“It’s really not so hard to to control cellphone use. If you don’t pay for internet and texting and your kids use them, it shows up on the bill; if they overuse their allotted minutes (and by the way, you as the parent can choose to pay for a limited number of those minutes)it shows up on the bill. Like credit card and bank statements, simply reading every item on the bill can alert you to misuse, and you can take the necessary action, such as taking away the phone. Our rule at home: when a child is old enough to travel around without an adult, they may have a phone; no texting, no internet, and limited minutes; phone is turned off and put away when at home.
Also, here in E”Y, terrorism is r”l a constant worry (and I hear that it ought to be more of a worry in the U.S. than it is). I want to be able to get in touch with my children in the event of an attack ch”v, without having to try and get through to a Yeshiva or B.Y’s phone system that is crashing from the volume of the calls. “
Halavai, this was so well-written, I thought it bore repetition. My children are not always angels, but they are TERRIFIC kids (adults now), and they have never abused the privilege of having the phone or internet. They paid for their own cell phones when they were able to afford them, and had them so we could always quickly reach them. I cannot begin to count how often it was a relief to me that either we could be reached or they could. Anyone whose child cannot be trusted with this responsibility should ask himself why his kids are so untrustworthy. I cannot believe my kids are THAT exceptional (well, they are, but you know what I mean). Brooklyn 19, I think it is YOU who need to pop in on the real world. There are responsible young adults ALL OVER the place, who were brought up to be honest and responsible.