The main reason parents allow a child under the age of ten to have cell phones is because “just in case there’s an emergency.” The parent’s will be able to contact the child right away, and there would be no wait on school phone lines. But I think allowing them to have an electronic device is a major problem.

First of all, cell phones bother students from learning. They get the coolest, latest phone being sold and they show off to classmates. The children start to pay attention more to the new phone than on their schoolwork and then the parents start to punish the child for not paying attention by taking away that phone. But all that does is make the child not want to pay attention in school even more because they’re not the “popular” classmate anymore, and the child just wants their cell phone back.

Second, the more a child talks on the phone, the more they are prone to getting brain cancer later in life. When talking on the cell phone, the phone gives off radiation waves that go to the brain and starts to grow tumors. This is one reason children shouldn’t be able to receive cellular phones because children are especially vulnerable to the radiation. If they do have cell phones, it is best not to sleep with them under your pillows, only use it for emergencies, and use corded landlines as much as possible.

As the recession continues, phone bills increase. Children aren’t old enough to understand the process of getting a phone or a new toy especially when it comes down to money. It costs money to use the phone, charge it, and buy accessories. Parents don’t like the sound of their child (ren) complaining, so they buy whatever the child wants just to keep them satisfied until they want another object.

Schools don’t allow children to have cell phones, or other electronic devices at all. So why should students bring them to school? Students sometimes use cell phones to cheat, talk to classmates without having to see each other or just to listen to music. Then, once a faculty member finds the cell phone, they either don’t confiscate the phone or just takes it for the day/period. It distracts the student, and it’s against the rules of the school.