We happen to live near a junior high, and when school lets out lots of kids walk through our neighborhood on their way home. In noticed the other day that lots of them, maybe one in five, was talking on a cellphone. At first glance it looks weird to me - children walking down the street talking on the phone like they're negotiating big deals on their way to lunch - but hey, it's 2005, kids in junior high can certainly use a cell phone, and I need to remind myself not to be such an old dude.
Which leads me to the "i-Care Baby Cell Phone" (pictured). Designed for children aged 3-10, it has four pre-set auto dial buttons (on the feet and hands of the phone) and according to the website, "...will provide plenty of opportunity for the parent and their small children to chat each other whenever they desire." My gut reaction of course is, what is your child doing unsupervised before the age of 10 that they need a cell phone to give you a call? You can trust them to be out on their own but not trust them to be able to dial their own phone number? This would never happen, right?
Last week we were hanging out in the park when a little kid, maybe 9 years old (at the oldest I swear), came up to us and asked if we had a cell phone and if he could use it. My wife said of course and handed him hers. This was the conversation:
"Mom. {pause} Yeah. I didn't go to the movies. I'm at the park with my other friends. {pause} Arbors park. {pause} OK. {pause} Bye."
Sometimes it's really hard not to judge.