[Jim from NW Pa]

He doesn't use it for calling friends. I have only main numbers programmed in it for him.
And when he has a job, he will pay for it if he wants more with it. But that's 10 years away.

And I'd hate to think "hey, he's missing, too bad he didn't have a job to afford $10 a month or we'd find him faster".

Maybe you don't have any children yet, but when you do, you'll understand. The BB 8100 he has, is mainly to help "US" stay connected as a family. And we can be assured he has it if he needs it.

You are absolutely right. I don't have kids. Actually, if you have an 8 year old, you are probably old enough to be my father. Maybe that's a factor in me not understanding this....0i don't know.

Maybe its just because it wasn't such a technology based world when I was 8 years old, but I still can't fathom what kids would even use a cell for..... Let alone a berry.

Maybe I am just jealous that I didn't get more from my parents...... I don't really know......

But on that 10 years till a job thing, I started mowing grass around my neighborhood when I was about 11 years old. And the department of labor says that legally a 16 year old can work....so your math might be a little bit off.

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[waldog]

But on that 10 years till a job thing, I started mowing grass around my neighborhood when I was about 11 years old. And the department of labor says that legally a 16 year old can work....so your math might be a little bit off.

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Not to stray o.t. But the 10 years was a bit off. It may be more like 12. It depends on his schooling. I have no problem letting him do school other than a job. I'd rather help him have a better education/life instead of a deadbeat job. But then again, I didn't get a chance at school or what, I was working 30+ hours wk when I was 16/17. So I don't want him in that boat.

On topic.

[Mamaluka]

How can you not be able to "fathom" an 8 year old using a cell phone?
"Hi dad, mom is driving us home from ballet and she asked me to text you as usual."
There, now you can fathom it. That was from my 7 year old last night.

"Daddy, when will you be home from work. We miss you and love you."
I can't fathom a better feeling than my 10 year old BBMing me things like that during the day.

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[iceequeen]

omg! are you serious.

[Fire-Detention]

Not for kids.

[Mamaluka]

Icequeen: omg...yes
Fire-Detention - not for yours, but for mine, yes.


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[tennislvr8]

How can you not be able to "fathom" an 8 year old using a cell phone?
"Hi dad, mom is driving us home from ballet and she asked me to text you as usual."
There, now you can fathom it. That was from my 7 year old last night.

"Daddy, when will you be home from work. We miss you and love you."
I can't fathom a better feeling than my 10 year old BBMing me things like that during the day.

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Ok I work in an elementary school and if your 7 year old texted you that comment above, you have a genius on your hands...

Is your 10 year old texting you that while they are at school?

kids grow up too fast nowadays---let them be kids---go outside, play, create and problem solve---serious skills lacking in kids nowadays!!!!

[tennislvr8]

truthfully I find that the end all answer to this is simple..

a parents kid is a parents kid if they decide to let them have a blackberry so be it..

its not really for us to debate

i know this thread became a huge debate, HOWEVER, please tell me where in my orginal thread did I seek out a debate. I simply shared events...

[alb123]

I find this conversation rather amusing. Times are changing people. When I was 10 years old my parents bought me a Commodore 64. It went right into my bedroom with a 300 baud modem and I was out there BBS'ing, chatting with anonymous people, etc... At the time, people voiced their opinions 'why does a child need a computer' or 'that's outrageous' etc.. Now, you see most homes having at least one, two or maybe even more various desktops/laptops strewn about. Plus, my adventures into those technologies shaped and crafted me into what would eventually be a career in computer software.

I think its great that kids are in-step with technology. Is texting in class a "good" thing? Hardly. How many of you spent 20 minutes writing a note on looseleaf just to fold up into a silly triangle and hand off to your current crush, or friend, in the hallway after class? Is it really any different? They're both equally bad.

I think any child who can handle the responsibility, ie. not drop it and break it every other week or leave it god-knows-where, etc. should have a cellphone of some type. I can remember going to the park and feeling uneasy about a group of older people just 'hanging out' and back in the early 80s I had no way to contact my parents other than haul **** home.

Plus, this way you can keep tabs on your child. A quick text message to them reminding to "be home for dinner at 6pm", for instance, is a great convenience to many parents. And, if they want to shell out the cash for a BlackBerry - why is it any worse than buying them a RAZR?

Chris

[dingogrid]

Generally I would not trust a kid with a cell phone that you cant afford to replace twice a year. But thats from the sprats I know. Some kids could prolly handle it. For a phone its pretty overpowered if all you use it for is checking in, as a child would.

[amazinglygraceless]

i know this thread became a huge debate, HOWEVER, please tell me where in my orginal thread did I seek out a debate. I simply shared events...

13 pages and I'm still trying to figure that out.

[venomgirl]

Gone are the days that only a certain age group or business people use blackberrys..I find it cool that everyone has one....technology sure has come a loooong way

[eddymartine]

Gone are the days that only a certain age group or business people use blackberrys..I find it cool that everyone has one....technology sure has come a loooong way

I agree with you that BBs are not only for a certain age group or business people, I saw many students have BB and they can't found any device better than BB

[BBBM]

Regardless of "whether kids should have BB's".... A BB is a Luxury for EVERYONE. Even if you're the CEO of the biggest company in the world. .. there's a computer at hands reach to check your email and or internet... there's public library's/... nothing is death matter type situation that you have to get your email and respond to it within that second.. we all have one because.. we all want the best...It doesnt matter if you work, bum around or your parents pay for it, it's a luxury. Truthfully i believe MOST kids dont have a HUGE necessity to check their emails and stuff, neither do we "adult,mature, responssible" grown ups.. a basic cell is all everyone needs...anything else is GRAVY ... PS I didnt expect anything else from the "parents' & kids" in the thread.. what are you gonna say that you're kid is spoiled, bad behaved, rude obnoxious? No, i didnt think so.. you've all said (and are gonna say) that you're kids are the most mature and deserve it and get good grades ... {isn't that what we all expect of kids anyways}..... just saying!

[Crackberrykills]

I do not care if a kid has a BB or cell phone. My kid would not have one. Of course, my "kid" has fur and walks on all fours; however, if I should have a lil doppelganger, he or she will have to wait a long time for a cell phone. This is subject to change; void where prohibited.

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[tediprude]

Since I am an educator - I come in contact with a lot of people every day - adults and children (ages 4 - adult). I have seen both children and adults with Blackberrys. This is my take on what I have observed...

First of all - I never wanted a Blackberry. My initial reason for getting one was for the QWERTY keyboard and ease of texting with friends. I never liked the T9 thing and since I own an iPod Touch (I know I love all the apps and fun stuff about it, but I absolutely hate typing on it). Also - even though the iPhone was actually cheaper at the time of my purchase - I chose the Blackberry because I really loved how it felt in my hand and texting was a breeze. After having my Blackberry for about a month I began to learn all of the additional uses for it and all I can say now is "this is really an amazing little device!"

Now - as far as the children I have seen with a Blackberry - I have to wonder why their parents bought it for them. The average child will never experience all of the devices capabilities. Texting, game playing, BBM - this is only the very tip of the iceberg here. Eventually - the child with a Blackberry will "upgrade" to a more "fun" device. After all - FUN is what children really crave. When the phone ceases to be "fun" for them they will want something else.

As for the adults I have seen with a Blackberry (including the IT guys) - they never explore all of the Blackberry's capabilities either. I am the Technology Coordinator at my school and our school system's Director of Technology isn't even using his "work issued" Blackberry for any purpose other than to make phone calls. WOW! My co-workers with Blackberrys only use them for phone calls, texting, and reading email. Most of them don't even know about Blackberry Messenger or anything else they can do with their device. Even the one friend I have who really is a "techie" as far as a computer is concerned (she just got her new Curve 8900 BTW) doesn't use hers to its fullest extent. Even though she is totally addicted to her phone - she only uses it fot talking, texting, email, and BBM. I have told her that in my hands - this little device is gonna be all it can possibly be - and I meant that.

I know that parents will buy their children whatever they can afford to buy for them and/or whatever their allow their children to succer them into buying for them. As a parent I have a price limit for the "succering" part (it can't excede $50.00). IMHO - I think people should buy a cell phone/smartphone in much the same manner as they would buy a computer. The choice should be based on its planned use.

Peace....

[davidnc]

Yes this type of subject does keep the forum active. I again say its really between the parents and their teens.I don't have any teenagers or kids but if or when I do I could see geting them a BB depending on how mature they was. I think it would be a good ideal to have many ways(text ,bbm,email) of contacting them in case of emercencies and stuff along with being able to reach by cell phone . You just can't group all young ppl in a cateogory they are different in someways you know ,lol. And yes this is just my opinion. Just added since this topic was already at top of forum

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[xEchox]

I'm 17 almost 18(6 months) and JUST got my first blackberry/smart phone.... I had to pay for it, and i have to upkeep the data plan cost. I've been wanting one for YEARS, but my parents told me that I couldn't until I could prove I was mature enough and had a steady income. (I lease my horse out and give lessons as well)

I wish they'd pay for the phone and the data... haha! Sure I don't HAVE to have the phone: but it's nice! I have so much going on, and i'm constantly buying/selling things through e-mail or scheduling things or helping people out with their horses that I really do need my e-mail access 24/7...

[romobabe]

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.

excuse me?
im 16 also and although i dont do as much w/ my bb i do have uses for it dont think that because your sooo much older teens have no lives and all we do is text. because on top of texting we use calendars all the time i recently got mine and am still working through all the things on here but i just got my permit and with schedule changes behind the wheel my blackberry became very useful in class tests come up where writing them down now is no good because everyone seems to forget. and i always have my berry. so excuse me but i think you might need to reconsider your point of view on this.

[taeisme]

excuse me?
im 16 also and although i dont do as much w/ my bb i do have uses for it dont think that because your sooo much older teens have no lives and all we do is text. because on top of texting we use calendars all the time i recently got mine and am still working through all the things on here but i just got my permit and with schedule changes behind the wheel my blackberry became very useful in class tests come up where writing them down now is no good because everyone seems to forget. and i always have my berry. so excuse me but i think you might need to reconsider your point of view on this.

BB's were initally used in the Business world. The ability to have a "mobile office" is quite convenient. What has happened with the BB is its become more of a Keeping Up with the Joneses thing versus the people that actually use them for work or travel. Like EVERYTHING else, tattoos, piercings, reality TV, if a tween celeb has one, then the other 5 gazillion tween followers want one too. Not negating your use of the BB, there are many other devices that would suit your needs, if a calendar is what you use it for. But alas, it isn't me that is paying the bill...

[vsmith]

Let the children enjoy their blackberries; times have changed. I feel that it is ok for teenagers to have blackberries if their parents pay for them or the teens have jobs to pay the bills.

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[ellegee]

I'm adding my husband and daughter my plan (they're currently with VZW) and while looking at Tmobile's offerings, I really felt like the best device for her would be a BB 8900. If I'm going to get a phone through Tmo, it's definitely going to have wifi ... hotspot calling is one of the best features that Tmo offers. Even with the data plan, we'll be saving about $100/mo from our two separate plans.
Yes, it's probably more phone than she needs, but it has so many things that she can use and enjoy. I think the media player is great ... no, it's not an ipod touch, but she's not going to be getting one from her parents anyway!! Keeping a calendar is such a great life-skill and we'll be able to share family calendars w/google sync. She can take notes; she writes a column for an online soccer magazine and she'll be able to rough draft or jot down ideas when they come to her away from home. Actually, she could compose her whole article on the BB and email it to her editor. She can BBM her mom because you know how much teens like chatting with their parents!
I wouldn't get a BB for my 11yo; he doesn't have a cell phone at all. But when he gets to that age where it becomes more necessary I would definitely consider a BB. Dumb phones are stupid!

[MOESTEPP]

My son is 17 he has a BB 8900 AT&T with data, My Daughter is 9 and she has a 8310 no data. 1st Reason Google Latitude Free Tracking, 2nd reason TXTForwarding every txt sent and received I get a copy in my email? Enough said, get you kids a Blackberry.