1. JazzeeJEF's Avatar
    If I Can Afford It Then I Would Get Soon As He/she Hits Freshman Year In High School Cause Thats When I Wanted A Cell Phone And Thats When I Got One But Now Im A 17yr Old Junior In High School With A Blackberry Pearl 8100 And Loving It.
    Of Course You Want You Want Your Kids To Have The Same Joy As You! And No I Dont Have Any Kids.
    I Dont Want Any Either.
    BUT SINCE I HAVE A JOB I PAY FOR MAH OWN CELL BILL.
    A SK??? JAZZEJEF...
    WHY NOT BB THEY BOTH ARE EXPENSIVE AND COOL
    Sidekicks are more hip these days for teenagers. If i ask any of my sisters friends who are seniors in high school they would all say Kicks....They all already have Kicks lol =]
    03-06-08 02:13 PM
  2. enyahs_shayne09's Avatar
    Sidekicks are more hip these days for teenagers. If i ask any of my sisters friends who are seniors in high school they would all say Kicks....They all already have Kicks lol =]
    true true!!
    i was on mah cousin kick lx today
    and blackberries are popping up like crazy at mah school!!
    finaly i have a popular phone thats not a razr!!
    03-06-08 02:32 PM
  3. enyahs_shayne09's Avatar
    Right out of the womb baby!! Get them hooked while they're young. I have a few Baby Einstein videos on a micro SD that I pop in on long trips.
    OMG YOU ALREADY HAVE A CRACK BABY!!! LOL!!
    THAT CUTES START EM OFF EARLY AYE
    03-06-08 02:33 PM
  4. da1suckazenvy's Avatar
    I would have to say 10 should be a pretty decent age.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    03-06-08 02:55 PM
  5. Marsam's Avatar
    My wife an I just got our 15 yr daughter a Pearl on Thursday. (Not sure if she is a big fan of it or not. Still have 29 days to change up) I am one of those parents who micro manages his children. I want my kids always looking over their shoulder like "Oh crap where's my Dad? Can he see me?" 50% fear of what I will do if I catch them doing wrong, 50% respect for me not to do the wrong thing is the ratio that I am trying to achieve.

    My daughter has had a cell phone for almost 2 and half years (ups and downs, restrictions, demands) but overall I think she is mature enough to handle a smartphone. I did lay down the rules and law and point blank told her it is yours until you screw up the arrangement. (I am secure enough in my manhood to rock a pink Pearl). We will manage the bill (she has to pay data and the additional cost for the 1500 sms plan) and keep tabs with a little less hands on...to allow her a little freedom.

    Please Pray for me...very big step for me. Crackberry will have to become my support group!

    Peace, Love, and Souuul!!!
    04-26-08 02:41 AM
  6. ubernoob's Avatar
    Blackberry, normal celly... Would not matter to me... Id say a good age would be freshman in high school, maybe 8th grade which is like 13/14-ish.

    I don't remember when I got my first phone (I'm 20 now), but there is absolutely no need for a phone before that age.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    04-26-08 03:11 AM
  7. axeberry's Avatar
    I wish I lived in the UK then

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    04-26-08 03:16 AM
  8. jbonnot03's Avatar
    I got my first phone(a bag phone) as a hand-me-down from my dad when I started driving at 16. I personally think high school is a good age for a phone. Just to back that up...my wife and her friend took the friends junior high daughter and friends to the movies. It was about a 25 minute drive and the junior high girls sat in the back seat and texted each other back and forth the whole way. Not other people...each other sitting shoulder to shoulder. WTH. TALK!!! This same adult friend just got her 6 yr old daughter a cell phone. WHY?! She's 6. Why would she need a cell phone? She tried to justify it by saying it was a good deal.

    Just a rant...High school is my vote, but without the data plan.
    04-26-08 05:45 AM
  9. Username5300's Avatar
    My son who is now 15 got his first BB when he was 14. freshman in high school and he pays for it on his own. He treats it alot different now that he is paying for it. He is also under contract (by us) if he gets anything lower than a B he loses the phone until he corrects his grades. So far no problems it was great leverage.
    04-26-08 06:14 AM
  10. b1gg134's Avatar
    i just got my 14 year old daughter a curve, she wanted something with a keyboard for texting. She doesnt have a data plan, nor does she want one really, she love the curve for texting.
    04-26-08 06:39 AM
  11. BerryLatina's Avatar
    My 11 & 8 yr old are dying to have their own phone...and I know I'll break down sooner than later and get them both one.

    If only I could get my hands on a brick phone...(anybody remember those??)
    04-26-08 09:15 AM
  12. Username5300's Avatar
    My 11 & 8 yr old are dying to have their own phone...and I know I'll break down sooner than later and get them both one.

    If only I could get my hands on a brick phone...(anybody remember those??)
    Yeah white with black antenna sure do still have one.
    04-26-08 09:22 AM
  13. BerryLatina's Avatar
    chrismurray - LMAO - !!!

    I had one a few years back - kept it on my desk.
    04-26-08 09:24 AM
  14. Username5300's Avatar
    also have a BB 950
    04-26-08 09:28 AM
  15. BB7290grl74's Avatar
    Wow. My kids got prepaid phones around 12. They can have contract phones when they're old enough to sign the papers and pay the bills. As far as a BB goes, whatever they choose to buy themselves is ok with me. Heck, my hubby isn't responsible enough for a BB yet, lol!

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    04-26-08 09:57 AM
  16. JOEY NEAT's Avatar
    My son has had a cellphone since he was 6! Reason being I got divorced and the courts let the ex take him to Boston, I am in NY and I was not able to get in touch with him because the ex wasn't responsible enough to pay her phone bill! I got custody when he was 9 and let him keep it because it was in contract, now at 13 I can keep track of him when he goes out, he has my old Blackjack and he pays the data, which comes right out of his salary, he works at my store so its easy! If I get a new 3g BB he can have my Curve aslong as he keeps paying! Teaches him some responsibility!
    04-26-08 10:03 AM
  17. Erikgreenlee's Avatar
    If they want one they can have it when they can pay for it.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    04-26-08 10:19 AM
  18. anon(375378)'s Avatar
    Early teens would be good (14 and on). I especially like the idea someone had about the grade level contract, keep the grades up and they keep their BlackBerry.

    Mine are still too young but I'll keep this in mind.
    04-26-08 10:32 AM
  19. hutch34's Avatar
    I'm 16 and I just bought my 8830- we have a shareplan with verizon and I pay all of my charges myself- that includes data and messaging. I lucked out and most of the minutes I use are with my gf who also has verizon, so they don't charge for them. I do have a small ebay start up and I run classifieds around here sometimes and I'm obsessive about emails

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    04-26-08 10:48 AM
  20. hutch34's Avatar
    I also forgot- I do many sports and clubs at school, and I'm almost NEVER at home- so it really helps with letting my parents know where I am. Just a txt or call away!

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    04-26-08 10:50 AM
  21. IrishJK09's Avatar
    I plan to give my son his first cellphone when he is 5-6 years old. It will be a child specific phone that can only call preprogrammed numbers however. I figure he will get a real cellphone around 12-13, but it will be prepaid and won't have any special features. If he wants a BlackBerry, he needs to wait until he can buy it himself, and pay for it himself.

    I see a lot of reasons for kids to have cellphones nowadays, but I see NO reason for a kid to have a BlackBerry. It has nothing to do with responsibility, or understanding the device, but has to do with what the phone does in comparison to what a teenager really needs. There is no reason a teenager can't keep track of their school work and *cough* appointments *cough* with a good ol' pen and paper planner. I did it, you did it, our parents did it, etc.

    The adult world is a different place where 24/7 connection and communication is almost a requirement, however it is not the case with teenagers. Let them have as much time as they can before they get sucked into the maelstrom that we have created for ourselves with our need for connection.
    04-26-08 12:50 PM
  22. Mouseworks's Avatar
    Our kids are 11, 8, and 4. The older two have cell phones, but not smartphones. The oldest has had a prepaid phone since she was 8, and just recently added herself to our family plan for a better phone/more minutes. She pays her own bill out of her petsitting money or allowance. My son doesn't pay his own bill, but he knows the phone is ONLY for us (parents) to call him or him to call us. He doesn't give the number out or use it for any other reason.

    Those of you who say there is no reason for a child under the age of ___ to have a cell phone may not realize how autonomous kids are these days. My daughter spends weekends away with relatives or friends, has art or music classes in the evenings, and this summer she's going to Italy for a study program. So I think it's fair to say she has plenty of use for a cell phone. I don't see her even wanting a BB anytime soon, but if she presents us with her reasons for wanting one and is willing to pay for it, I'd consider it. Right now she has no interest in a data plan or PDA functionality, she just uses her phone to call and text.
    04-26-08 01:56 PM
  23. reeneebob's Avatar
    My first cell phone was a Pay As You Go phone, which I have no problem giving a teen and keeping it topped up for safety purposes. When they have a job and can pay their portion of the bill and have shown their maturity, then they can have a REGULAR cell phone. A BB is not necessary until College, and then with a minimal data plan unless they wanna pay for it themselves.

    I work in telecom and I see some of the bills coming in from out of control teens, and in the same conversation the parents are asking about upgrading the same teen to a Moto Q or something, all I really want to do is slap them.
    04-26-08 03:12 PM
  24. reeneebob's Avatar
    Wow. My kids got prepaid phones around 12. They can have contract phones when they're old enough to sign the papers and pay the bills. As far as a BB goes, whatever they choose to buy themselves is ok with me. Heck, my hubby isn't responsible enough for a BB yet, lol!

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Oh word, when I finally saw what my fiance was paying for a PayGo phone and I convinced him to allow me to put him on my contract (I owed him some money so I pay for his cell bill) imagine my shock when the first month bill had a capped out data usage and capped out text messaging on his phone. I never thought the day would come that I would be talking to my 32 year old better half like a 16 year old with my car *snort* The idea of him with a Curve terrifies me, since he lives on the Unlimited Browser on his Katana and I don't think he understands there is no Unlimited Data with Bell Canada yet.
    04-26-08 03:20 PM
  25. kittyrocker57's Avatar
    well im 14 and i got my first cell phone when i was 12 it was just a basic fat camera phone, when my contract ran up i paid for my bb myself, but mom pays for the plan as a bday present
    05-14-08 06:44 PM
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