- So I was at a birthday party for a two year old today. I was talking someone I had not seen in a long time as she took out her BB Pearl. The conversation took a SHORT turn to BBs. It as short lived because she told me she did not have a data plan, it was too expensive she was not paying $30 a month for it.
So as I was making my rounds I saw a young girl with a Curve, silly me asked whose phone was that. She immdiately replied MINE and her friend chimed in, I had a Bold. I asked how old are you two and do you have data and if so who pays for it. They replied 11 and 12 and yes they have data and their parents pay for it. The also informed me that most of the kids in their school have BBs mostly Pearls. The owner of the bold was upset because she broke hers and her parents gave her something prerazr to use. She was beside herself because she had to use such an ancient phone. As we were talking a friend texted one of them and said just got my Curve with data. I was like what in the world. I had to talk myself into getting my BB because of the $30 (I have two college degrees and a well paying job) nand parents are handing these out to young kids like they are tic tacs.
I guess one good thing, they both told me they could NEVER use a phone other than a BB. The one with the Bold said she is living proof, she said the phone they gave her is killing her and as soon as her Bold is fixed she is taking a hammer to the replacement.Last edited by envied; 04-11-09 at 10:49 PM.
04-11-09 10:43 PMLike 0 -
-I want to add, that I buy all my blackberry accessories... the only things my parents do are pay the bills. But I have spent hundreds of dollars on apps, accessories, etc... so it isn't as though I am "spoiled" as some people have called teens with blackberries in previous threads.Last edited by AshlynLovesHerBB; 04-11-09 at 11:38 PM. Reason: spelling, adding text
04-11-09 11:26 PMLike 0 -
- I had a smart phone through most of high school and got a BB when I was 18, so I really have no problems with kids 13+ using a BB. The times are changing! However if the data is very expensive (like they are on Verizon), they should have to pay for at least part of it.
There is no reason for anyone younger than 12 to have an expensive BB with a data plan. It's not because they "won't know how to use it", it's because of their age...it's likely that they'll lose it, break it, or be easily distracted in school. I loved IM (usually AIM) in middle school and boy, if I had a Bold then, no work would get done!04-11-09 11:32 PMLike 0 - This topic seems to be showing up at least once a week. I agree that a some of the young owners of BBs don't really need them for all the bells and whistles but I can also see where it would come in handy for them. When I was in high school, I didn't own a blackberry but I did own a Handspring Visor (just like a palm pilot). I used my Visor to keep track of test dates and schedule other events with the calendar. I also used the address book to keep track of friends, family and teachers phone numbers and email addresses. I used the built in memo pad to take notes in class using an attached keyboard. I also had a gradebook program that I used to keep track of my test, quiz and other assignment grades and to figure out where I stood for the class. I also had a couple games on it to keep me busy while I was in study hall or car rides. All of these things that I mentioned and more can be done with the BB and I can see where a student could use them.
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com04-11-09 11:33 PMLike 0 - LOL, I never said PHONE. Im saying a blackberry. BIG difference. It has nothing to do with being quick to judge either. If anything, you could call it a generalization, but no one is judging here.
Im not going to argue with you about it either, I think it is pointless. I guess I could see if you are actually responsible, but for the average 16 year old, it is a waste of money.04-11-09 11:37 PMLike 0 - LOL, I never said PHONE. Im saying a blackberry. BIG difference. It has nothing to do with being quick to judge either. If anything, you could call it a generalization, but no one is judging here.
Im not going to argue with you about it either, I think it is pointless. I guess I could see if you are actually responsible, but for the average 16 year old, it is a waste of money.04-11-09 11:40 PMLike 0 -
I am not worked up but it begs the question, what do these kids have to look forward to? My daughter was a jr in HS, she was asked to the senior prom which included the party back at the school after the prom. I would not let her go to that, save something to experince for the first time as a senior. if they are getting BBs at such a young age, what will they want as adults?04-11-09 11:46 PMLike 0 - Like OHCop I don't care what the other parents are buying their kids.
For me? There is no way in he!! that I would buy my 11 year old daughter a BB with a data plan or any other phone at this point. She is mature for her age. She has xbox's, ds's, etc. But I don't get the whole phone/BB thing at such a young age.
She isn't dating. She isn't driving. She doesn't have sleepovers at places that I can't contact 24/7. So the emergency excuse doesn't work here. LOL!
With internet predators and other unsavory content, why would I give my daughter unsupervised access to the internet? I wouldn't, so I don't.
I do get the "Mommmmm, everyone else has one!! Why can't I?" And I have covered the whole bridge and friend's jumping thing. So now I just tell her that she can't get one yet because I am just a little evil and I enjoy wallowing in her prepubescent misery.
When she is dating, driving, or doing some after school sports I will reconsider. Until then I am the bad guy.
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com04-11-09 11:56 PMLike 0 -
Really I do not care what parents buy for their kids, I am wondering if they see the bigger picture though. I am talking about the kids who do not have to earn money to pay for what they want. IT APPEARS TO ME, they are perpetuating a me and what I want mentalilty with little regard to work ethic and earning what you want. This day and age kids (and clearly parents) believe cell phones are a necessity when they are really a want not a need.04-11-09 11:57 PMLike 0 -
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- Its funny how times have changed. My two older girls had cell phones that their father bought them & hid it from my husband & I cause the deal was you had to have a job to pay for it. Well after six or more years later, my husband & I got the first bbs in the family. Then brought one of the daughters aboard. And they have been paying for their own phones for about five years. They apprecaite them more.
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com04-12-09 12:30 AMLike 0 - What is even more ridiculous is how bent people get when a 10 year old has a data plan...I've done this before and here we go again...
Proud dad of a 7 and 10 year old daughters both with 8330 pink curves loaded with whatever the heck they wanted. The 10 year old BBM'ed me to let me know that OS 5.0 is out in the wild for my Bold. How cute is that? Both my daughters were taught by me, how to use a PC when they were 2. They went from banging the keyboard giggling like a little insane person to opening the CPU and installing hardware/RAM. I have a 2 year old son and he can recognize and open MS Word and type his first name....my 7 year old taught him that. That took WORK and TIME, and I'm glad I invested in doing what I did.
You are not a bad person for disagreeing with me, nor for stating your opinions, just keep your judgements on parenting skills to yourself. I won't listen anyway. My kids, my rules.
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com04-12-09 12:40 AMLike 0 -
- I only got a cell phone because of September 11th, and it was a silly little brick phone that I was happy with. I was only 14 at the time. I was even excited when my mom got me a flip phone. I was more so happy calling people back then, and really had no use for something like a Blackberry until I was much older. I didn't get my Blackberry until I was 21.
I really see no need for somebody as young as that to have a Blackberry.04-12-09 02:31 AMLike 0 - I'm just mad that little girl broke her bold! And her parents are letting her have a replacement! I know when I lost my camera phone my mom got me the cheapest one she could to show me that I need to appreciate my belongings and I really do now. But too each his own I suppose
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com04-12-09 02:53 AMLike 0 - I'm 14 and I'm the only person in my school that has a BB I think. I have a data plan too but pay a third of my contract. I'm more than mature enough to use a BB and my parents know that. I am a local techie for all my friends, and probably will go into IT when I'm older. My parents are hopeless with technology, and know I use the BB more than they ever would, I'm self taught from all the wonderful gurus of CB and have nuked my Berry more than once already.
Just my 2 cents but it depends on how mature the kid is, if they're a completely immature ***** I wouldn't trust them with even one of those teddy bear phones let alone a BB with data. And if I broke it, I'm the one with a replacement bill.04-12-09 03:17 AMLike 0 - I'm 16 and I own and paid for my Blackberry Curve, except the 8310 which was given to me, by my Uncle. Sure, my parents pay the bill for my 8330, but they know I use it and I am also their go to guy for most tech stuff. I also use it for school related stuff, and use it to record lectures, of course I have asked my teachers if I could. I also jot down important school dates for it and other events and check my e-mail frequently on it, and then there is the entertainment part of my Blackberry, which is just an added perk for all the other stuff that I use my BB. Surely, I could go without my BB, but I use it frequently for useful things and it has eliminated me from having to get a lot of different devices to achieve what the BB does.
Like dskid807, if I break my Curve, I'm the one with the bill to replace it, not my parents, however, I am guilty of nuking my 8320 & 8310 a few times haha, but I bring them back to life ^-^, and I nuked my 8330 from sprint a day after I got it... Wasn't able to fix that one and had to go to the Sprint store where they nicely just gave me a new one, since mines was a day old, after a day or so, I figured that the reason I couldn't restore my 8330 was because it was an 8330m and I was trying to load an OS for 8330, I know this time, so if I nuke my new Curve, I know what OS to load ^-^
However, I think, I am mature enough to handle a BB, and I've seen a couple other classmates who have Curves and Pearls, I don't know if they use it the same way I do, but I think I use mines wisely. Then again, my parents know I'm very informed on what is out and there and find it easy to learn how to fix most issues people get, and with my Curve, if I don't a quick google search will most likely help me haha.04-12-09 04:03 AMLike 0
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