[whyme4000]

Wow, 14?? Blackberry? I have to agree with most. I just don't see justification. I believe a Dare, Voyager, or Blitz.

This was my first... StarTac!!!! Hahaha

Dude, that was the fist phone I bought on my own, and I loved it...

Actually mine was the TimePort, but same thing...

[gb__]

you are 14!! what do you need a BB for? You're not hooking up to a BES.

Enjoy your life while you're young. There's plenty of time in your later years to be heads down in a BB.
This was my first phone..

[Tlynnsmith]

Plenty of adults don't need a Blackberry either. Since I've gotten one, my dad got one. He doesn't need his e-mail on the go for work or anything, but he enjoys it. He likes having the latest technology and enjoys using its cool features. What's wrong with a teenager doing the same?

You can use the phrase, "you don't need ____" for just about anything that's a luxury and not a necessity.

It doesn't matter if "plenty of adults don't need BBs either ". Point is...they pay for them, without parental subsidizing. When you're an adult, and paying your own way in the world, you can buy what you want, for whatever reason, without having to answer to anybody.

[MichaelBrandonW]

you are 14!! what do you need a BB for? You're not hooking up to a BES.

Enjoy your life while you're young. There's plenty of time in your later years to be heads down in a BB.
This was my first phone..

NICE! Gotta love the Micro! Remember the giant trapezoid extended battery? And the rubber grips around the phone? priceless.

[mariob]

Here is what i think if you like the storm and are willing to get a part time job to HELP pay for it and your dad is OK with it then i say get it. as far as you being to young for a blackberry i think that is silly i say once you are a teenager that is plenty old a enough. for a pearl or curve , storm so offer to get a part time job to help out with the bill and that should show that you are willing to work for what you wont. and that will show him that you are responsible enough for a berry. as a matter of fact i am getting my daughter a curve or pearl and she is 14 as well i would get her a storm but she is VERY rough on phones and a storm would not last 5min. but her grades are excellent and she is a great kid very responsible. with all of us having blackberry's my wife daughter and my self we can use BB messenger and GPS all to stay in touch and know where every one is.

[asloman]

I think I've got you all beat. This is my first cell phone.

[jsnewman0]

I'm 19 and a college student and very lucky that my parents pay for my blackberry service because I would not be able to. As a college student, I can say there is no better ally than this device. It maintains everything from my schedule to professors emails to anything imagineable and I live on the device (I know, sad).

That being said, for a 14 year old I think any BlackBerry is too much phone. I have had this discussion with my mom a few times recently because she just upgraded to the Storm and my younger sister, also 14, desperately wants the Pearl she upgraded from. My personal input, which seems to be my mothers as well, was that the device is just to much phone. Agreed, some young teens now have these but there is no reason for it. You will do a minimal amount of email, none of which has any urgency, and the internet browser has no benefit for a middle school student other than the fact that it exists. This renders the additional $29.99 a month pointless as well as the basic BlackBerry basis useless.

Summing up, when my sister was asked why she wanted the phone her answer was that she liked the keyboard and the games you could put on it - neither of which are BlackBerry specials.

My opinion - Verizon has and will be releasing a lot of nice phones that will keep you leading in technology without the need for a data plan. And if you do want the possibility of internet browser, the Dare my sister has does quite well. Either way, best of luck with your parents.

If it makes you feel better I considered myself extremely lucky to get my dads old beaten up black and white screen LG flip back half way through 8th grade. Agreed technology has come a long way but the need for a BlackBerry at such a young age doesn't yet exist.

[jsnewman0]

I think I've got you all beat. This is my first cell phone.

Completely off topic - loving the Land Rover label - die hard Range Rover owner here.

Best 4x4xFar.

Again. sorry for off topic response.

[Human Driftwood]

Wow didn't we go over all of this when the 16 year old asked if he should get a storm? And frankly you guys are dating yourselves something awful. If you think a 14 year old can't handle the technology of a BB then you're not paying enough attention to your kids. Plus why should apple get every last whiz kid on an iPhone? I say give he 14yr old a BB and maybe by the time he's 16 or 18 **** be into designing free apps for all the complainers out there.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[asloman]

To the OP:
I think you have to understand what your dad means by "too young" before you present him with an argument. Does he feel you will lose it or break it? Is it a matter of money? Does he feel that it will be a distraction to your education? Until you understand the objection, you will not be able to present a good case for him to change his mind.

[pkcable]

My Dad had one of the bag phone when I was around 14 and as I recall it cost in the thousands. I wasn't allowed anywhere NEAR it!

[snork]

A 14 year old can use a phone all he wants. But really, phones distract kids in school and interacting with people and building strong people skills, which are key and a big part of school even. I got my first phone at 19, when I paid for it on my own. I understand kids are getting younger and they are becoming more and more prevalent. My younger sister and brother both got theirs at age 17. Actually my sister got hers as soon as she got her license because god forbid she gets stuck anywhere and needs help. I guess that makes my parents sexist. My brother didn't get one until he asked, but it was around the same age.

Regardless, a phone is one thing, a blackberry is another. If you're willing to pay the $30/month data plan and additionally the $6/month insurance (for two years mind you).. then so be it. I certainly wouldn't let my son or daughter get a storm without the insurance. I personally thinks its a silly waste of your money, but that's your call.

As for convincing your father.. if you can't justify it to him yourself, you don't have any business getting one. Further, and this might sound ageist, but you shouldn't have anything better than your father's unless you are paying for it. (with the exception of some martyr's who had a rough upbringing or more money than they know what to do with)

[FUSIBLE]

Not to be mean, but just retype what you are trying to say i cant really understand it.

After some decyphering I did. My little brother whos 13 has had a BB for almost 2 years now. Problem is times are changing. I remember I grew up when 8 track cassettes were still around and regular cassettes came along. Then a new generation of kids grew up with CD's, then a new generation of kids grew up with computers in their home with the world wide web. Kids are growing up with cell phones attached to their head, I've seen 7-8 year old kids with cell phones. I just think his dad is not with the times, I would also consider and ask how well you're doing in school.

[blackwidowinsc]

My dad is concerned with him giving me is NE2 Storm even tho he doesn't really use his WE except for checking EMAIL and not send.

He believes that im too "young" for a BB and that i have no need for it. Im currently 14. What should i say?

How about this, "Dad, I need a BlackBerry because it will help me with my sentence structure and spelling."

Seriously, I am not trying to be mean, but we have a generation of young people growing up on "text speech". This is not going to cut it in the real world.

[mab4285]

How about this, "Dad, I need a BlackBerry because it will help me with my sentence structure and spelling."

Seriously, I am not trying to be mean, but we have a generation of young people growing up on "text speech". This is not going to cut it in the real world.

So true. I've heard stories of graduate students (these are like 26 year olds) typing a formal email to the Vice President of my school in text type. Students don't know how to write formally anymore.

And to the OP, get a Dare.

The only reason I can justify having a smartphone to myself is because I work three to four jobs (depending on the season), plus I go to grad school full time as well, so I need a phone that I can sync to my work calendar to keep myself organized and on task. I'm 23, and I pay for the full price of my plan (about $75/month, granted, yes I am on Sprint).

You may WANT a Storm, but you don't NEED one. Heck...I don't even need one. I'd be happy that my father is paying for my cell phone plan.

[Romple]

I just got an email at work and the guy said "lol" in it :-/

[Mackman37]

Well i was going to stay out of this one but I just cant help it. There is absolutely no reason for a 14 year old to own a BB. None, period. Be grateful to have a cellphone at all at 14. In my house it was no phone until 16 and thats only because of an emergency driving accident.

As for the other highschool kids who have BB and are trying to justify owning it, get over yourself. You dont need one either. You want it as a "look at me" device. I am in my going into my final semester of my senior year of college and I only got my storm because I pay the bill and I wanted it. I however use my BB all the time. I had a curve before the storm and I used that all the time as well. I use a BB for its intended purpose though. I not only use it for actual "hard" classes (if you think high school is rough wait till college) but I also use it in my job and in my intern job for college credit.

I dont remember what kid was spouting off about how he needs his BB cause he works 20 hours a week and is a senior in high school and plays basketball but that is a joke. First of all the senior year of most high schools is a joke, not to mention you job is probably pushing carts at the local wal-mart. Second of all when I was a senior in high school I was already taking 17 credit hours a semester of college courses at the local community college and I was working 30-40 hours a week so that I could pay for school. Oh and guess what I was able to manage it all with just my lowly little flip phone.

There is my rant for the day and I am by no means trying to cut down the high school kids by comparing them to what I went though and currently going through. In the end its still a business tool and you don't need one, yet.

[howie]

My Dad had one of the bag phone when I was around 14 and as I recall it cost in the thousands. I wasn't allowed anywhere NEAR it!

I had that too. Cost me $750 for the phone and only offered 30 minutes per months (that's peak and non-peak, no IN calling, no call waiting, no caller ID haha) if I recall correctly it was around $60/mo

[infamyx]

Well i was going to stay out of this one but I just cant help it. There is absolutely no reason for a 14 year old to own a BB. None, period. Be grateful to have a cellphone at all at 14. In my house it was no phone until 16 and thats only because of an emergency driving accident.

As for the other highschool kids who have BB and are trying to justify owning it, get over yourself. You dont need one either. You want it as a "look at me" device. I am in my going into my final semester of my senior year of college and I only got my storm because I pay the bill and I wanted it. I however use my BB all the time. I had a curve before the storm and I used that all the time as well. I use a BB for its intended purpose though. I not only use it for actual "hard" classes (if you think high school is rough wait till college) but I also use it in my job and in my intern job for college credit.

I dont remember what kid was spouting off about how he needs his BB cause he works 20 hours a week and is a senior in high school and plays basketball but that is a joke. First of all the senior year of most high schools is a joke, not to mention you job is probably pushing carts at the local wal-mart. Second of all when I was a senior in high school I was already taking 17 credit hours a semester of college courses at the local community college and I was working 30-40 hours a week so that I could pay for school. Oh and guess what I was able to manage it all with just my lowly little flip phone.

There is my rant for the day and I am by no means trying to cut down the high school kids by comparing them to what I went though and currently going through. In the end its still a business tool and you don't need one, yet.

Quoted for truth and justice!

I'm a 20 year old myself, graduated in class of 2006 and in my 2nd year of college...i used a tracphone at 15, jumped to a t-mobile prepaid at 16 to putting a 400 dollar deposit down to actually get Verizon service at 18! My mother was not sold on the idea of having to get an upgraded plan just so i could have a luxury i didnt need, and that she said i also needed a phone for when i could drive, but that it was not something she was going to pay for because its all part of growing up and having responsibilites.

Well she was right, when you pay for something completely on your own, is when you appreciate something for what its worth. My car paid for by me, and my phone at that time (a N70) was paid for by me. To be honest, i bought a storm for myself because i text like ****, actually get emails from my college, and like having the media player all in one...maybe im not fufilling all the phones features or its full business end yet, but I pay the 100 dollar bill every month, thats for me to decide.

Most people in middle/high school range are really just using a phone to text people, or blabbermouth teenagers who need to keep up with all the school drama. Any phone does this now...there is no logical argument you can make to say this is why i NEED a blackberry storm, or a blackberry in any form over a phone that can do the same things i need it for, for cheaper. Be happy you even have one, cause i would have laughed in your face if you'd asked me, now gtfo ->

[noaim]

I agree with you, however only to a certain point. I still stand by my statement that 20 hours is not often. It may be more than a lot of kids are doing, however to enter the adult world with the mentality that this is a long work week is nothing short of lucidcris. Many children are incredibly ill-prepared, and therefor fail when they hit the real world.

At any rate, again. That is not the point, as I clearly stated in my original post. I see absolutely no reason that a child should have a blackberry, but then again, I am not the OP's parent. The problem arises when you have x amount of children and teens coming to the forum and asking total strangers to help them justify the purchase of a particular device to their parents. If you can't justify it to your parents, then neither can we.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

hrm so...

in a sense you didn't understand.. were I was coming from I guess..

lets say his school starts at 8 and ends at 3
thats 7 hours a day of being at school.. 7*5 = 35 hours now add 20 hours..

thats 55 hours ....

once we get in the work force we sit at between 40-60 hours ... without schooling

so how is it different?

schooling isn't often considered a activity of work.. when in reality its just like waking up in the morning and going to work.. no matter if they like it or not its a job accept your paycheck isn't in a green form.. its a future achievement form.

[jkunk]

wish my plan cost 75$ **** even 100 would be nice, my verizon alone is 170, and then include my G1 another 60, seriously need to give up the G1 but i dunno if im ready yet

might give it up ina month or so after the paid apps come out if nothing good comes out for it<>

[Ob5erver]

Half of you are old farts and the other half are prepubescent children (obviously I'm exaggerating). Okay that's great your old phone was a brick and that's great your a student working what you think is a lot.

Bottom line from someone who is the in between age (and not having the rampant bias of agism) you really don't need a blackberry at your age. At your age you may think you're crazy busy but you're not and you really don't need such a distracting phone (best way to get it confiscated by a teacher). At earliest I would say college for Blackberry but not even your first year I would hold off until Junior year of college. That's just my 2 cents.

[passtheflask]

this thread is still alive? im 20, soon to be 21 and the storm is my first smartphone... why? because i didnt need all of its capabilities up until recently... NEVER would i have needed them before the age of 20. it is preposterous to think a young teenager, especially at 14, needs a phone of this stature. i think a dare or voyager is even too much...

heres what someone that age should have: (somewhat in seriousness)

[BBtoiPhone]

Hey man if you can convince your dad to get a blackberry then go for it.. And not to be rude to everyone else commenting, but I am sure cell phones werent even around when some of you where 14, so give the kid a break.

[mab4285]

Half of you are old farts and the other half are prepubescent children (obviously I'm exaggerating). Okay that's great your old phone was a brick and that's great your a student working what you think is a lot.

Bottom line from someone who is the in between age (and not having the rampant bias of agism) you really don't need a blackberry at your age. At your age you may think you're crazy busy but you're not and you really don't need such a distracting phone (best way to get it confiscated by a teacher). At earliest I would say college for Blackberry but not even your first year I would hold off until Junior year of college. That's just my 2 cents.

Agree with you 100% on that one! Good point!