Hello all,

I know recently there was a topic about whether children should have phones. I'd like to take it a notch higher and ask this - if a parent decides to give their child a phone, is it helpful/ harmful to give them a smart phone?

My older cousin, who i'm very close to, has a 12 year old son (in JS 2) who was recently given his dad's old repaired blackberry phone. I'm not very comfortable with this because i generally think that as much as possible, kids should not be handed 'luxuries' but should be be raised to grow up and work for them. He is not allowed to take the phone to school, which is good. But i also worry about what he does on the phone and what sort of BBM conversations he has with his contacts (kids his age, from school) when his parents are not home. Also, having an active BB means you have internet access to browse, right? So more than likely, he has free access to the internet.

I have tried to subtly tell my cousin that i don't subscribe to the idea but i want to be careful to not come across as trying to tell her how to raise her kid. Am i making too much of a deal out of this? If i'm not, would you suggest that i discuss this more with my cousin? How?

(For the most part, the boy is well behaved and just because of the school he goes to, i would imagine that his friends are decent kids also).

Your comments would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

You're interfering. Leave them be, it's not how your raise your kids that other people will. Your values ain't theirs.

I think its basically important as a parent to monitor what the preteen child is exposed to. . .
Because things we learn and develop as preteens are what tends to stick with us for a long time.
So if you will hand your child a smart fone I suggest you must be prepared for your own responsibilities on that part. . .

OP you have to get over your reservations on issues as this. I know many schools in Canada where preteens are taught with ipads and each kid is compelled to own one. Who knows your kid might just enroll in such school and you might not have much choice.
Its a fast changing hi-tech world and whether we like it or not the kids will be carried along. . .
The bottom line and what matters most is bringing them up wisely and the ultimate purpose behind every gadget you hand them.

Thats ridiculous. In this day and age, it is unfortunate but mobile phones have become an efficient way to keep track of kids. I suggest a basic phone like the earlier nokias. Let them get the expensive phones themselves when they start working. Stop giving things to kids on a platter. Life gives nothing on a platter.

No, too young.

This is the reason why people get 88/400 in post utme, needless distractions.

neva used a smartphone wen i waz yunger but i wish i had.no effects just control

smartphone or no phone,a brilliant kid will always remain a brilliant kid,its all about monitoring the kind of things he watches online especially porn

Personally, I would say no because it may cause more harm than good. I prefer to give my child non-browsing China phone.

Most adults are even finding it hard to control their addiction to their BBs, even if it takes you stealing that phone, don't let him waste his early years pinging.

nothing wrong with it

Old Hag says go ahead and buy the kid a smart phone, it will make the kid look smart and act smart.

Oh pls a bb porshe or I phone 6 will do trust me.

Its ​☺ķªª¥ if dey use it.. Jst monitor dem dats aLl... Dis is a modern world whEre kids even own laptops

I don't subscribe to the idea, he's way too young for such.

Well if he likes 12 yrs old aint bad but they should be on the check with what he downlaods ok and type of pics he saves

Invite the kid to NL so he can learn faster both the good and the bad.

Gone are the days when our parents would not give children eggs and other nourishing foods so that they wont steal Its child abuse to deny children access to modern technology so not to spoil them Whether you expose them or not they ll get at those things At younger age till now my children are the operators of all the electronic gadgets i acquire at home. I just got a new vehicle i call on my children to show me how to operate it inccluding my smart fone and ipad Lets just try to monitor them Give them godly upringing instill into them the rite values and pray for them.My parents vowed not to let us go thro their experience of poverty and allowed us to enjoy some necesities of life but under a very strict disciplined upbringing Today we are all good citizens contributing our quota to the society

I keep hearing monitor monitor, how do you intend monitoring? like collecting the phone every night to check the contents or what? smart phones come with memory slot, the kids are likely going to save "illicit" stuffs on the memory card, pulls it off when they know you're going to check, then slot it back in when they are alone, so bone all this "monitor" bla bla ish.

adolfe bad: I think its basically important as a parent to monitor what the preteen child is exposed to. . .
Because things we learn and develop as preteens are what tends to stick with us for a long time.
So if you will hand your child a smart fone I suggest you must be prepared for your own responsibilities on that part. . .

OP you have to get over your reservations on issues as this. I know many schools in Canada where preteens are taught with ipads and each kid is compelled to own one. Who knows your kid might just enroll in such school and you might not have much choice.
Its a fast changing hi-tech world and whether we like it or not the kids will be carried along. . .
The bottom line and what matters most is bringing them up wisely and the ultimate purpose behind every gadget you hand them.

canada is nt Nigeria pls.

Same problem i'm facing in my home.
I'm guardian to a 15yr old SS2 girl whose parent isnt anywhere near here.
Whatever she asks from her mom, she gets. I've had to sieze, sieze and sieze and got tired of siezing.
She got a torch screen Nokia5230 from the mom a few months ago and I cant control her on the internet anymore.
She's on twitter, fbk, 2go, eskimi and if care is not taken, NL.
I dont think its right! How many of your 12yr old cousin is on BBM? He'll just add older folks who will lead him astray.
The parents should take the phone away and save their child

children are not expected to have un-supervised assess to the internet. it is recommended that home computers in the house should be keep in communal place where the child should be supervised.

giving a child a smart phone is a recipe for disaster.

A cheap nokia phone wt camera and memory card wl b just okay for hm and thats wat hs mates desires.

vizion: children are not expected to have un-supervised assess to the internet. it is recommended that home computers in the house should be keep in communal place where the child should be supervised.

giving a child a smart phone is a recipe for disaster.

welldone.

if not for internet pornograghy i would have no problems with it. But you just have to watch him/her. If you discover its causing a negative effect then you withdraw the phone.

@ Odunu, i think a 15 yr old girl should be allowed to use a smart phone if she or her guardians can afford it.

Blackteeth: if not for internet pornograghy i would have no problems with it. But you just have to watch him/her. If you discover its causing a negative effect then you withdraw the phone.

surely he must penetrate d p.orn site one day and if he gets addicted,ur guess wl b as good as mine.

He is too young abeg! What phone will he use wen he is twenty nw dat he already owns a bb at this age...bb lambogini?

I think how people bring up their kids matters more, regardless of what technology they are exposed to at a tender age. Kids can learn and develop variety of skills if exposed early to sound technology, what counts more are the core principles and values you instill in them....It wouldn't matter who he's chatting with on his BB, as long as he understands what you parents consider acceptable and what is not...he should also understand that you won't bat an eye to enforce the boundaries between the good, the bad and the unspeakable.

Social skills are developed at a tender age, Parents, in their paranoia to shield their kids from the ugly world should not restrict their ability to grow and develop freely. [i]P[/i]orn is always going to be everywhere, you can't shield your kids completely from it....you can only instill in them good moral values.

slimdiggi: He is too young abeg! What phone will he use wen he is twenty nw dat he already owns a bb at this age...bb lambogini?

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I swear thats the most stupid comment so far... was there a BB BoldTouch 8 years ago? When he's 20, he'll use the available phones then. Do not deprive kids of modern Technology. I got fully into computers at 12 and my parents never restrained me at all. Now God knows what I can do

The best gift I can give a child right now is a Tech-based one. It makes us think faster and if he is the creative type, he might end up creating applications for that same phone given to him. Yes! I mean the 12 year old boy!.. Same way I started designing websites at 14 with my first "personal" computer.

These days 9yrs old has iPad, iPhone, iMac,  etc. When i ΨåS̤̈̊ 9, i felt cool with my new set of crayons n water colourz