I think that 10,000 in MONTH is INSANE. Like I said in my original post I'd freak on my daughter if she sent that many in a month.

However I send a LOT during the day sometimes, a lot of people I talk to, it's the only conversation I have with them at times. My boyfriend and I have a long distance relationship (I'm in Michigan and he's in Texas), and when things were running smoothly (long long story if you read me, you know whats up) we'd text a lot during the day and a lot during the night, my dad (when I was on his family plan but now I have my own plan) asked me how i sent 1500 in a month so I am sure I send a LOT of texts, however I have unlimited texting so it's not a problem. The one time I had only like 1000 texts for a month, I went over by like 20 and had to pay for the ones that were not "pre paid" but yeah, I know I CAN text a lot, lately though, I haven't been. I'd just rather text than be on the phone.

I sent like... 400 texts a month. I used to text like 500 or 600 a month back in high school. Nowadays no one bothers to text me (since I was on MSN almost 24/7) so my phone was silent all the time. I'm using a contract phone and my dad would only tell me use abit lesser if I text more than 400/month.

I think all of you need to step back and realize what type of society we are living in. My siblings who range from 9-15 all NEED cell phones. They are gone more than 10 hours out of the day with practices, games, girl scouts, work, etc. Without their cell phones we could not get up with them as easily as we do. So I don't think the girl being 13 and having a cell phone has ANYTHING to do with her mistake.

So what would I do? Ground her just like her parents did; and than once I found out what the NEW bill was I would make her work to pay it off. Her allowance would go all to paying off the phone bill. With all the time off from being grounded she would easily pay it off by the end of school.

Oh and this happened to my fiance with a previous girlfriend when he was 17. So again; age has nothing to do with it.

I do have to agree that these days, with kids being involved in so many extracurricular activities, having a mobile phone at such a young age isn't what the problem is. The problem is they aren't learning self control. When giving a mobile to a teen who doesn't have a job, the wise choice would be to limit their abilities on the phone, like who they can call and what hours the phone can be used. Most mobile phone providers do have such options.

My boys have a joint mobile. That way if they are out, or if my oldest is babysitting while the adults are out, he has a way to reach someone should the need arise. There's nothing innately WRONG about giving one to someone young, but definite rules need to be established. And parents need to pay closer attention to what is going on. Don't the mobile phone providers also have a way for you to check on your account online so you know what calls have been made/have come in, and how many texts have been shared? I know mine does.

I hear that a lot, but practices, girl scouts, games, etc. are NOT new things to students! And somehow, they've survived before without cell phones. I mean, I was in marching band, choir, drama club , plays OUTSIDE of drama club, literary clubs, SADD, and French Club. Yet somehowI managed just fine without a phone on my hip.

Typically, if you are at a place with a BUILDING, there are phones. If you are at a person's HOUSE, there are phones. Hell, in this day and age, if you are with even ONE adult, there are phones. So those type of things don't really sell me on the idea that cell phones are necessary for children. The only way I think it might be ACTUALLY necessary is if they are frequently at places where's phones are inaccessible, like public transportation, which has already been addressed.

Now, I'm not saying I'm against phones. I think they are great to introduce a little bit of responsibility. I just don't buy that they are NECESSITIES just because a child participates in extracurricular activities.

Considering that these days fewer parents are so involved in their children's ec activities because they are working, it makes perfect sense for the kids to have their own phone just in case. Also considering that predators are increasing in number and acts of violence, I'd feel safer if my child had a phone with them.

But again, rules need to be established for the use of such phones, and unfortunately too many parents ALSO let their children get away with things instead of disciplining them. I know this Dad was rather pissed about his daughter's over-usage, but I wouldn't be surprised if a month from now she gets her phone back without any rules and she does this again.

Hmm....that first part doesn't sound quite like I had meant it. Let me try to rephrase it so it better reflects what I MEANT to say.

"Considering that these days fewer parents are involved in their children activities due to having to work more, and thus even those parents who WOULD HAVE been around for a kid to find and use their phone aren't around, so the kids really SHOULD have their own phone to use in emergencies."

I couldn't have a phone until I could pay the bill on my own--and that wasn't until I was 18. I can't even IMAGINE what my parents would have done if I ran up a bill that high. No doubt would I be grounded for the rest of my living years but I'd be paying them back until it was worked off in some way.

I have unlimited texting and 450 minutes that I rarely even use.

My main concern is the new sexting thing that teens are doing. I know it's becoming more popular but I always wonder why parents aren't keeping a better eye on their children's phone and how it's being used. Isn't sending scandalous texts like that considered pornography when a child/teen is underage? At least that's what I heard.

I don't have kids of my own so I can't say as of right now what I would do, but one thing I WOULD do is keep an eye on their phone usage. What's being sent and who it's being sent to. I realize that these days it's a lot different but I do think parents should take measures to make sure their child isn't abusing their privileges of having a phone.

Anyone caught with a sext-message on their phone of a partially-nude picture minor can conceivably be charged with possession of child pornography, yes. If it's just words, I don't think they can. But if it's a picture. they can.

Ok, I dont know what happened, but not the whole sentence got typed.

Anyone caught with a sext-message on their phone of a partially-nude or nude picture of a minor can conceivably be charged with possession of child pornography

That's what I thought. I knew it couldn't be words, but pictures. I was watching Oprah yesterday and she had a group of girls on there about 13/14 yrs old and they talked how sexting is really popular and they do it to make the boys like you. One girl sent a picture to her boyfriend and he wound up sending it to the whole school.

It slightly disturbs me.

It's more than slightly disturbing! I'm glad by the time I got a cell phone I had enough sense to not be sending naked pictures around like that (not saying I didn't have that sense before..but.. ya know ;))! It really creeps me out. My 7 year old niece and 6 year old nephew BOTH have cell phones. I'm all for getting kids the Chaperone phones that have like four numbers programmed in that you choose and that is ALL they can do, but my nephew has the Casio G-Zone Boulder phone (same as my husbands), and my niece has the same phone I had, the EnV2. They're racking up text messages, calling people 24/7, and downloading TONS of Rhapsody Music from Verizon with them, and I just wanna scream!

What I want to know is WHO the hell are those kids talking to that much at that young of an age?

Good lord :-S.

Oh, ya know.. EACH OTHER, their brother, their family (including me, God help me), their friends from school - WHO, by the way, they have to call on their HOUSE PHONES because their parents say NO WAY to cell phones!

Like I said, I could SCREAM!! lol.