in 1998 when i was 28

I just got my first cell phone this past Saturday. My mom works for Cingular, and their employee plan just kicked in this past week. I made her put me on it.

I was 21.I got my cell phone during the summer when the story of a missing college student named Tammie Cwicki(sp?) hit the headlines. Her car died while on the highway,she accepted a ride from a trucker ,and was found dead months later. Cell phone sales spiked in our area after the story came out. I thought it was a good idea since I was driving to an out of state college myself.

Giving a kid a cell phone when in grade school or middle school, is ludicrous. I agree with AGDee. After a high school student has gotten their liscense, the cell phone should be pre-paid.

I got my first cell phone in 1998 - big ole Nokia phone at that.

My brother who is now 14 and in his first year of highschoo has a T-Mobile SideKick. I guess he has more of a social life than I do. Go figure!

I don't even remember when I got my first cell-- I had one in college, towards the end antway-and I graduated in 96

I remember having Sprint when I was pregnant with my oldest--- My service was jacked up one day and I was having contractions. I called my husband, network dropped the call and then kept getting the Sprint customer rep. I told her I couldn't get thru-she explained there was network problems and it would be a couple of hours. I lost it and screamed that I was in labor and I wanted my husband NOW! She told me that cell to cell wouldn't work --after enough fit throwing she managed to get me connected to my husband. It was false labor-no kid--but I figured out a panicy, foul mouthed prego on the phone can get anything she wants!

As far as what age kids should get phone- I am not sure--my oldest is 7--so no phone for him yet-though he wants one. My little cousin got one for Xmas last yr---he was 9 at the time! We were all a little speechless about that one!

I got my first cell in Aug of 2001 when I graduated, moved, got the new job thing. I had one of those "big" Nokia ones and then got the littler one with color screen, and then I got my newest one (Nokia 6102) Saturday. Both times I replaced the phone, I put the retired one in the glove box of my car with the charger. The memory is cleared out, and it won't call out or call in, BUT 911 will work. (just in case...)

My family has had a cell phone for quite a few years that was pay as you go. The phone itself was a monster. A big clunky gray Motorola one that a bottom 3" flap part flipped down to talk into, the antenae had to be pulled up four inches, and the part that you held onto was probably at least two inches thick. The thing probably weighed at least a few pounds. My dad continued to use that amidst the chuckles of coworkers ("What? It works great! Why replace it?") until last year when he lost it...how you lose something that big is beyond me. It turned up two days after he caved in and bought a new one 1/4 the size.

When is too young for one? Middle school and under. I had a student in my fourth grade class bring his in, and it was then promptly taken by me. You're NINE!!! Who is calling you during the day!?

Huh. I got my first cell phone in 1998. At that point, I didn't even have a driver's license. But, believe it or not, it was my parent's idea. Smart people they are. :P

Re: Cell Phones
 

I got my first cell phone when i was around a junior in high school. I think that if you are younger than a freshman in high school, then you shouldn't have one...there really is no point. High school is when you really have those extracurricular activities that extend past school hours. It eliminates a lot of hassle and worry. Like my cousin, she's a senior in high school and does not have a cell phone. There are times where her mom can't get out of work and is scrambling to find someone to pick her up when if (my cousin) had a cell phone all my aunt would have to do is call her and tell her walk home or get a ride from a friend.

I think the best type of phone to get a high schooler (or even an 8th grader) are one of those "pay as you go" phones. Then you can really keep track on how much the child/teenager uses the phone and they only have a certain amount of minutes to use and that's it. I have a friend who is a sophomore in high school and that is the type of phone she has. She says it works well b/c she doesn't have to worry about how many minutes she has, or have to worry about getting charged overage or nothing like that. It really makes you use the phone in emergency times and not just to "chit chat."

Update to my daughter's cell phone saga:

She now has one. Her dad and I decided when she started middle school this year, that since she is taking a bus home, has to let herself in and call one (or both) of us at work when she gets home, it was cheaper to get her a Pay as You Go phone than to pay the phone bills we'd be getting in having her call us long distance at work every day from our home phones. So, she has 180 minutes that have to last until December 27th and then I'll buy more. If she wants to use it to call friends, she has to buy her own minutes. I have to admit that it is giving us peace of mind that she has it, just in case. She isn't allowed to give the number to her friends either. Oh! And, they gave her a phone number in a different area code so it's long distance for her friends to call her on it anyway. :)

Dee