Children being admitted to mental health hospital for cell phone addictions. I came across this and found it interesting. The end of the article asks if you if you agree that you should restrict your children to getting a cell phone until the age of 16. I know that I have a niece who can not live without her cell phone. We had to go to California recently and she was always texting or talking on her phone. She is 18. I know this is considered typical, but what kinds of rules will you or do you have about using a cell phone? I want to not have to react to a problem, I would like to stop it before it starts. No my girls do not have a phone and I can't see them getting one for a while.
Spanish Children Admitted to
Mental Health Hospital for Cell Phone Addiction
By VERONICA HARLEY
Cell phones are becoming more and more popular, among children and teens who are primarily using their phones for texting, talking to friends and checking e-mail. This increased cell phone usage among young people is evident in both the U.S. and internationally.
According to Spanish media reports, two children ages 12 and 13, were recently admitted to the Children and Youth Mental Health Centre in Lleide, close to Barcelona for cell phone addiction.
Their parents admitted them because they couldn't perform normal activities without their cell phones. In addition, they were doing poorly in school and lied to family members in order to get money for their phones.
Before being admitted, the children had owned their phones for 18 months. Their parents hadn't restricted their cell phone usage, until they notice that it had become a problem.
The children have had to live without their phones for three months.
This is the first time that the Children and Youth Mental Health Centre has had to admit children for cell phone addiction.
Dr. Maite Utges, who runs Children and Youth Mental Health Centre, recommended that parents not allow their children to have a cell phone until they are 16. Do you agree?
KarilouMomof2 is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com living in Tempe. Her daughters are 9 and 6.
Crazy... Well, my daughter
Crazy... Well, my daughter is obsessed with wanting to get one. She won't for a while.
I've thought middle school is the right age for my kids - but the decision is highly individual. I don't see a reason for my kids to have one in elementary school. That's not to say other parents do find a reason.
I do think that cell phones can be addictive for kids (and adults). As parents, we need to set rules. And hopefully we aren't so addicted to our phones that the kids will want to copy us (Bluetooth and all). My kids will get rules on their phones, just as they do with their DS video games. But the first phone is still two years away. :)
Arizona Moms Editor Yvette Armendariz shares stories about raising her kids and tips for busy parents in her Time-starved (goddess) Mom blog. She and her husband are raising two children, ages 8 and 11.
I don't think the problem
I don't think the problem here was the cell phones - it was the parenting - or lack thereof. Admitting children to a mental facility for cell phone addiction........come on!
IMHO, these parents didn't want to be bothered with setting any ground rules or limits for the phone usage in the first place - like they should have, to put it in perspective - and then when the situation got out of hand, they didn't want to deal with the aftermath of that either and wanted to pawn it off on someone else. Geez.
I agree there definitely are
I agree there definitely are some addictions to cell phones by children. Whether it's addiction by children or lack of parenting it's all intertwined into one I think. I think it's starts with the lack of parenting resulting in the addiction by the child. I see children who text faster than I will ever be able to and faster than I can type and I can type pretty fast!! I don't text very often (don't even have the plan on my phone so I pay for every text I do) and it takes me nearly 5 minutes just to complete one!! My cousin who turned 18 while she was out visiting last summer was like this with her cell phone ... she was either on it or texting all the time ... it's crazy!!
my eight yr old is all about
my eight yr old is all about getting a phone..and thats not happening for a long time still. I will probly get one when she starts driving so i can keep tabs on her..I wont be getting text on the phone..that is not a must, just a distraction. And it will be for contacting me..or friends for meet up times and such..not a free for all addiction problem thats just crazy..If it's abused it will be taken away ..oh i dont look forward to the drama thats gonna create lol.
**Whatever it is..Wrap it up in Love and the Possibilities are Endless**
Both my girls have cell
Both my girls have cell phones and I gave the phones to them for different reasons. My 11-year-old is going into middle school and is a social butterfly/athlete. I wanted to be able to contact her after school.
My 15 year-old is completely shy, but does have a group of friends who had phones with texting plans. I couldn't pay her to call one of them - but she will text them till the cows come home.
sure, fine, whatever
I see adults with what i
I see adults with what i would consider a cell phone addiction. LOL!
I think it's great to "be connected", but at the same time, some people don't know (or don't care) when it's not appropriate to be yapping on their phone.
I am not saying i am perfect, but there are instances that i refuse to answer my phone (driving, at the checkstand, during a meal, etc...).
just~me
the decision on when to get
the decision on when to get your child a cell phone is an individual choice. My child who is now 11 has had one since she was 7. Ever since that way, she has only used it to call her grandparents and they to return the call. Over the years, she has added phone calls to her aunts and uncles, and this summer she has been texting me (with my permission) because she spending it with her grandparents. It has never become a problem with us. She has asked me if she can call one of her friends on it every now and then. I gave it to her for the purpose of getting her in contact with her grandparents, and now so she can text me while i am at work and cannot pick up the phone. The bottom line when giving ur child a cell phone no matter how old they are is setting ground rules and making sure they are followed.
discussion leader, mom of an 11 year old girl. At this time, she is trying to make it work between raising her and having a full time job!