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Teens and Cell Phones
In The NewsSchool administrators have had to enact strict rules to deal with them. Most schools prohibit using the devices during school hours. If students disobey, the phones usually are seized and kept in the principal's office until the end of the school day.Parents usually favor their children having a phone. It keeps them connected to home and is vital if they get into trouble.Teens also are more likely to use the extra features, including different ring tones, text messaging, games, Internet connectivity, and cameras. And that means monthly bills sometimes can get out of hand. Way out of hand.At Mt. Diablo High School, teacher Randy Depew asked his students how many of them have had problems paying their cell phone bills. Virtually every student raised a hand.Some students said they had to use their lunch money to pay off charges. Others said they were hounded by collection agencies. And nearly all are in trouble with their parents. That may be no surprise, given the fact that some of the students talked about monthly charges that ran as high as $1,000.Erin Miller, a senior from Marin,[url=http://www.holisteroutlet.cc]hollister femmes[/url], said she had no idea she had exceeded her family cell phone plan. The extra minutes she ran up cost 40 cents each."I went over by a couple hundred dollars," she said. "The extra charges weren't made clear."Her mother, Kathleen Buckley, was upset but understanding."We freaked out when we saw the amount due, and then we had a little family meeting," Buckley said.Wireless companies are marketing to teens aggressively, but say it's the responsibility of parents to control their children. Some educators say that's not enough."I'm very concerned very concerned when I see commercials by cell phone companies," said Kevin Truitt, principal of Mission High School. "Cell phone companies fully admit that they are causing a problem in families, and that makes a mockery of this issue."The Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports, has studied cellular billing plans and has a recommendation for parents."Get a prepaid plan that has a limit on it," said Betsy Imholz, West Coast director of Consumers Union. "That way, your kids cannot inadvertently take it through the ceiling."That's the idea behind a new generation of cell phones. Two different companies have just introduced phones that are limited to 30 minutes of talk time. The phones can also be programmed to control which numbers are dialed.