Nielsen Study Reveals that 35% of Tweens Have Mobile Phones
When I was a teen, mobile phones were just being introduced into the consumer market. They were bulky, expensive and certainly not an item that teens had. But according to a recent Nielsen study, 35% of tweens (ages 8-12) now have cell phones and 20% have used text messaging.
Do your kids have cell phones?
My older two have started asking for one – but mostly because their friends have them. While I have considered getting them, the real need just hasn’t presented itself yet. We live in a neighborhood with very few kids so they don’t really ride bikes around the neighborhood much – and on the occasion that my son rides his bike to his friend’s he just takes the walkie talkie. As for other activities – the kids are usually one or the other parent.
Maybe next year – but in the meantime, my kids will just have to be part of the 65% of tweens who don’t have cell phones.
I’m actually surprised the number is so low. It seems that pretty much all my 11 yo daughter’s friends have them, and so do my friends’ kids. Actually, my daughter has been whining about how her friends all have really fancy phones and she wants a better one, which I don’t think is necessary. There’s no need for a middle school kid to be walking around with a phone that’s worth a couple hundred dollars.
For me, it was just one of those things that was at the top of her wish list last Christmas. I didn’t see the harm in her having one as long as she didn’t run up the bill, and so far so good. We have a plan that allows a ton of texts and between the two of us, we don’t even come closet to going over. Maybe that’s an issue I’ll have when she’s older. But when that time comes, I’ll just have to set some ground rules.
Anyway, I think it depends on the individual situation. I had our home phone shut off since we both have cell phones and it was just an added bill we didn’t need. She stays home by herself after school for a couple of hours each day while I’m at work, so she needs a way to communicate with me.
I don’t see the harm if there is a need for them, but of course if there isn’t, no need to add another monthly cell phone bill.
My now 11 yo got a fire-fly for her 9th B.day. We just upgraded her to a “real” phone with unlimited text on our family plan. She does these crazy Irish Dance workshops that can last 3 or 4 hours, so it has been a life saver. I couldn’t stand to sit in a dance studio for that long.
I think that 10 of the 17 girls in her class have cell phones, and 3 (including DD) have unlimited texting. There are rules as to when the phone can be used, after homework is done and it gets put away at 9 pm on school nights.
As long as there are limits set, I don’t see a problem with it.
I am also surprised with the numbers…
Its hard to find a kid without mobile. Well it is good as long as there are limits and also good for communication.