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

i wouldnt think twice about it. i dont see anything wrong with a 10 year old having a smart phone. in fact its probably nearing the point of necessity in this day and age.

Why does it have to be a smart phone though? What's wrong with a cheap, re-chargable phone that is used for calling mom and dad only? While I wouldn't allow my child to have a cell phone at that age if I felt the need to -- for example if they were going away to camp out of state and I needed to be in touch with them -- I most certainly wouldn't get them an iPhone. There is just no need for that amount of technology for a ten year old.

I agree with this. the purpose is to call mom and dad or text (up to a certain limit), no need for a smart phone.

That is absurd. How is every parent supposed to afford an ipad for their child? Especially if they have more than one going to that school at a time. My mother wouldn't have been able to afford it at the time my brother and I were that age. I better hope I start making 6 figures before having a child because the requirements will get even more expensive by the time they're in school. :grumble:

Public schools going to this will provide the iPads in the classrooms. No one is making parents purchase an iPad. Many private schools already have this policy and the cost is written into the tuition.

It's still unnecessary. What's wrong with using textbooks? They aren't that heavy.

My 13 year old is on his third iPhone. But, he always gets my hand-me-down phone when I upgrade. I wouldn't allow my child out there in the world alone without a way to communicate with me. He's home alone for two hours before I get home from work on most nights so him having a phone is a necessity.

He also has an iPad, and a top of the line laptop, and wears name brand clothing. He's a great kid who does well in school, is involved in many extracurricular activities, is goal oriented and kind to others. If I want to reward him for being a great kid, that's my business. I've worked my tail off as a single mother to be able to do so. And HE knows that he has to work his tail off to be rewarded with nice things. He knows if he does poorly in school, decides to drop his extracurricular activities to sit in front of the TV or treat people poorly, then he won't be given nice things.

That lady was out of line.

I think anyone with an iPhone is stupid, but I wouldn't yell at a kid for that.

What? I'm confused as to why you would judge someone just because they have an iPhone? Sounds more like jealousy to me.

I just think it's stupid to pay so much for a phone. How many people actually NEED a smartphone, really?

Why does everything have to be a "need"? I'm an adult woman with a decent salary. I bought an IPhone because I **wanted** one. You seem quite judgy. :grumble:

It was a joke. Of course you don't have to need something to buy it if you have money. And to clarify, I don't like the iPhone because of what it represents--a society obsessed with buying trendy, disposable garbage because they want to fit a certain image. I was talking more about kids than adults.

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.

That is absurd. How is every parent supposed to afford an ipad for their child? Especially if they have more than one going to that school at a time. My mother wouldn't have been able to afford it at the time my brother and I were that age. I better hope I start making 6 figures before having a child because the requirements will get even more expensive by the time they're in school. :grumble:

hopefully they can borrow ipads while in school or something. kids need to be exposed to technology at a young age.

im sure there was a time where parents were questioning the requirement of students to have calculators and graphics calculators because they felt they were too expensive.

Most schools have laptops and computers already. Do they really need to waste more money on technology they don't need when they are cutting teachers and programs left and right?

I don't know if calculators were ever as expensive as an Ipad though. Well with inflation, maybe. But in those days you could count on your fingers and get the same result. :P

My 10 year old daughter has a iphone.. and if anyone said anything about it to her then they need to take it up with me. lol idiots now days..

I personally think that 10 is way too young to have a cell phone, but I also think it depends on the child and how responsible and mature they are and also on what they are involved in es sports and stuff where they are away from their parents, etc. But it is not my place to decide what is appropriate for someone elses child and I would never say anything

Was she sending evil text messages? Was she using the iphone to summon demons from hell? Was she hitting other children with the iphone? Was she telling other kids that they are neanderthals because they don't have one and then taking photos of them and posting them with the "DORK" label on facebook? Was she having long, loud conversations on that phone in a place where silence was expected?


As a parent, I am often astonished by how people feel their own parenting rules should extend to everyone and if you fail to follow their rules you have failed as a parent and your kid needs to be told that on behalf of all parents everywhere. If your child is not being disruptive, rude, or using her iphone for evil world domination purposes, then my opinion is that it is not right to comment.

Most definately this. It is no ones business if and what kind of phone your child has. Sounds more like someone was jealous a kid had a better phone than they did.

That is absurd. How is every parent supposed to afford an ipad for their child? Especially if they have more than one going to that school at a time. My mother wouldn't have been able to afford it at the time my brother and I were that age. I better hope I start making 6 figures before having a child because the requirements will get even more expensive by the time they're in school. :grumble:

Public schools going to this will provide the iPads in the classrooms. No one is making parents purchase an iPad. Many private schools already have this policy and the cost is written into the tuition.

It's still unnecessary. What's wrong with using textbooks? They aren't that heavy.

whats wrong with using an abacus?

and have you seen kids backpacks these days? they are loaded with books...they look like mountain sherpas.

Absolutely nothing. Except most kids would probably think an Abacus is a band or something.

I know, it wasn't too long ago that I was in school ya know? They banned backpacks from my middle school and high school and we had to carry all our books in our arms. So they're lucky they're able to use backpacks instead of running to and from their locker after every class. :grumble:

If the parent thinks their child is ready and responsible enough for a phone, I say go for it. My nephew (from my oldest brother) is only about 9 or 10 and he has a Blackberry.

And my niece from another brother will be getting an I-Pad for her 4th birthday...

I don't really understand about the I-Pad since my niece has a habit of throwing her toys at the wall, but it's their money so....

I don't care either way about the possession of an iPhone. It's the manners with which the child interacts with me that will make me judge parenting... but I won't say something to the kid about it unless the kid is directly nasty to me. If I am shown disrespect I would probably tell them not to speak to people that way and leave it at that. Cell phones aren't the same as they were when I was growing up. You can get an iPhone 3gs for free now, or equivalent, unlimited data and text plans, with parental controls. Who am I to judge if the kid or parent is responsible or not? And if *nothing* else smart phones are a great tracking device, in case god forbid anything happens to your child.

I wouldn't say anything to her...but I would definitely think 10 is too young (in my opinion).

I didn't have a phone until I was 18, and could pay for it myself.

I remember being a kid in middle school and getting yelled at for holding up the housephone for hours talking to my friends. I can imagine what my kids would do if they had their own phone. :noway:

It was a joke. Of course you don't have to need something to buy it if you have money. And to clarify, I don't like the iPhone because of what it represents--a society obsessed with buying trendy, disposable garbage because they want to fit a certain image. I was talking more about kids than adults.

im not sure of the motivation of teenagers when buying phones these days but i dont see too many adults buying phones to be trendy or as status symbols. (thats so last decade) everyone has one and they all do about the same thing.

That's what I was saying, it's younger people. Everyone has one? Where do you live? :huh:

Phoenix. are you saying there are adults out there that dont have a cell phone? i find that very hard to believe.

No, we have cell phones, I thought you were saying everyone has smartphones. I live in Delaware for the most part.

Hell no.

My 2-year-old daughter has an iPhone.

It's one of our old 3GS's. We keep it in her backpack so she doesn't have to occupy one of our phones playing her games and the babysitters don't have to dig for our phone numbers. Ours are the only contacts in it so they can call us or text us and it doesn't go against their cell phone bill. We've gotten nothing but positive reactions from it.

I think the importance when teaching your children about cell phone use is to take the same approach Europeans do when it comes to alcohol. It's only a big deal if you make it a big deal. If you teach your children that it's just part of everyday life, then you can teach them how to use it properly.

10 years old is usually a 5th or 6th grader, depending on how old they were when they started kindergarden. In my opinion, that is not too young to have a cell phone, with restrictive use options of course. My daughter had a phone at 10 and there's plenty of times plans would change and the only way I knew was because she called me and let me know. Example: I would usually pick her up in a certain spot after school. A fight took place close to where herself and other children were waiting for their parents. Once the fight was broken up, the waiting children were asked to wait in the cafeteria instead. Without her having a cell phone to call and tell me she would be in the cafeteria instead of where I usually pick her up, I would've went crazy when I pulled up and didn't see her.

As far as the type of phone, that's up to the parents. And you can't assume just because it's an I-phone that the parents spent boo-coo money for it. I just recently renewed my contract and was able to get myself and my daughter I-phones for $50 once all the discounts, online bonuses and renewal credits were applied.

Bottom line, quit assuming things, worring about other people's bussiness and tend to one's own. It would've been a complete misunderstanding had someone did to my child what happened to yours.