A Most Annoying Trend: Children with Cell Phones

I believe that one of the greatest changes in the last ten years has been the growth of cell phone use. I love my cell phone! Several months ago I ran out of gas with a van load of seven loud children. I cannot even begin to imagine what a headache it would have been if I did not have my cell phone at that time. In a matter of minutes, help had arrived thanks to several quick calls I made with my cell phone. I didn't have to drag seven children to the nearest public building and beg to use their phone. I just can't praise the inventor of the cell phone enough.

Even though I love my cell phone and am quite attached to it, I think children with cell phones are really annoying. My feelings about children with cell phones really began with shock. I remember when I picked up some third and fourth graders in our church van and the surprise I felt when they all came in carrying their cell phones.

I started getting annoyed when the careless phone calls began. Foolish conversations among children are annoying enough, but when one girl calls someone two rows in front of her in a van to have a foolish conversation, that takes the cake. When they tired of calling each other, they began making prank calls. Every annoying thing a child can do with a land line is now available to them everywhere they go. And when they are away from their parent's authority, it only means a headache for the one responsible for them.

It just amazes me that parents are jumping onto this trend. I can understand the reasoning behind giving a teen a cell phone. They may actually be alone and have an emergency and have a valid purpose to have a phone. But I have to think the only reason for an eight year old to have a cell phone is pleasure.

The problem with giving a child a phone for pleasure is that a cell phone requires a measure of responsibility that children do not possess. My children have a hard time keeping track of their necessary belongings. I have spent hours looking for shoes, coats and books. Cell phones don't hold up too well under a lot of situations children put them in either. Being left outside (next to dad's hammer, of course), dropped in the toilet, and left in the pocket during a game of football spell the end of cell phones in a hurry.

Cell phones also require a responsible use of minutes. Once, when my cell phone needed repair, I asked a child if I could use her phone to make an important call. She told me her phone wasn't working because she had used all her minutes. This was one of the girls that had used her phone to make prank calls the week before.

Probably the worst thing about kids with cell phones is that they just don't know when to put the phone away. I know some adults have this problem too, but it still doesn't make it right. There are times when it isn't appropriate to be talking on the phone. I know schools don't allow children to talk on their phones during class, but what is one to do when a child is talking on their phone during church?

I know all the other kids have them. I've heard it from my kids. Here is my solution when they ask me if they can have their own cell phones. I look them in the eye and tell them no. After all, my mom taught me that if all the other kids were jumping off a cliff, it didn't mean I would have to do it too. Here's to hoping the trend of kids with cell phones ends quickly!