[Rob Tuli]

I got my first phone back in high school when most people still had beepers (me included). They were'nt anything remotely even close to BBs but they were a start. As long as they pay their own way why not open knowledge and opportunity their way.....

[meigs51]

my parents wouldnt let me anywhere near their cell phone. lol and i will be probably be reluctant to get my son one, even if he proves he is responsible. lol omg i am acting like my mom

[Telus Toronto]

Thank god i'm in college. Don't have to deal with petty High School rules anymore. I guess now that i pay for my education it gives me the right to be able to use my devices as freely as i want? Hm.

[Nesemeia]

I think that the earliest a kid needs a blackberry is in college because it is very useful for checking your emails on the go and email is how all the professors communicate with the students and how the university does too about class cancellations and on-campus emergencies, the most useful thing I have at college is my blackberry.

[galan103]

I don't see the problem with teens having
blackberry devices. In fact I think their cleaver in choosing a very good device in
comparison to say a simple flip phone. The deal with most teens (or the ones I know) is
That they don't even have data plans with their blackberries! How pointless. On the other
Hand a blackberry has become a hot phone with many celebrities using it...with that said I'm sure
It influences
the teens in getting them.

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[cyrik95]

My step son has a razor and I pay the bill for him he earned it as a reward for keeping straight a's but he has to pay for texts and I was thinking about getting him a blackberry but I am concerned about the sites he might go too and don't know if I can regulate them he is 15 does anyone know if there is a way to restrict sites? Or should I wait till he is more mature? What do yall think?

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[suthurndrowl]

its all mine no kids with blackberrys...

they werent born with blackberries lol

im like one of those kids that doesnt like to share lol

[IowaGuyBB]

I'm getting my masters over the net and I couldn't imagine not having it. A pearl or a pearl flip wouldn't be terrible for someone younger. Eh I have enough trouble raising my own kid let alone sompne elses lol.

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[cyrik95]

I think that everyone should have a blackberry, its a quality of life issue
Think about it all the information in the world at your finger tips anytime anywere. I would have done ANYTHING to have had one of these in high school

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[Fire-Detention]

everywhere you look all i see is blackberrys where are all the i phones? not that i want one its just that all you here people talk about is i phones.

[cyrik95]

That's a good question.I never even thought about getting an iphone.who could afford it anyway?

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[MrsD.]

When our daughters were younger, they are 11 and 13 now, I swore they wouldn't be getting cell phones. Well, they have had them for almost a year now. Neither care to have blackberries although my oldest would like to be able to check her email. With Livie being in jr. high it's nice to have her call when we need to pick her up after an activity. They do chores to pay for the service and when I washed one because someone didn't take it out of her pocket - she had to pay the $50 replacement fee. Taking away the phone is great punishment. As a teacher, I agree it does take a village to raise a child.

[BBTelus8330]

After 2 days reading this slowly....

I can honestly say like the few and go towards its up to the parents to see if their Kid(s) are ready for the responsibility of a blackberry without losing or breaking it.

A topic on CB.com won't really give the answer to this question.

[lakergirl23]

Thank god i'm in college. Don't have to deal with petty High School rules anymore. I guess now that i pay for my education it gives me the right to be able to use my devices as freely as i want? Hm.

I gotta agree...so glad to leave the high school-ish codes behind

[IWSBdurham]

I didnt get a mobile phone until i was around eleven? Dont you think eight is a bit young to have a cellphone...? I mean come on..at eight years old you shouldnt need to give them a cellphone to know where they are...you should just KNOW.

[lssanjose]

11? I didn't get my first cell phone until I turned 22. It was all about the payphone until that point.

[Jessica.S]

Well I got my first at 10. I went on a family plan with my mom and it was just talk at that point. Most people I knew didn't have them or had them for emergencies. My mom ended up cutting the home phone because we didn't need it so having my own was pretty useful. I know she liked to be able to call me and she liked me being able to call her any time it was necessary. It was nice too that I could have a phone only I really answer instead of my mom picking up when my friends called. It was a basic motorola flip phone, yeah it had a camera and web browser and everything but the camera was like, 0.3 megapixels. This was almost 5 and a half years ago. I actually took blocked my data services myself just to be on the safe side. A couple years later I got a phone that was a bit better, started with unl. text and data and it sort of snowballed from there. I can barely last 6 months with 1 phone now (this is the worst of it, I know, I know it's bad ): ), I'm on a separate line, my monthly fees more than doubled from a few months ago, and quadrupled from maybe a year and a half ago. Still, I'm responsible about it and the worst "overage" I've ever had was $0.50 because I texted a home phone by accident. I've never broken a phone either. The bills aren't ridiculous and I try to help out doing whatever I can. I know it's a privilege, and I appreciate having it because it's been so useful. Sometimes I just randomly thank my mom for it , and she knows I don't take it for granted, especially because she pretty much lets me pick everything for myself. I pick the phones, the plan, the provider, and I try to be reasonable and just get the final okay from her. I use everything on it too, it's saved me more than once even with school work. I don't think it's wrong to get a kid a BB or any other smartphone as long as they're showing responsibility, being helpful and not being totally unreasonable about it. It depends if they're actually going to use all the features on it, or if it's a status thing or just a shiny little toy. Non-smartphones are getting so many of the same features for less, so you have to find the line between useful and excessive and whether they deserve the privilege or not. Age matters too but it depends on the kid.

[mtavenger55]

I didn't get my first cell phone until I was around 14 & it was a cheap T-Mobile black & white flip phone. Yeah I here you, what's with all of these children with smart phones? I didn't get my first 'smart phone' until I was 18 & it was the Samsung Omnia.

[M_rk]

its funny nowadays my sister who is just 15 told me her classmate got a brand new IP4 and gave her old berry to her other classmate. how's that.

[gordongr]

I dont have kids so maybe I shouldnt even comment but when I picture kids walking around school with smart phones it just seems plain wrong. Of course parents can do what they want & I applaud that but just seems kids are spoiled now. Maybe im old fashioned.

[KarmelVixen]

I have a friend that has 6yr old that has a cellphone...its not a blackberry but its still a nice phone...its a prepaid phone...but i understand the reason for giving her child a phone...just like i understand the reasons i had to wait till i was 13 to get my first phone.

[Evan_O]

I would definitely hook my kid up with a BB or another smartphone. Given all things were going the right direction with school, etc. I think its another thing that can be taken away when I ground them.

But... I am 25 without kids so what do I know.

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[stackberry369]

Got my first phone when I was 28 lol.

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[ench18]

@ Navan: Well said. I have 3 daughters (ages: 13, 12, 11) and they have learned to save up for their phone expenses monthly.(which is damn good)
All 3 of them switched from iphone 3gS to BB Curve 3G's. I have nothing against my kids having Cellphones as long as they know how to manage their money and their responsibilities. Like i told them before... If i see anyone of you slacking off say good bye to your phone. Lol

[Jude526]

I don't think a nanny should be raising someone's kids. Not being rude or anything but parents need to be parents to their kids. If there is a nanny involved it is the parent's responsibility to set forth the rules and for the nanny to follow. The parents should be training/teaching the kids...............not the nanny. Whatever happened to parenting?