Parents’ Poll: Cell Phones—Are They a Blessing or a Blight?

Cell phones: Are they a blessing or a blight? Discover what you said about phones in school and memorable cell phone experiences. See how you relate to these gripes and suggestions. For information on cell phone safety go to Cell Phone Awareness.

Cell Phones—Are They a Blessing or a Blight?

Results of the Poll

  1. Do you have a cell phone?
    97%   Yes
    3%    No

  2. If you have a cell phone, which of these best describes your feelings about your phone?
    62%   It's useful, but it can be annoying.
    36%   I love it; it's really improved my life.
    2%    I hate having one and find it a nuisance.

      3. Some of Your Comments

    • With two young children, it is a "have to have" item.
    • I like the fact that I can be reached anywhere. I don't have to sit by the phone (and worry) when my daughter has gone to a friend's house or to her dad's.
    • My cell phone has come in handy when I got into a car accident, when I locked my keys in my car, and when I was running late and had to arrange for additional childcare.

  3. Does your child have a cell phone?
    69%   No
    31%   Yes

      4. Some of Your Comments

    • My son received his cell phone when he started attending middle school. He is not allowed to have it out or turned on at any time during the school day per school rules (and ours).
    • It has been taken away due to abuse on her part, which I understand is normal. It should be there for emergencies only.
    • Once in a while my kids take the family cell phone with them for communication purposes—for example, to let us know the time they need to be picked up from a friend's house.
    • With the lack of pay phones, the convenience I had in my childhood is disappearing.
    • The kids have it to share with siblings. We dropped our land line.
    • My daughter got it for her ninth birthday. Address book [and] outgoing/incoming calls are controlled by me. Phone can be programmed to only allow calls I want her to have.
    • My 15-year-old—yes. My 12-year-old—no. My 9-year-old—no.
    • My 8-year-old daughter does not, but she's begging daily, to no avail.
    • Yes, my 10-year-old has a cell phone because she's a "latch-key kid" three days a week—her bus arrives home about one-half hour before I do. I wanted her to be able to call me if she couldn't get into the house or if some other emergency occurred.
    • I think this was one of the worst mistakes we made as parents. We gave our son a cell phone at the age of 10, initially because he was in so many activities. However, as he got older and enjoyed using the cell phone for social use, it became a battle to get him off the phone. As kids, we survived without cell phones. I think our kids can, too.
    • My 17-year-old has a cell phone, but she has just gotten it back after having it taken away for a year (she ran up $350 in overages). We felt it necessary for her to have a cell phone now that she is driving, but I don't like her driving and talking on the phone at the same time.

  4. At what age do you think it's OK for a child to get a cell phone?
    54%   13 to 16 years old
    24%   9 to 12 years old
    19%   Over 17 years old
    3%    5 to 8 years old
    0%    Under 5 years old
    <1%   Never

  5. Should schools allow students to use cell phones?
    77%   No
    23%   Yes

    6. We can't even count the number of times the words "distracting," "disruptive," and "emergencies" came up in your answers. Most of you said that kids shouldn't use their cell phones in class. However, some parents worried about in-school emergencies and felt that cell phones should be accessible in backpacks. Others thought cell phones should remain out of reach in lockers. A number of parents suggested that the phone in the school office should suffice for emergency contact between parents and kids. Many parents said the cell phone is very important for being in contact during after-school hours and when kids are traveling to and from school.

      Some of Your Comments

    • It is distracting. Kids misuse them by texting during class, checking messages, sneaking off to make calls, and playing ringtones for amusement.
    • My children have them because I travel for work, and I like to be able to reach them about their after-school activities or just to have them feel connected.
    • With all the school violence going on, I feel much better about my daughter having a cell phone. Some schools are using texting to spread the message.
    • My son's school has something that blocks all cell phones in the area.
    • I think it is a lifesaver for kids that are learning to be independent. Parents can check on them, and they can call us, too.
    • No, they can use the office phone if there is a need to call a parent.
    • Cell phones give students cheating opportunities! During a test, students should be required to put their cell phones in plain sight.
    • Who has the latest and greatest phone has become another way for kids to compare and compete for top-dog status.
    • They should not be for social connections at school. Aren't their friends all in school with them? Kids use phones instead of socializing at lunch or between classes.
    • Not in school. Children whose parents are in the military are a completely different story.
    • As a parent, it is my right to know that my child is safe, and I can be in contact with him at all times.
    • Medical [and] severe cases could be justified, but that's all.
    • Cell phones provide a way for kids to "cyberbully" others.
    • A fourth-grader interrupted the chorus concert the other day when his phone rang while he was singing! Ridiculous!
    • At the elementary level, it causes mass confusion about where students should be after school. Kids make phone calls to parents, but the school is not notified of the change, and it is very scary!
    • There are certain "down" times in school for my daughter, and I LOVE getting something from her, letting me know she's thinking of me. It just keeps us closer...
    • I teach preschool, and we have older preschoolers (age 6) who already have cell phones, and it is crazy! All it does is create a false sense of security, and [it is] one more thing for them to lose, break, or get stolen.

  6. Do you have a cell phone experience (embarrassing, poignant, or other) that's particularly memorable?

    • My husband's cell phone often calls me from his pocket accidentally, and I can hear him talking to a coworker or coaching our son at baseball.
    • I have a direct-selling business and have an advertisement on my car including my cell phone number. Apparently, I was driving too slowly one afternoon when I receive a text telling me to speed up!
    • I'm not with my kids all the time, and my ex-wife sends lovely pictures of them that warm my heart.
    • My old phone that I didn't "lock" dialed my mother, and I came in my house from the garage, heard Mom's voice, and couldn't figure out where it was coming from! She's passed since, so I wish I could hear her voice again!
    • It never fails. Whenever I am in a meeting or facilitating a workshop or making a speech in front of a group, someone calls my cell phone. I, of course, forget to turn it off because I assume that everyone who knows me knows what I am doing at that time.
    • I was supervising a college intern who was working with a patient in a clinic setting. The intern decided to text her boyfriend during the session. Unprofessional and inappropriate!
    • Yes, when I first got the phone I was using it while driving and almost ended up in a ditch!
    • Making doctor's appointments. The doctor sometimes calls you back and asks what the visit is for. If you're in a public place, you can't really answer that question.
    • My son called me and told me that he was in the school clinic. I go running to the school. He's not in the clinic. I find out my son sneaked into the classroom bathroom and called me from there. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper, [and] nor was the teacher.
    • Don't we all love it when it rings during the prayer at church?!
    • I forgot to switch my new cell phone to silent mode when I went to see "Apollo 13" at the theater, and it rang JUST when all the alarms went off in the movie! What a modern alarm, I thought, until I realized it was MY phone! I was glad the theater was dark!
    • My father passed away a few years back, and we held a funeral with full military honors (including the folding of the flag, 21-gun salute). During the ceremony, my father-in-law's cell phone rang!
    • A recent auto accident in our town was caused by a teen texting while she was driving. The victim will probably lose the use of his legs.
    • My wife uses texting to send little messages to me throughout the day--some include "praying for you" and "thinking of you" texts.
    • My daughter is a Virginia Tech University student. She was able to call me from her cell phone on April 16, 2007 and leave a message that she was safe.
    • It was amusing to have an MC demand that every cell phone be turned off and then to have his ring!

  7. Please share any other feelings you have about cell phones. Uses, gripes, and suggestions are all welcome.

    • I think it is rude to talk on the phone in public places (meals at restaurants, buses, elevators, [and while] working out). Plus, everyone seems to feel the need to shout.
    • I like texting but HATE it when I am with a friend or my spouse or child and they choose to text instead of talk to me. We have a "no-texting rule" if we are on family outings. Everyone (even parents) must ask for permission if they want to text in front of others.
    • It's convenient when I have a question for someone while I am shopping about sizes and things.
    • People need to realize that the DRIVING takes precedence over the phone! The phone will WAIT—the car in front (or behind) of you will NOT.
    • I am a physician, and you would not believe how many patients won't get off their cell phone when I walk in the room.
    • Cell phones are dangerous to developing brains and should not be used by children.
    • I work in a retail setting and find it extremely rude and disrespectful when customers carry on a cell-phone conversation while checking out at the register. They act as though we (employees) don't even exist and their call is more important than anything else going on around them.
    • Having a good camera on the phone is great in a pinch when I forget my camera.
    • Texting needs monitoring. It's good and bad! Girls are much more confident now writing rather than talking to boys! Scary!
    • I have seen a family of six in a restaurant at lunchtime, and both adults and the four children were all on their phones. They hardly had any communication with each other.
    • Cell phones are making kids lose the "talk" in their lives—they text everything. Even if their friend is sitting next to them, they will text instead of talking to them.
    • I don't like it that people think it's OK to call at any time. It used to be telephone etiquette to not call before 7 AM on weekdays or 8 AM on weekends and not after 8 PM on weekdays or 9 PM on weekends.
    • We teach our children [that] it's just plain rude to interrupt a conversation, yet we allow the cell phone to ring and think nothing of answering it.
    • When my husband and I are in the car alone, it could be a great time to talk, but he spends the time on his phone. It really irritates me.
    • It's better than a land line. I never miss a call, and I never get a telemarketing call.
    • When picking up one's child at preschool, don't gab on the cell phone the entire time. It sends your child the message that the person you're talking to is more important than him/her. My biggest peeve is seeing mothers at the park on their phones instead of paying attention to their kids.
    • I feel safer when I travel long distances knowing help is only a phone call away, and I don't need exact change.
    • I love being able to ask my husband what time he will be home when he's on the road, which is often.
    • I wish there were better cell-phone connections in the underground subway.
    • They are very handy for finding people who aren't where they are supposed to be or whose schedules change frequently.
    • My phone helps me stay organized. I have a bad memory, and my phone helps me keep everything on a schedule.
    • Cell phones create the idea that we always have to answer calls and that others need to respond immediately.
    • I like the fact that all my numbers are with me if I need them.
    • Remember when we drove our cars, bought groceries, and took walks ALL without a cell phone Velcro'd to our ears?
    • Great for keeping communication accessible and available, and good for important moments!

Thanks to all of you who wrote!