Teens & Cellphones: A Primer Part I

by Lori Cunningham

Cellphones can be a powerful and an effective tool in communicating to others.  Teens know this better than anyone else.  For many teens, cellphones are their “lifeline” to their social life.  In fact, according to a national survey from CTIA and Harris Interactive,

The study goes on to reveal that according to teens, cellphones are the most telling thing about their social status or popularity behind clothing – even more so than watches, jewelry, or shoes!

Teens surveyed stated that they spend as much time texting as they do talking each month.  This is especially true for girls. Teens prefer texting over talking because:

• it’s faster
• they can multitask
• avoid verbal conversation
• it’s fun

Parents appreciate cellphones too because they can be their “lifeline” to their kids since texting or calling is a great way to get a hold of them.   LG conducted a national “LG Text Ed Survey” on teens 13-17 and their parents  and found that 75% of these parents  considered themselves “texters” and 86% of them have used texting to communicate with their teen.  As a result of texting, parents feel closer to their teen.

Like most parents, you are likely to be concerned about your teen’s use of their cellphone.  Or perhaps your children are younger and you believe that cellphone usage is not a concern…just yet.  I used to think that way too.  My oldest child is 7 years old.  Why do I need to think about her use of cellphones at this age?

According to Dr. Charles Sophy, our children are learning acceptable cellphone behaviors long before they get their first phone.  I had the unique opportunity to interview Dr. Chalres Sophy for his perspective on a teens’ use of  cellphones.  Dr. Sophy is a psychiatrist specializing in Adult, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Family Practice and the Medical Director for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). The DCFS provides quality child welfare services and support so children grow up safe, healthy, educated and with permanent families.  The Los Angeles program is the largest DCFS  in the country.

In my interview below, I asked Dr. Sophy to answer the following questions:

1. Explain the benefits and problems associated with children having their own cellphones.
2. How can a parent decide if a child is ready for a cellphone?
3. Is there an age that is too young for a child to have a cellphone?
4. What kinds of limits work best for a teen with a celllphone?
5. Is turning off texting an option?
6. What are some of the statistics related to parents and teens texting and sexting?
7. Some of the states, like California, have outlawed driving and texting.  Has this really decreased the number of people texting while driving?
8. Late night talking and texting can be a problem.  Do you have suggestions on how parents can curb this?
9. How much if any privacy should you grant a teen with a cellphone?

A Mom’s Perspective

Dr. Sophy hit the nail on the head when he stated that “parenting begins with you the parent.”  In determing whether your child is ready for a cellphone, first assess your child’s  maturity.  Ensure s/he is capable of taking care of  the phone and using it wisely.

There is so much more to learn about having a cellphone than just its “cool” features.  Once you’re ready to give your teen a cellphone, take the time to educate your child first on how to use their cellphone.  It’s up to you, the parent, to teach them about “etiquette, appropriateness, and safety,” according to Dr. Sophy.

In my preparation for the interview, I conducted a lot of research online.  There is so much information out there on teens, cellphones, and driving, it’s overwhelming.  As a mom, I’m interested in knowing as much as possible how to protect my children, but there’s just too much to take in.

To make it easier on you, I decided to write a series of articles to further alert you about teens and cellphones.  Over the course of three further posts, I will educate you about Teens & Cellphones: Manners, Safety, & Sexting.

I highly encourage your comments and suggestions during this article series.  Besides driving a car, the cellphone is potentially one of the next most dangerous common technologies a teen can use.

Here’s the next article in this series, Teens and Cellphones: Manners – A Primer Part II.