Encouraged by inexpensive calling plans and concerned about safety, more parents are buying cellphones for their young children.
“I text-message my friends more than I call them,” says Amanda Gerber, 12, who got her own cellphone about a year ago after trying to convince her parents that she needed one. Amanda, a seventh-grade student, says she uses the phone primarily to keep in touch with her parents but also talks to friends.
Amanda’s mother, Lyndsey, says the phone gives her peace of mind in case Amanda needs a ride after school … (or) … “If she’s meeting a friend at the mall, it’s so convenient.”
Read Jeffrey Selingo’s story in the New York Times (registration required).
