If you were a parent, would you let your kid have a cell phone/blackberry?

For a while now I've been reading about students who are doing so poorly in their classes at school because when they write essays, they use text speak instead of English...and I'm thinking what the hell is going on with these people?

If I was a parent, I would not let my kid have a blackberry, or a cell phone, or whatever, they would not be allowed to text...texting by the way I find to be one of the STUPIDEST things to do. (Last year we had an Air Force band giving a concert and one of the members said they had gone to the high school and he saw two girls walking down the hall, each of them texting, then one turns to the other and says 'did you get my message yet?')

And, studies are showing, they do studies in little towns where like a thousand teenagers swear off it for the month, and see what happens...and they are suddenly forced to go and see their friends face to face and actually TALK to them...apparently this is a foreign concept to these kids, when I was little it was as obvious a fact as you had to breathe to stay alive.

So in short, I don't know WHY parents let their kids have these idiot things, or why more people aren't concerned that their kids 'r writng stupidly cuz English isn't kool enuf instd of txt spk'.

My daughter has one, I think they're essential. It's the best way for parents and kids to stay in communication with each other when they're apart.

I've raised seven sons.Only the two youngest were in the age of cell phone being common. Started the boys on a basic phone around high school and flat out love the relief it gives me. I'm a single parent and have to coordinate things like where to pick them up, when to have a meal, where they're at when I think they should be home. Yeah the text speak thing is ate up but that doesn't have to happen. Convenience and security outweigh all else for me.

Yeah one that has restricted minutes and texting.

My son has one and has for a while. Sure, it is not a necessity, but I love him having one. I can reach him at any time and he can reach me. If he is out and about and I need to leave fast, I can get him. It is as much a convenience for me as it is a luxury for him.

MAYBE one that only works to like only 5 numbers. (Mine, wife's, grandparents', home, and MAYBE ONE best friend if they are REALLY good. ) But a blackberry? That's ridiculous. They don't need that distraction. I see people who have stuff like that. I don't want my kids to be like that during class.

Yeah, I don't see the big appeal in it. It takes less time to say what it is you're twiddling your thumbs trying to type the right micro sized keys to say. And how about those teenagers who swore off it for a month, found out they were sending like 100 of them a day, or 40,000 of them a month? Nobody's seeing a problem with any of this?

I have a blackberry and I hardly ever use it. I refuse to sit on a phone and text people back and forth its just ridiculous. I never had a phone when I was in school and my parents were usually able to locate me if they wanted me for something.

My twins both have cell phones, but with restricted everything.....minutes, texting capabilities. The way it's set up, they pretty much only can interact with the family.

In this day and age, I'm definitely down with him/her having a cell phone....but like the others said, I will definitely put restrictions on it. And he/she ain't getting no Blackberry. I don't even have a Blackberry. Unless you do extensive work related things with it, nobody needs a smart phone.....esp not a pre-teen/teenager.

Ny, you are right....what kid needs a smart phone? You would be blown away at the number of my son's friends who have iPhones. Crazy.

I'd allow my kids a basic cell phone - not the fancy ones like blackberries, smart phones or iPhones and I'd limit texting and talk time.

My 10 year old nephew got one as a birthday gift last month - he knows he has limited minutes and not use it too often during the day.