What the heck is it about cell phones????

[Dar70]

A couple weeks back TULN started a thread asking what kind of cell phone he should get. http://trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=103624

It got me searching for my next phone.(my contracts up soon) I do not have a land line so my cell is my only means of communication with family, friends etc. when Im not in their presence.

Anyways I decided to research different phones. I decided Youtube was a good place to see hands on video reviews. I have watched dozens of them and even decided Im going back to verizon.
So Im looking at these vids and I was boggled by how many young people have phones. We are not just talking teens here but kids in the single digits.

Seriously. Little kids dont need phones. Some of my cousins little kids have phones. Not just cheap ones but reallllly nice ones. Nicer than what I carry around. What is it about cell phones that people feel the need to purchase them for their kids???? I dont get it. Especially with everyone bitching about the economy, its surprising that so many are willing to shell out cash for monthy payments on these phones.



Just look at any phone review on youtube and their are tons of videos of kids with phones or comments like "my mom just got me this phone it sucks"

Again I guess I can understand teens having them. They like to talk nonstop and texting/talking on the phone for them is bliss. But kids under the age of 12. Give me a break. They dont need a friggin phone. Not for talking to friends, playing video games or internet. All those things you dont need a phone to do it with.

 

[C.E. Evans]

There's no such thing as being too young to have a cell phone. My nephew is only six years old and has one so my sister can keep in touch with him when she's at work. He knows how to work his cell better than I do.

Plug 'em into the Collective early, I guess...

 

[Dar70]

There's no such thing as being too young to have a cell phone. My nephew is only six years old and has one so my sister can keep in touch with him when she's at work. He knows how to work his cell better than I do.

Plug 'em into the Collective early, I guess...

We didnt have them when we were kids. We either had babysitters or were in school. Seriously a 6 year old doesnt need a phone.

 

[Star Wolf]

There's no such thing as being too young to have a cell phone. My nephew is only six years old and has one so my sister can keep in touch with him when she's at work. He knows how to work his cell better than I do.

Plug 'em into the Collective early, I guess...

We didnt have them when we were kids. We either had babysitters or were in school. Seriously a 6 year old doesnt need a phone.

We didn't have a lot of things. Like video games, computers, bike helmets, pads for skating, soccer in lieu of football and on and on.

 

[Dar70]

There's no such thing as being too young to have a cell phone. My nephew is only six years old and has one so my sister can keep in touch with him when she's at work. He knows how to work his cell better than I do.

Plug 'em into the Collective early, I guess...

We didnt have them when we were kids. We either had babysitters or were in school. Seriously a 6 year old doesnt need a phone.

We didn't have a lot of things. Like video games, computers, bike helmets, pads for skating, soccer in lieu of football and on and on.

Yeah. I understand that but a cell phone plan for a 6 year old???? Why not just get them their own personal internet plan, car etc??? A cell phone is over the top. No way to justify imo. I have a feeling that since they are becoming more like toys for many people that they feel its a good reason to get it for kids. I dont remember people getting them for their kids at this rate 8 years ago. 20 years ago how many 10 year olds had their own private land line to talk to friends?? Im betting not many.

 

[C.E. Evans]

We didnt have them when we were kids. We either had babysitters or were in school. Seriously a 6 year old doesnt need a phone.

We didn't have a lot of things. Like video games, computers, bike helmets, pads for skating, soccer in lieu of football and on and on.

Yeah. I understand that but a cell phone plan for a 6 year old???? Why not just get them their own personal internet plan, car etc??? A cell phone is over the top. No way to justify imo. I have a feeling that since they are becoming more like toys for many people that they feel its a good reason to get it for kids. I dont remember people getting them for their kids at this rate 8 years ago. 20 years ago how many 10 year olds had their own private land line to talk to friends?? Im betting not many.

Welcome to the future...

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

It's the ultimate ego trip. People have cell phones because they want to be SEEN using them. They want everyone to see how busy and 'cool' they are.

If all cell phones were invisible, most people probably wouldn't own them. Any actual usefulness that a cell phone might have is drowned out by the massive ego trip that they entail.

 

[FPAlpha]

I think society changes with advancements in technology and this is just another example.

15-20 years ago people were looked at funnily when they had a mobile phone... especially those who wore theirs like a gun in a holster so everybody could see how cool and hip they were.

Nowadays you are looked at funnily when you don't have a mobile phone.

I guess the starting age will drop.. parents want to be able to check in on their kids and have them be reachable 24/7 so i don't think it is bad in itself.

We all like to think we have the computer mastered but look at kids these days.. once they enter our age (i'm 34) their CVs won't even list computer experience because it will be normal to have a PC (or a direct neural computer implanted in their head or whatever will be normal then).

Life changes.. only make sure that they are sensible changes.

 

[LeahBoBo]

Whatever. My 14 year old niece has a cell phone. Her siblings (6 and 5) do not.

 

[Spot's Meow]

We all like to think we have the computer mastered but look at kids these days.. once they enter our age (i'm 34) their CVs won't even list computer experience because it will be normal to have a PC (or a direct neural computer implanted in their head or whatever will be normal then).

Life changes.. only make sure that they are sensible changes.

It boggles my mind when I go into a job interview and they ask me if I have experience with Word or Excel. I've been using these programs since I was about 10, it's what all of my school assignments have been done on, I've never had a computer without these programs. How could someone my age (early 20s) NOT have experience in computers? I would have had to go out of my way in life to avoid gaining these experiences. So it's weird for me to think of this question when they ask, I guess there may actually be people out there, older than me, that don't have such experience, but I can't really imagine it. I do think it's really weird that I have to list computer experience on my resume, because I don't know anyone who doesn't have it.

 

[Small White Car]

Let me ask you this: Do you think the USS Enterprise blocks the comm system from children?

So 14 year old daughter can call mom at work in the astronomy lab, but 6 year old son can not?

I seriously doubt that.

And there's your answer on what's "too young" for a cell phone: In 30 years that's going to seem like a ridiculous question to even ask.

 

[Dar70]

I think society changes with advancements in technology and this is just another example.

15-20 years ago people were looked at funnily when they had a mobile phone... especially those who wore theirs like a gun in a holster so everybody could see how cool and hip they were.

Nowadays you are looked at funnily when you don't have a mobile phone.

I guess the starting age will drop.. parents want to be able to check in on their kids and have them be reachable 24/7 so i don't think it is bad in itself.

We all like to think we have the computer mastered but look at kids these days.. once they enter our age (i'm 34) their CVs won't even list computer experience because it will be normal to have a PC (or a direct neural computer implanted in their head or whatever will be normal then).

Life changes.. only make sure that they are sensible changes.

I remember the gun in a holster thing. Man the phones were pretty big back than.



I can understand parents wanting to be in contact with their kids all day long. A phone will do that. But I still think that under the age of 12 is really useless. They dont really go anywhere except school and home. So I dont see it.

But you are correct alpha. Times are changing and people have convinced themselves that cellphones are neccessary for even kids. I miss the old days of phones booths. At least I didnt have to hear people talking on the phone. Ettiquette has pretty much gone out the window in social settings when concerning cell phones.

 

[Dar70]

Let me ask you this: Do you think the USS Enterprise blocks the comm system from children?

So 14 year old daughter can call mom at work in the astronomy lab, but 6 year old son can not?

I seriously doubt that.

And there's your answer on what's "too young" for a cell phone: In 30 years that's going to seem like a ridiculous question to even ask.

Why cant they just call from home. Teens are one thing a 6 year old is another. I seriously doubt that in 30 years a cellphone is going to be a regular accessory of every 6 year old. They would have them broken within weeks if not days not to mentin the fact that most 6 year olds are usually accompanied by an adult 99% of the time. So again what does a child need with a cell phone??

 

[Small White Car]

Why cant they just call from home. Teens are one thing a 6 year old is another. I seriously doubt that in 30 years a cellphone is going to be a regular accessory of every 6 year old. They would have them broken within weeks if not days.

So? A cell phone that just does calls will be free in 30 years. You'll get them in cereal boxes. They'll cost 3 cents to make.

Also, what home phone? Please. You think those will exist in 30 years? You want Jim you call Jim. You want Mary you call Mary. Why would you call a house? You don't want to talk to the house!

EDIT: What I'm saying is, either people will be contact-able in the future or not-contact-able. 2 choices. "Where they are" won't have any bearing on that. So the question is, do you EVER want to talk to your kid on the phone? If you do, they'll have a cell phone.

 

[thedude]

This reminds me of the Chris Rock/Joe Pesci bit from Lethal Weapon 4 :-)

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Let me ask you this: Do you think the USS Enterprise blocks the comm system from children?

So 14 year old daughter can call mom at work in the astronomy lab, but 6 year old son can not?

I seriously doubt that.

As that one TNG episode showed, kids' activities on a starship are restricted. So you couldn't have some toddler messing around with the comm system, for instance. There must be some cutoff age.

And there's your answer on what's "too young" for a cell phone: In 30 years that's going to seem like a ridiculous question to even ask.

Yeah, well, we're not there yet. If people want to primp and preen with a cellphone constantly glued to their heads, then for the moment they are going to have to deal with the perception that they are just doing it to try and look cool.

And besides, there are certain times where you just don't want to talk to anyone, and don't want calls constantly intruding on you. Cellphones make that a lot harder to avoid.

 

[RoJoHen]

And besides, there are certain times where you just don't want to talk to anyone, and don't want calls constantly intruding on you. Cellphones make that a lot harder to avoid.

Not really. I'm a master at using the "Ignore" button.

I could see a 6-year old having a cellphone if there was no home phone around. And what if a babysitter or whatever takes their kid out around town? I guess it's not a terrible idea for the kid to have a phone just in case.

Yes, we got along just fine without cellphones for a long long time, but I bet parents feel a lot more comfortable knowing they can get a hold of their kid if they need to.

My mom didn't work while she was raising us, so there was no need for such a thing, but if a child's parents both work during the day and the kid is left with someone else, I don't see the problem with them having a phone.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I could see a 6-year old having a cellphone if there was no home phone around.

Are there that many homes that have no landline?

And what if a babysitter or whatever takes their kid out around town?

Then the family should get a new babysitter.

 

[RoJoHen]

I could see a 6-year old having a cellphone if there was no home phone around.

Are there that many homes that have no landline?

I know very few people who have landlines anymore. It's just not worth the extra expense when you already have a cellphone that works just fine.

And what if a babysitter or whatever takes their kid out around town?

Then the family should get a new babysitter.

Why? Babysitters aren't allowed to take the kids out? What if the babysitter is Grandma and she wants to take her grandkids to Toys R Us or something?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I know very few people who have landlines anymore. It's just not worth the extra expense when you already have a cellphone that works just fine.

Expense? I pay about twenty bucks a month for my entire phone service. A cellphone plan would be three times that! And that's WITH those stupid fucking idiot 2- or 3-year contracts they make you sign!

Besides, with my home security system, I have to have a landline.

Why? Babysitters aren't allowed to take the kids out? What if the babysitter is Grandma and she wants to take her grandkids to Toys R Us or something?

Family members get an exception. But some stranger? They should stay the fuck at the house until it's over. Trust has its limits.