Do You Think A Teenager Needs An iPhone Or Cell Phone?

[daycare]

GEEERRRRRR

So as some of you may know, I have 2 teens from my first marriage. My ex and I usually get a long very well and we have a very healthy relationship. That is until it comes down to one thing. Discipline and punishing our teens. He never does it and I always have to, so I am always that bad guy.

My 13, almost 14 year old daughter, has an Iphone that has unlimited access to EVERYTHING! Facebook, apps, texting, internet, and whatever else you can think of. I don't think this is ok.

I took the phone away, as a consequence of her not getting good grades and she cannot have it back until she improves her grades. I also took it away for back talking.

My ex- says she NEEDS to have that phone, because she walks to school. I never had one when i walked to school and I where I walked to school, people walked around with machine guns. I say NO, NO phone.

Question is, do you think that a teenager needs a phone to walk to school, or for any reason at all? I believe in old fashion GOOD COMMUNICATION.

Also, I have considered getting her a go-phone from walmart and giving her that, just to shut him up

[MyAngels]

Personally, no I don't think it's a "need." More like a "want," a "convenience" and especially a "privilege" - one that has to be earned, which it doesn't sound like she's doing right now. JMHO of course.

[Blackcat31]

I agree that she does not need it. If he has an issue with safety then I say get the Go-phone.

[daycare]

I agree that she does not need it. If he has an issue with safety then I say get the Go-phone.

Glad I am not the only one who see's it the way he does. I got the I hate you for the first time this weekend from her, followed by a mean note. I have been crying all weekend..... I could never tell someone I love I hate you.........EVER....

[wdmmom]

Nope. My 16 year old doesnt have cell phone. It's a luxury...not a necessity.

[My3cents]

GEEERRRRRR

So as some of you may know, I have 2 teens from my first marriage. My ex and I usually get a long very well and we have a very healthy relationship. That is until it comes down to one thing. Discipline and punishing our teens. He never does it and I always have to, so I am always that bad guy.

My 13, almost 14 year old daughter, has an Iphone that has unlimited access to EVERYTHING! Facebook, apps, texting, internet, and whatever else you can think of. I don't think this is ok.

I took the phone away, as a consequence of her not getting good grades and she cannot have it back until she improves her grades. I also took it away for back talking.

My ex- says she NEEDS to have that phone, because she walks to school. I never had one when i walked to school and I where I walked to school, people walked around with machine guns. I say NO, NO phone.

Question is, do you think that a teenager needs a phone to walk to school, or for any reason at all? I believe in old fashion GOOD COMMUNICATION.

Also, I have considered getting her a go-phone from walmart and giving her that, just to shut him up

I think its a personal decision. I like knowing that I can communicate with my 14 year old when I want. Part of her having the phone is that if I call she better answer her phone. We have taken it away for back talk. We have found that our daughter seems nervous when she doesn't have her phone and feel that we have made her that way. We are always asking her do you have your phone, make sure you take your phone. Safety. I don't feel a child at this age needs the phone with all the bells and whistles- that can come later when they have a job and can pay for that extra service themselves. Times have changed. Pay phones used to be on every block, now you they are like dinosaurs. It is a financial thing, personal opinion/value, and I am going to throw in safety. Can your kid's survive with out it.......yes, does it make the parents feel better that they have one.......yes. For you it sounds like a divorce issue and who can do what and say what.......a tug of war so to speak. hugs- My daughter does not have facebook and I am the meanest parent in the world- oh well.

[countrymom]

I don't think they need one, now I will be getting one for my dd, but she will be in highschool in september. There are no payphones in the school, so if she needs to stay afterschool, then she needs to call me. We live in the county so she can't walk to school and there is a school bus, but if you stay for activities you need to find your own ride home. I just find it ridiculious when you see these kids walking around in the grocery store texting like crazy, seriously what do they have to talk about all the time.

[My3cents]

GEEERRRRRR

So as some of you may know, I have 2 teens from my first marriage. My ex and I usually get a long very well and we have a very healthy relationship. That is until it comes down to one thing. Discipline and punishing our teens. He never does it and I always have to, so I am always that bad guy.

My 13, almost 14 year old daughter, has an Iphone that has unlimited access to EVERYTHING! Facebook, apps, texting, internet, and whatever else you can think of. I don't think this is ok.

I took the phone away, as a consequence of her not getting good grades and she cannot have it back until she improves her grades. I also took it away for back talking.

My ex- says she NEEDS to have that phone, because she walks to school. I never had one when i walked to school and I where I walked to school, people walked around with machine guns. I say NO, NO phone.

Question is, do you think that a teenager needs a phone to walk to school, or for any reason at all? I believe in old fashion GOOD COMMUNICATION.

Also, I have considered getting her a go-phone from walmart and giving her that, just to shut him up

wantd to add this........ easy fix. When the kids are with you, your rules apply, when they are with him, he makes the rules. Kids adapt easy to this. They have to do this when they go to school. Maybe having this thinking with the ex would help solve a lot of issues- bring it up as a way to make it better for your kids. Doesn't make you the meany, your rules are just different then what Dad says go's. It also gives him the option to do the same if he doesn't agree with something you do. best-

[SunshineMama]

I didn't get my first cell phone until college.

That being said, I think that a cell phone can be a very useful tool for safety purposes, although your kids probably are thinking more along the lines of socializing.

If you are inclined to get one, try a pay ahead per minute phone, and see how they handle the responsibility. If they want more minutes they can "buy" more from you by doing extra chores around the house. I think all driving teens should have a reliable cell phone, so maybe a pay ahead phone now will help teach them responsibility for when they are driving???

An IPhone? No way. I JUST got an IPhone. Teens dont need one of those

[MarinaVanessa]

I don't think that it's a need either and a Go-Phone is a great choice. You can even get one of those safety phones that only has 4 buttons and you pre-program it to dial only 4 phone numbers (one number per button). It also has a red button which calls 911. ::

[daycare]

I don't think that it's a need either and a Go-Phone is a great choice. You can even get one of those safety phones that only has 4 buttons and you pre-program it to dial only 4 phone numbers (one number per button). It also has a red button which calls 911. ::

these are rad...This is what I will get....Thanks so much....

[graham.shellbell]

2 teenagers

I have 16 year old twin girls...they have phones but when they get in trouble I use parental controls...they can only have certain numbers they can call(just family)and 911..I also have data disabled on their phone but not sure if that can be done on an iphone..my girls don't have those and won't until they can pay for it themselves. It is amazing now days all the "needs" kids think they have.. I pull into the lot at school to pick up my kids from school and am blown away by the electronics they have and the cars they drive!! :confused:

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

No. I sure don't. We adopted a teenager who is nearly 16. He does not have a cell phone.

[Meeko]

Our daughters are 15 and 17 and only just got phones. They are simple flip phones. No texting and no data plan. Just calling and they need to be careful as we do not have unlimited service.

We like being able to contact them if we need to and them us...but they both know it's an item that may disappear if we so decide. It's not a right.

[daycare]

I agree, there are no more pay phone on street corners like there used to be, but every single one of her friends has a cell phone and the school has a phone too. If she really needed to call me, she could use theirs.

I really don't have any reason to need to get in touch with my daughter, unless it was an emergency and then it would be done the old fashion way, which is that I would drive to where ever she is. I think that we are SO dependent of the convenience of cell phones, that it almost enables our communication with people at times.

I also don't feel that it makes my daughter any safer. Perfect example, unfortunately, a teen girl was kidnapped from her home where I live. Her cell phone was found on the side of the road about a mile from her home. So it didn't do anything for her.