MSN recently featured an interesting story on the debate of whether or not parents should buy mobile devices for their preteens.
The piece lead with a description of Robert, a typical 10-year-old who came home from summer camp and asked his parents for a BlackBerry because one of his counselors had one. That sounds shocking, but according to MSN, a 2006 study found that more than 50 percent of the "tween" population (8- to 12-year-olds) will be using cell phones by 2010.
While I wholeheartedly understand that cell phones can be a great security system for young children - particularly those going back and forth between two houses - I can't fathom why a 10-year-old might need a BlackBerry. What do you think?
Littlewoods
Antik Batik
Cinque
as a teacher, I will say no. There are already too many things distracting students, a cellphone that has complete access to emails is definitely a big No!
1haha no..If I can't have one why should a 10yr. old
2What is this? The movie Clueless? Even in that movie the students were teenagers. There is absolutely no reason why a 10 year old should have a Blackberry! The only cell phone I would give my 10 year old would be the Firefly by AT&T.
3NO WAY JOSE!!! Like sevendayrain said, if I can't have one why should a ten year old. Who are they going to call or e-mail? It's getting ridiculous how young kids are with cell phones these days. I saw kindergardeners the other day with cell phones...real ones. Ri-Dic-U-Lous!!!
4Not a chance! They should have absolutely no use for a Blackberry
5no no and no
6No way. I never even wanted a cellphone when I was 10 (well, they were still clunky and a bit cumbersome I might add). I don't have a Blackberry, and don't really have the need for one. So, why should a 10 year old?
7The younger you give them privilege of ownership of luxury techies and gadgets, the earlier you're teaching them to be "materialistic" and the earlier you make them "victims" of consumerism.
8A cell phone I can understand, because pay phones are few and far between now, and if your kid is out without you, and need to call home, blah blah blah. I don't understand why a 10-year-old would need constant access to their email, or Googlemaps, or whatever. Most adults don't really need a Blackberry.
9No way. A cell phone is reasonable, but a BlackBerry? Ridiculous.
10vienvien, you hit the nail on the head.
If a kid asks for a Blackberry, they are already well on their way to becoming a victim of consumerism. They probably need it to go with their TiVo, PS3 and Nintendo DS.
11Who are those two people who said yes!?! Adults shouldn't even have blackberries. Do people really think their life is that important to others? chill. Do these kids also run spread sheets and write contracts?
12No way. First of all, why would a 10 year old EVER need a blackberry? And, the additional costs of getting one are so unnecessary.
13Haha, sevendayrain, I know, right?!?
Anyway, I saw this article and talked about it with hubby and he is totally against it. He says the little guy shouldn't get any kind of cell phone until high school.
I say jr. high or maybe younger - I just want to know where he is and have him be able to get a hold of me whenever he wants. I'm sure I'm bad.
14I say 15 or 16, but def when the child starts driving.
15Sure -- if they can pay for it themselves, and the contract to go along with it. At 10, that's not gonna happen. At 15 or 16 it starts being a little more possible.
If I'm paying for it, they'll be settling for a lower-tech gadget with a lot less bells and whistles!
16No
17i say, why not? i mean there are times that kids need to be gotten ahold of...i guess maybe a blackberry isn't the way to go, but i think a phone is becoming increasingly neccessary, does anyone remember the kid that took a picture of his kidnapper with his phone?? very clever!
18i totttally understand if a kid needs a cellphone cause they go back and forth from houses, but i think a kid should not have any cellphone let alone a blackberry. at the age of 12 okay desnt seem bad, but anyone under the ae of 10 doesnt need one. who do they need to contact?
19If you don't know where your 10 year old kid is, or don't know how to get in touch with him (i.e. he is at someone's house you don't know or out with friends alone)I question your parenting skills, forget the cell phone debate.
20nobody under 13 should even own a cell phone, let alone a blackberry. both me and brother didn't get our cell phones until i was 13 and he was 14. and when my youngest brother turns 13, he'll get one too. i think cell phones in general are a bit unnecessary, but otherwise my parents can't find me or communicate, so i mostly use my phone for that, and for the phone book.
21i must say that kids today as very different from even when i was going through school, and i'm still in my early twenties! they've got so many sports activities, homework, clubs, and all sorts of random activities. so i do understand where a blackberry would come in handy. that being said, parents should really handle the scheduling and whereabouts of a child until their at least 16... maybe 14 in this day and age? so unless your child is trying out for the olympics AND a chess champion AND plays polo AND has 8 upper level classes, i'd say lay off the technology, and try being a good parent.
22I personally have a 10 year old daughter that I won't allow to have a blacberry or cell phone.
HOWEVER.. that being said, my daughter has some friends that are contstantly on the go. They're going from school to cheer to clarinet to karate.. I mean it doesn't end.
Basically, the kids that are carpooled all over town are the ones that should probably have at least a cell phone to call mom and dad and let them know she/he's ok.
I'll will eventually give in to the cell phone thing when my daughter is 12 or 13. Right now, I can't even think about that:(
23i didn't get my first cell phone until i was 16 so why should weiner kids who are under 12 get one?
24NO WAY! They shouldn't even need a phone! That's WAY to young to be needing those type of tech gadgets and they probably only want one cause they think it's cool to have one or cause adults have them.
25nope
26I think it's okay for a 10-year-old to have a cell phone, but the earliest age for a blackberry could be around 12-13.
27I have nothing against younger people having cell phones. There are times (like when school gets out early or the parent is running late) that you need to get in contact with your parents and parents need to get in contact with kids. I would definitely have strict rules about it. Only for emergencies etc. I don't think Blackberries are necessary though.
My nephew has had a cell phone since he was 9ish and he is always very good about it. He understands that his mom is worried about him, wants him to have it for emergencies and that they don't have a lot of money.
For urban kids I would say a cell phone was a necessity.
28well, it just so happens my parents got my 11 yr old sister a blackberry.... i still have my giant block old ass nokia from 3 years ago when i recieved my first cellphone...when i was in high school...my sister starts 6th grade in the fall lol...
i guess the times are a changin'...agian
-Gary
29Cellphones I understand but blackberry that's just too much for a ten year old.
30Nope, nope. I'd give my child a cell phone that had text messaging, but it'd be strictly only to the numbers on that phone, something like a Firefly but with text messaging capicatiy.
31
If the parents can afford it-and they want their child to have
one-it is their decision.
32No. I dont own one so till I do, I say no. HAHA jk, I acutally think its a stupid idea. Just stick with a phone. There are already enough issues with kids and regular cell phones. Ask me again when I have a 10 yr old crying about how everyone has one and he/she doesnt and I buy one to shut them up.
33My 8 year old is already asking when he can have his first cell phone. I really don't know the right age. The selfish part of me would love it if I could call him while he's away at his dads house without having to go through his dad
Then the practical part of me says
"maybe when you stop losing your nintendogs DS game!". He has eyes on our iPhones so I tease him that maybe someday when he's 16 he can have a Firefly 
That would be SO funny (or mean) 
34I'm back at home for the summer in S. Korea and a lot of the kids here have much better cellphones than i do.. i'm talking 7 and 8 year olds.. early elementary school..
35I saw a 14 or 15 year old with an iPhone the other day and thought that was bad enough. These kids shouldn't be spoiled like this, or they'll grow up feeling way too entitled and they'll never understand how to budget money - why do you think so many kids graduate college with thousands of dollars in credit card debt?
36nope nope nope, i think that the minimum age for me would be 12. and we're talking MINIMUM. i would much rather go with 14, the age they start going to high school.
37I think 10 year olds should definitely not get a blackberry. It's fairly expensive, and not to mention, what would they need it for...besides calling and texting. Do they have to set up business meetings? I think not. Walkie talky-esque phones (they're like cellphones only without all the functions...dont know what they are called)for the 10- set, 12+ cell phones, 16+ blackberry's.
38sure why not..
3910 yr olds? I'm gonna be a little bitter because I didn't have a phone until I was 12-13. Envy.
40I don't have a blackberry myself.
41I want one before all the 10-year-old kids!!!
no way. so crazy. why on earth would they need this? aren't those kinda pricey? i wouldn't trust a kid with one, let alone think they'd need one.
42no, theres no need., kids should be kids and as kids have toys appropriate for them
43Definitely not. They are too careless to handle an important and expensive gadget such as a Blackberry. I would think they are more for people who are work-oriented, and I doubt their lives are that important to necessitate owning one.
44Why would a little kid need a Blackberry?
45what are kids doing that require them to have a cell phone in general? i was a latch-key kid in ny and i went to school, to the park afterwards and then home. i don't remember ever thinking "oh, i need to make a call". when you are a teenager who drives it makes sense to have for emergencies, but if all of us managed to make it through our teen years (and for me college years) without a cell phone, i think they too can live with out it.
46WHY would a little kid need a blackberry? that's my sister's age and i still have to babysit her! i can understand a regular old, pre-paid cell phone just in case something happens. but honestly, a regular teenage kid can't get one - why should they?
47depends. if you have the cash why not if your child wants one. we are in 2007 now not 1998.i luv mine
48I'm 23, and I've figured out I don't need a blackberry. My phone's on the fritz, and my dad lent me one from his developers team (they all just upgraded). You have to pay at the very least $30 extra a month on Cingular just to be able to use the Blackberry for email/internet. That doesn't include texting. I can't wait to get another phone and give this thing up.
49Geez NO NO NO...I had my first cell phone this year..and I'm 19 !
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