Cellphones for whom?

[JJuggle]

My wife and I are still busy denying our daughter a cellphone. Now this (http://www.petsmobility.net/)?

[Loosemoose]

How old is you daughter? If you don't mind me asking, obviously.

Loose.

[JJuggle]

Originally posted by Loosemoose
How old is you daughter? If you don't mind me asking, obviously.She's 11.

But in human years our cats are 14, just the age when they really need them. ;)

[GILD]

Originally posted by JJuggle
My wife and I are still busy denying our daughter a cellphone. Now this (http://www.petsmobility.net/)? my parents denied me a remote-controlled car for years
i thought i would die

may wisdom triumph over peer-pressure and that oocky 'group-thing'

the link didn't want to work for me
is it the same as this (http://www.petsmobility.com/index3.html)?

[JJuggle]

Originally posted by GILD
the link didn't want to work for me
is it the same as this (http://www.petsmobility.com/index3.html)? Yeah, same company.

[Loosemoose]

My parents wouldn't let me have a mobile until I was totally independant, basically on my 17th birthday when I was learning to drive... sounds like ur doing the sensible thing.

They absorb money like nothing on earth, and its not as though ur paying for anything. Its like people who sell downloads, its a movement & duplication of data, you can do it infinite times!

Loose.

[yoopers]

Mary and I each have our own cell phone and then we have one for the boys. Since Ben is in high school and the H.S. is not within walking distance, Ben usually carries the third phone. But the time is quickly coming where we'll add a fourth for Brad (currently in 7th grade). I imagine the phones are here to stay and the boys will take them with them to college someday.

As for the pet phone website, I love the "Around the Waterbowl" feature.

B

[DustinMichels]

My mom forced a cellphone on me, so I could call when I broke both my legs, my arms and my neck. They're quite useful for like calling when you get home later, or making crappy videos. I'm leaving out calling mates, coz that's got nothing to do with my mom forcing me to have one :/

My cousin however, is err, 15? And her parents dont want her to have a cellphone coz shes a tat stupid >_>

This post made no sense, ignore it.

[GILD]

Originally posted by DustinMichels
My mom forced a cellphone on me, so I could call when I broke both my legs, my arms and my neck. kewl
so u got the one with voice-activated dialling then?

[DustinMichels]

No, I tried explaining to her I can't dial when I break my arms, but she won't understand it. Plus, I dont see the sense in it...

"Mom?"
"Yes dear?"
"I broke both my arms"
"Oh gosh, where are you?"
"Errr, between two trees"

[UniBrier]

Ooh... Andrea would be really ticked if we got the dog a cell phone before her.

[cathwood]

Originally posted by JJuggle
My wife and I are still busy denying our daughter a cellphone. Now this (http://www.petsmobility.net/)?

That's sooooo funny.

Hold off as long as you can, I say. They only use them for calling friends they could talk to face to face if they leant out of the window. Then they have them switched off if you want to do anything useful like find out where they are or tell them it's time to come home.
Or they get stolen or broken.

Hope this helps.

Cathy

[Catboy]

I've always wanted to get one of those GPS trackers that they inject into your arm, but my parents bought me cellphone instead...

[kristine]

I got my cell when I was 17, and moving away for live on campus at University. My parents got it for me so they could call... and now I wouldnt beable to live without it. but 11? when I was 11 I didnt even know what a cell pohone was. Society today is crazy

[theamazingmolio]

Originally posted by Loosemoose
They absorb money like nothing on earth,

*cough* car *cough*

[gkmac]

Originally posted by GILD
kewl
so u got the one with voice-activated dialling then?
If I had broken my legs, arms and neck (unlikely, never broken any bones in the 29 years I've lived so far) I'd probably use my somewhat large nose to press the keys.

When I do the dishes, I use my nose to adjust the volume on the portable stereo since my hands are wet.

[JJuggle]

Originally posted by gkmac
When I do the dishes, I use my nose to adjust the volume on the portable stereo since my hands are wet. A regular Jimmy Durante, you are?

http://www.sierramadrenews.net/hinojos/jimmyd.jpg

[john_childs]

Originally posted by UniBrier
Ooh... Andrea would be really ticked if we got the dog a cell phone before her.
Tell her she can get a cell phone after I get one. :)

[harper]

What are these "cell phones" to which people keep referring?

[johnfoss]

If I had an 11-year-old I wouldn't deny her a cell(ular, okay Harper?) phone.


I would just deny paying for it.

[leo]

In reply to harper:
Those phones that are now, since last week (officially according the FCC), more in use (as in number of devices) than landline-phones.


Myself I bought a Nokia 6630 last week, GSM 900/1800/1900 and UMTS (or name it HSDPA or 3G) last week.
Will post the pics of unicyclist.com on it's display once I get back in The Netherlands.

[munimanpete]

I bought myself a cell phone probably 3 months ago - and around here I was incredibly late in getting one, must've been one of the only people my age at my school without one...but I don't think I really needed one before then, not even sure if I NEED one now - but its just handy to have to get in contact with friends. I never use mine fore calling, always texting...
I think if she really wants a cell phone when shes 11 - let her buy it herself if she wants it so bad.

[harper]

Originally posted by leo
In reply to harper:
Those phones that are now, since last week (officially according the FCC), more in use (as in number of devices) than landline-phones.



They lay phonelines on the land? Don't people trip over them?

[spyder]

Kids today are lucky to have cell phones. When I was their age, all I had was a pager, and a dime for the payphone.

[uni57]

Blasting microwave radiation into one's brain might be unhealthy in the long run. I'm a Quasi-Neo-Luddite on this issue. I have a cell phone but severely restrict its use. Wouldn't it be "funny" if we later found out that the health of a whole generation of people was negatively affected by cell phones? Emma will be one of the few "lucky ones". On the other hand, maybe microwave radiation is perfectly safe... or even good for us. After all, the mega-billion-dollar industry assures us of its safety.

[kristine]

Originally posted by spyder
Kids today are lucky to have cell phones. When I was their age, all I had was a pager, and a dime for the payphone.

You had a pager when you were a kid? was that serious or a joke? Cause I didnt know pagers were popular then.

[One on one]

Originally posted by spyder
Kids today are lucky to have cell phones. When I was their age, all I had was a pager, and a dime for the payphone.

When I was their age, pagers weren't invented, but we did have a lot of pay telephones. I managed fine.

[GILD]

Originally posted by kristine
Cause I didnt know pagers were popular then. tread lightly now...

[Loosemoose]

Originally posted by harper
They lay phonelines on the land? Don't people trip over them?

Oh no, they put them in the air, where no-one can possibly be injured by them:
http://www.impact-dynamics.org/Web_Crash_Pic_18.jpg

:rolleyes:

Loose.

[GILD]

good point

[Loosemoose]

http://www.lhup.edu/hcongdon/Wires.jpg

[leo]

Originally posted by harper
They lay phonelines on the land? Don't people trip over them? People, planes, cars,.... and especially hurrycanes!
So that's why landlines in other countries usually go IN the land, in stead of ON the land (especially where fiber is being used).

I once was asked to write a report for the European Commission about GSM providers keeping the prices up too high compare to landlines (or name it PSTN, or POTS for America).
Digging the lines in is more expensive. And that why GSM (and the microwave-connections) are way cheaper. Especially since the GSM network hardware is less costly than landlines (in purchase and maintainance).

[yoopers]

Originally posted by munimanpete
I never use mine fore calling, always texting...

When we first bought the boys a cepho (sorry, Greg :)), Ben spent most of the day texting his friends. Our first bill with the three phones had a tidy little extra $45 on it. Now we have the texting part of our cepho (there I go again) blocked.

Mary also has picture capability on her phone. We don't subscribe to that service either. The phones are expensive enough. I want to do as little as possible to help make the Verizon CEO's next Lexus payment.

By the way, as a governmental employee, I get a 20% discount on cell phone service through Verizon.

That reminds me about my loathing of Nintendo. I think I'll start another thread.

Bruce

[harper]

Originally posted by yoopers

That reminds me about my loathing of Nintendo. I think I'll start another thread.


Don't bother. Do it here. They're the same thing.

[DK]

11 semms a little young, but it depends how much your daughter is away from home. If the only time she leaves the husealone is on friday nights or whatever, Its not really woth it. I'd look into pay as you go though.

[johnfoss]

Leo,

How did the car get hung on the (crash)land lines?

[PopeSamXVI]

I'm 17 and just got a cell phone 2 weeks ago.

But my dog has had one for about a year.

[leo]

Originally posted by johnfoss
Leo,

How did the car get hung on the (crash)land lines? This picture you will find anywhere on fun websites on the internets.
But when I first saw it, it was on some news-website and then it was a big mystery. The driver was NOT under influence of alcohol, but unable to talk to the police (I guess kind of dizzy or shocked).
So to me it's still a mystery to me as well.
Maybe he hit a wrong-parked car-ambulance on full speed....?
Otherwise I have no logical explanation how something like that happened.

[Tim]

Originally posted by john_childs
Tell her she can get a cell phone after I get one. :) Yeah me too. I wont get one for about another three years if I can help it.

Tell her there's a 19 year old totally awesome guy who drives and has a job but still doesnt have a cell phone and is perfectly fine with it. Empisize how cool I am.

[caw89]

Im 16 and i got mine a few months ago..i was 15....I do think that 11 is a lil young...whats she need a cell for anyways...use hte home phone...I kept ridin off 10+miles out in the middle of the desert on my uni and needed a phone for injuries....and skateparks for when i needed a ride......

[Denali]

My cell-phone was forced onto me by a friend...I pay the bills though...I hate texting and useless phone calls...Anyone wants a phone?

[caw89]

IM happy with my cam phone....the only time i relaly abused it is I went 5 bucks over from texts....it was back when I was with Nikki.....you know like umm a week ago lol....

[Loosemoose]

Otherwise I have no logical explanation how something like that happened. Its almost as crazy as this story on car crashing into upstairs of house (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/4493713.stm) a few months ago... Made me laugh like hell when I saw it on the BBC website.

Loose.

[leo]

Originally posted by leo
bought a Nokia 6630 last week, GSM 900/1800/1900 and UMTS (or name it HSDPA or 3G) last week.
Will post the pics of unicyclist.com on it's display once I get back in The Netherlands. There we go. In the left corner on top you can read "3G", which I think stands for UMTS.

Now parents, imagen your kids are grown up adults, and watching back on their childhood with you... than you don't want to be confronted with traumas that you were refusing mobile access to unicyclist.com to your kids.

[JJuggle]

The kid connection - Cell phone companies are targeting a new market - children and tweens

PEGGY O'CROWLEY
STAR-LEDGER STAFF
1,446 words
21 July 2005
The Star-Ledger
FINAL
51
English
(c) 2005 The Star-Ledger. All rights reserved.

RACHEL WALKER celebrated two milestones this spring: her 10th birthday and her first cell phone.

"It's really a safety issue for us," said her father, Andrew Walker, a real estate agent in Randolph. "She doesn't take it to school with her, but she uses it for emergencies, for field trips, sleepovers. She thinks it's so cool she wants to take it everywhere with her."

While a cell phone is a staple accessory for teenagers, cell phone companies are now looking at a younger market, tweens, between 8 to 12 years old.

Firefly Mobile, a company that makes cell phones for 8- to 12-year-olds, now offers its products nationwide in Target stores. Walt Disney Interactive and Sprint earlier this month announced a venture to make cell phones for that age group.

Sakar International Inc. of Edison has launched a play organizer for kids that has some of the functions of a Blackberry. Named Blueberrys, Strawberrys, and Grapeberrys, and aimed at 6- to 10-year-olds, they include an earpiece so kids can multitask while they're on the phone.

Verizon and cable broadcaster Nickelodeon teamed up in May to bring "Dora the Explorer," "Blue's Clues" and other shows to Verizon Wireless' V CAST phones.

"The trend is younger and younger," said Elizabeth Ashear, director of public relations for Sakar. "You have 3-year-olds on the computer. Kids are more tech savvy than in the past."

Phones for children are still less common than for teens. Seventy percent of 1,000 teens surveyed this year by The Yankee Group, a Boston-based technology consultant, had their own cell phones. One-third of them were 13 and 14, according to the survey.

But that doesn't mean younger children don't want them, and the companies are eager to provide the product, since the adult market is shrinking.

"You see a kid with a phone clipped to his belt, and you think, 'Oh, that kid has style,'" said Jonathon Russo, 10, of Nutley. "I want a cell phone so bad, so I can keep in touch with my friends. There's so many things you can do -- play games, download." His mother, Lillian, was less enthused. But she said she would like a phone that could be used only as a way to call a parent or people she approved of. That was the inspiration for Firefly Mobile. "We did focus groups and less than 10 percent of the kids had one, but they all wanted one," said Robin Abrams, CEO of Firefly Mobile. Price was not the issue; parental concern was. So Firefly designed its phone to assuage parents' worries. There are no number keypads on the phones, which are designed to fit into a 12-year-old's hand. Instead, it has icons of a man and woman -- mommy and daddy -- who can be speed-dialed, and a feature that enables parents to program up to 22 numbers in the phone. Each phone has a PIN to ensure that no one else can enter numbers. There are no text messaging or downloading functions. Parents like it because "it's clearly about logistics. Schedules are always changing, kids can't use the school phone, and they are always forgetting jackets, lunches," Abrams said. The packaging of the brightly colored phones, priced at $99, says it all. There's a picture of a boy and a quote, "Hi, practice ended early. Can you come get me now?" Abrams said parents overwhelmingly voted for prepaid phone cards instead of adding the phone to a family plan. Disney and Sprint's version, which will be available next year, will provide a package that will include the whole family, according to Kim Kerscher, the spokeswoman for Disney Mobile. "We are designing it from the ground up starting with the parents' services, and we'll have features that appeal to kids. There will be content from within the Disney Company and outside," she said, including games and special ring tones. Cell phones are popping up in programming for tweens, too. In Disney's "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody," one of the 11-year-old twins gets a cell phone to stay in touch while at summer camp. (Many camps, however, ban cell phones and limit parent-camper contact to e-mail to avoid homesick kids pleading with parents to take them home.) Rachel Walker has a standard cell phone with minutes billed on her father's plan. So far, he said, she is using it responsibly. "I got the first bill and she didn't abuse it in any way," Andrew Walker said. "She does feel very grown up with it." The kiddie personal digital assistant was also instigated by child demand, in this case the 6-year-old son of Sakar's chief operating officer, Ralph Sasson, Ashear said. The child wanted something just like his dad's Blackberry, "so the dad made a Blueberry and had his sons test it out at school. Everyone said, 'I want one!' " The $19.99 product isn't technical and doesn't have all the features of a Blackberry, Ashear said. It stores phone numbers and addresses, and has an alarm clock, all accessed by a password for security. It also can be used as a phone with a phone jack on a landline. The concept of kiddie cell phones is alarming to some psychologists, physicians, and children's advocates. They worry that piling more technology on top of the video games, computers and instant messaging already available will interfere with children's development even more. "There's a question whether you want to bring that demanding a plaything into a child's life," said Jane M. Healy, a psychologist and author of "Failure to Connect: How Computers Affect Our Children's Minds and What We Can Do About It." "Eight- to 10-year-olds still should be playing imaginatively, and they won't if they are on the cell phone. They need to play, to be alone, and to learn to socialize face-to-face," she said. She also raised health questions. While some European studies have raised the issue of whether electromagnetic radiation from cell phones could damage developing brains, the American Academy of Pediatrics has no guidelines for children's cell phone use. That's the reason Ruby Waller of Belleville resists 9-year-old Tiffany's desire for her own phone. "I'd never give it to her because of the reports of radioactive waves," she said. "We really need more research into the health and social affects of cell phones on kids. We are 10 years behind the times in doing research on the effects of media on children," said Victor Strasberger, a physician and professor of pediatrics at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Strasberger authored much of the academy's policy on media and kids. Gary Ruskin, executive director of Commercial Alert, a consumer advocacy group founded by Ralph Nader, said the cell phone also could pose a threat to a child's personal safety. "The phone is an open line to your kids. Anybody can call your kid without your knowing about it if they get the number. Child predators have greater access, and marketers have greater access," he said. Video game makers are also producing games for use on phone screens, and, just like those played on a console, some of the phone games in the future could include violence and sex. And then there's the expense -- if kids lose jackets and lunches, won't they lose their phones? Abrams of Firefly Mobile said kids like having phones so much they will most likely take care of them, although the company is looking at an insurance plan. Despite the drawbacks, many parents like the idea of their kids having phones. Clara Collins of North Arlington gave phones to twins Katie and Kara, 13, two years ago to encourage their independence and for her own peace of mind. "It's a great tool. They can call to tell me where they're going after school; I can call to tell them I'm running late. "The problem is when they don't answer. That makes your anxiety level worse," she laughed.

1. Solomon Sasson, left, shows off his Blueberry play organizer to cousins Ray Levy, center, and Ezra Levy. Solomon's father, Ralph, developed the device. The Firefly phone has icons of a man and woman - mommy and daddy - who can be speed-dialed.

[leo]

Originally posted by JJuggle
"The phone is an open line to your kids. Anybody can call your kid without your knowing about it if they get the number. Child predators have greater access, and marketers have greater access," he said. Bad news; technical it is possible (and shown years ago within a hacker clan) you can can also call and connect (targeted) to cell phones around you without knowing the number. This is without WiFi or BlueTooth hacking involved, pure GSM. Having the know-how is extremely dangerous, as you also will be able to determe who has special quality of service on the network. That way you will -for example- be able to d3t3ct marsha11s in a p1ane, or one of a foreign country that brings in their own secret service. You don't want to mess with them. And you don't want to be blackmailed by organizations with bad plans on their mind.

But if you look at the other side of the story JJugle posted; With a phone kids can call 911 when getting in trouble. Without they can't. And phone-booths are dieng fast.
Also if you are a worried parent you have a direct line available (and vica versa).
Especially usefull if you lost your child, because the trick to write your cellphone# on your kids skin with a marker when going to the beach became now a no-no, as criminals call up to see who's the parent of the kid, hold attention of her/him, while...

[alexmay]

paint the child glow in the dark then visit the beach at night.

[THE dave]

cell phones are nice for when you are like... broken and stuff...