Sigh. Another generation of entitlement? A generation pacified with things, instead of being allowed to be children, then encouraged to find fullfillment in service and community as they mature, being taught that things have to be earned and to realize that true happiness is in wanting what you have, not having what you want.

OpEd: Since when do 5-year-olds need cellphones?

Gord Woodward, August 29, 2013 10:59:43 AM

News Item: Nearly one in 10 U.K. children gets a cell phone by age five, says survey.
Related News Item: Nearly one in 10 U.K. parents are idiots, says Common Sense.

Age 5? For a cell? It’s enough to make us reach for our iPhone to dash off a quick “OMG! AYKM? WTF?!” (Not to mention the old-school “What B.S.!”)

Now, we realize it’s easy to criticize other peoples’ parenting but in this case feel free to pile on. Any parent who gives a cell to someone who thinks chocolate milk comes from brown cows is asking for it.

There’s plenty of ammo. Not only do about 10 percent of five-year-olds pack phones in the U.K., but the average age at which kids get one over there is 11! (This continues a long tradition in the Queen’s country of doing stupid things when it comes to children. Like, for example, naming them George.) As the Brits would say, what rubbish.

Pre-teens don’t need phones any more than adults need pre-teens in their lives; in both instances, misery inevitably ensues. That famed stiff upper lip should form the shape that allows Brits to say “No” to their kids, as we here in The Colony do. According to a Loop survey, more than two-thirds of our readers with kids 15 or under have never given Junior a cell — proving Canadian parents have a stiff backbone.

So what, then, is the magic age at which kids should get their mitts on a cell?
Well, as is always said by the parenting experts (a term meaning “misguided souls who think children are manageable”), it depends. Maturity, circumstances (e.g. children of divorce who live in two homes), sense of responsibility — they all come into play.

We’d offer a simple guideline: Once your kid hits Grade 8, a basic pay-as-you-go phone, with no data plan, makes sense. It lets you stay in touch when they’re running everywhere for activities and social life. (Just don’t fool yourself into the false comfort of thinking that they’re only a text or phone call away; a parental call to them is the equivalent of a telemarketer’s — doomed to go to voicemail). And it ensures they can’t jump whole hog into the world of social media, sexting and texting. (The phone will run out, see. Unlike their hormones).

Think carefully before upgrading to a smartphone. Because poor impulse control by teens will quickly turn it into a dumb-ass phone. Radiation from the cell won’t cause them brain damage (how can you harm what isn’t there?) but their easy access to the Web will lead to brain-dead decisions, guaranteed.

If you’re going to allow one, here’s a final thought: Wait ’til they’re 16 and then make them pay for it — and only if they agree to a contract with you that governs its usage.

You won’t be popular. But you will be doing your job as a parent. And in this day and age, that would certainly make news headlines.

http://www.theloop.ca/living/life/paren ... ellphones-