I'm sure your daughter does. Eff the rest of the world if they care... dang busy-bodies!
  • Daisy_Cutter
    Daisy_Cutter Posts: 774
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    You don't need a cell phone at age 10. Even 16 is pushing it. When I was a senior in high school, no one in my Senior class had cell phones and we were fine.

    View is as more of a parenting tool than something fun for the child. I get way more out of it than my kids do!
  • allisonmrn
    allisonmrn Posts: 721 Member
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    I would leave her the hell alone because who picks on a 10 year old girl?


    This^^^
  • KaidaKantri
    KaidaKantri Posts: 401
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    I would never say anything to a child about having an Iphone. However, I believe giving a child an Iphone is over the top, ESPECIALLY at age 10. I believe in you get what you earn, and sometimes presents. My child will NOT even have a phone until they are legal to drive. >:(
  • oregonzoo
    oregonzoo Posts: 4,251 Member
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    unless the child has a good reason for having a phone, i don't see why she needs her own? i survived childhood just fine without one... and i had baseball, band, and swim practices, busy parents, and no older siblings to shuffle me around.

    i think it's really weird, if anything, to see kids with nicer phones than i have.

    i also am reminded of the constant cyber-bullying that's spreading like wildfire, nowadays. being that young was hard enough, now throw in a camera phone, the internet, and instant contact to other students and strangers. just tell your child to be safe and not go posting nude pictures or start sexting (or use insults to another child via her phone).


    That's great that you had no need for one but many kids have been in situations where they would have helped.
    I

    Yes, a bit judgey and bitter if you ask me.
  • andreamkelly
    andreamkelly Posts: 169
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    It's all about maturity and trust - I have an adult niece who is deaf and has the capacity of a 13 year old. My mother-in-law arranged for her to get a cell phone so she could text with family and friends out of state. Unbeknownst to my MIL, my niece downloaded several hundred songs over a few week period. (Remember, she is deaf and can't hear the music.) What a shock when they received a cell phone bill for over $400.00. The telephone company wasn't sympathetic and wanted all their money immediately. Needless to say, her service was turned off and she had an expensive game player instead of a tool to connect with family
  • oregonzoo
    oregonzoo Posts: 4,251 Member
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    And truly I hope if my children ever have a phone, and get spoken to like that by an adult...

    I hope I am there to give them a piece of my mind. I don't know where some people get off talking to children the way they do, I've seen it with my own eyes.
  • JennyLisT
    JennyLisT Posts: 402 Member
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    I would think she has pretty cool parents and mind my own business. I would've killed for a iPhone when I was 10, instead I got a Ghostbusters inflatable proton pak. Awesome in it's own mind, but not quite as good.

    I would take the proton pack over an iPhone any day. I'm not talking about when I was 10- I mean now.

    I see some people act way too overdependent on iPhones. During my time as a teaching assistant, I had multiple students lose their iPhones and their MINDS. I don't want to see young children get started on that path early.

    So to answer the OP's question, I wouldn't berate the child, but I would think to myself about how ridiculous it is.
  • margojr4
    margojr4 Posts: 259 Member
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    I don't think there's a problem with her having an iPhone. It is 2012, technology is not the enemy it is the reality of our world. In my opinion good parenting is about preparing your child for the world, not preotecting them from it. As long as she is taught about appropriate use of the phone and can't purchase random apps, go for it :) I swear some people would have us living in the dark ages...

    This.

    Our 11 yr old has a phone?! Besides the fun apps, Kindle, etc, she's able to keep contact with us, her grandma and friends. When I was her age I had a phone in my bedroom and back then I thought I was cool lmaooo

    Times have indeed changed!

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