It is safe to say that most junior school children these days have a mobile phone.  Some mobile phones are so inexpensive that even if parents do not decide to indulge, kids can very easily pick up a ‘no frills’, pay-as-you-go (PAYG) mobile phone for less than fifteen pounds.  There are many points of view among experts, parents and other authority figures as to whether children should be in possession of a mobile phone, especially while on school premises.  The issue has stirred up a lot of debate and the discussion continues; it is ongoing.

For parents that approve of their child having a mobile phone, it is an issue of quick, easy communication with their children.  In the event of an emergency, parents feel that they could contact their child right away and easily organize a plan if things are happening different to the norm.  For many single parents this is especially true and even more essential.

Some schools have banned the use of mobile phones on their premises.  They do not want kids carrying mobile phones at all and if they are carrying them, they want them to be switched off at all times during school hours.  There are many reasons for this.  The obvious reasons are related to the distractions that mobile phones can be.  Having a phone ring during a class or during an assembly would be completely unacceptable.  Not to mention if this happened several times during a single class.  Even worse would be if a child decided to answer their phone during class.  As outrageous as this might seem, it would happen if mobile phones were permitted in classrooms.

Another reason that mobile phones are not encouraged among young people is the problem of having phones lost or stolen.  The cost of a mobile phone can run into hundreds of pounds.  Already there have been incidents of children being mugged or beaten up for their phones in and outside their schools.  The value of mobile phones can add complications to what should be a very simple, innocent time in their lives.

As with many other things at their age, a mobile phone can very easily become a status symbol for teens.  Everyone wants the latest phone, the nicest phone and the one with the most features.  This can put pressure on parents to fork out for the most expensive phones or even in some cases for young people to steal in order to be seen with the best phones.

One of the most important arguments against mobile phone use among children, yet the least talked about, are the possible health issues surrounding the use of mobile phones by young people.  Health warnings have been issued on several occasions warning parents that it is best that children and young adults do not use mobile phones.  Experts are still not certain that mobile use among children will not lead to health problems and until this has been firmly established, they believe it is better for children not to use mobile phones.  This information though does not appear to have made a dent in the level of mobile phone use among children.  It seems that the perceived benefits well outweigh even the health risks.

One of the biggest advantages by far of allowing children to own and carry a mobile phone is the tracking ability that is available through services such as Child Locate. They can let you know where your child is at any given moment. For parents, this helps eliminate much of the worry and the mystery around what their children are up to and where they are spending their time.

All in all, mobile phones and other communications technologies like them are here to stay.  As with anything that requires us to make a judgment call, we will have to set the rules as to how these devices are used, when and for what purposes within our own families.  The mobile phone does give our children a new level of freedom but it also gives parents a new way to monitor their child’s whereabouts and their activities.