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More and more children have one Cell-phone ownership has topped 16 million among teens and ’tweens nationwide, with 44% of 10- to 18-year-olds in the U.S. owning a cell phone, according to a recent telephone survey of 1,000 10- to 19-year-olds conducted by market research firm NOP World Technology. Cell phones are the newest middle-school accessory, with ownership among 12- to 14-year-olds increasing from 13% in 2002 to 40% in 2004. Tool or toy? You have to know your own child, experts say. If calling friends, playing games, text messaging or downloading ring-tones and music start to interfere with the family’s cell-phone rules – or budget – it’s time to step in. “Kids like to use the cell phone as a toy, constantly playing games and begging to buy ring tones. I say, ‘no,’” says Leila Heim, who bought one for her 12-year-old daughter. Health issues We’ve all heard the rumors about cell-phone use possibly causing brain tumors. But what do researchers say? According to the American Academy of Neurology, no studies have been done on cell-phone use by kids and teens. But a study of adults published in the April 2002 issue of the medical journal Neurology found no connection between hand-held cell-phone use and brain tumors (although the authors did suggest that longer-term studies are needed to examine the effects of lifelong exposure). A study published in the April 2005 issue of Neurology came to the same conclusion and also sited the need for additional research. There is still some concern among neurologists, however, that radio-frequency wave patterns and the heat generated from cell-phone batteries may not be something that kids’ brains – or adults’ brains, for that matter – should be constantly exposed to, says Dr. Ronnie Goswami, a staff neurologist at Lovelace Sandia Medical Center and a part-time professor at University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque. “It’s good to be cautious when using a cell phone,” says Goswami, who recommends holding the phone (where both the battery and antenna are housed) about two finger widths away from the ear. “Another option is to use the phone in speaker-phone mode or to carry it in a pocket and use a separate ear plug,” he adds. “Given that we won’t know the results of today’s long-term studies for several decades, it’s best to be on the safe side.” Who pays for what? Letting your child contribute to the cell-phone bill is a good learning experience, says Kate Kelly, author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Parenting a Teenager” (Alpha) and the mother of two adult daughters and a 16-year-old daughter. “Even if a parent is covering the bill because it’s part of a family plan, you should sit down and show it to your child each month,” she says. “He or she should understand that text messaging their friends across the lunchroom costs money.” A suggestion is to let the children pay for extras, such as downloading ring tones. Whether or not to buy cell-phone insurance is an issue, too. “I always buy insurance,” says Irene Levine, whose 17-year-old son has had a cell phone for about three years. “He is very likely to lose or break the phone, which has happened several times, and I don’t want to be stuck paying off a multi-year telephone contract or replacing the phone at a high price without the contract.” Heim also purchased an insurance plan to cover loss.m Kathy Sena is a freelance journalist who frequently covers parenting issues. Visit her website at kathysena.com. |
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