ATT Cell Phones And Safety
att cell phones are convenient. They give you (or your child) a phone number that won't change when they move. It means that your child can call a friend, a ride, or a police officer if they run into any sort of emergency, and not a year goes by where someone was able to save a life by using a cell phone.
att cell phones can also get very expensive. If you're buying a cell phone for your child (so they can keep in touch, so they can call home in case of emergencies, or for other reasons), look at all the features and services offered, and read the plan carefully. Children don't develop impulse control, and with the ability to send short text messages by SMS, a cell phone can be a horrible distraction in a classroom – and can, unless the service is designed to be cut off when its monthly allowance is met, result in a lot of sticker shock. More advanced phones have internet access, which, unless you've got an unlimited usage plan, gets pricey very quickly.
Understand, when buying an att cell phone for your child, that att cell phones are ultimately disposable items – don't expect your child to use the same cell phone for more than two years, and budget appropriately. No matter how much they whine, they shouldn't get a high end att smart phone as a gift; not with the frequency in which att cell phones get lost, dropped, left behind at the mall, or just stolen. If they want, say, an Apple iPhone, they should mow lawns or otherwise earn the money to pay for it themselves.
Most adults don't use text messaging that much. After all, you've got a phone, you might as well talk on it. Kids, especially middle schoolers and teenagers, use them as a way of passing notes surreptitiously in class. If your child has problems focusing in class, get a plan where you can lock out certain features (like SMS and Internet usage) during school hours.
When using a cell phone, be considerate and be safe. Don't speak loudly in public places, turn your ringer off in church and in theaters, and consider doing so in restaurants. People talking on att cell phones speak louder, because they don't have the feedback of hearing their own voice through the handset. Make sure your kids know to use a hands free device if they're driving and have att cell phones – they will talk while driving, and this does increase their risk of an accident.
Finally, understand that att cell phones are avenues of communication; for children especially, this means that people who bully, people who behave inappropriately, and worse, have access to your child for as long as they have that phone number. There have been cases popping up on the news where someone has snapped a picture with a picture phone and posted it on the Internet to embarrass someone else. This is something can happen to your child, even if they have no cell phone of their own, and society (and societal ethics and mores) are still adjusting to this disruptive technology.