No Generation Gap for Cell Phones

By eight, 35% of kids have a cell phone, and I’m not talking about the three button ‘Call Mom’ kiddie phone popular five years ago. If kids aren’t carrying kiddie phones, what do they have? Look no further than your own pocket. Kids want what you want, and they know their phones, sometimes better than you do.

Last week, I was with my 11-year old daughter at a local coffeehouse. She likes to sit on a stool along the second floor railing overlooking the customers. Suddenly she began identifying each cell phone on the floor below. Now sure, I can pick out an iPhone at 30 feet, but fail miserably differentiating between the others. Elizabeth’s tip, “The blinking red light is usually a BlackBerry.”
Kids may want the same phones as adults, but they do use them differently. Both want a full keyboard or touchscreen, but it’s used for texting rather than office emailing. The average teen sends and receives more than 2000 texts a month.

Kids also take more pictures and videos than their parents. Virtually every phone comes with a camera/camcorder combination, but a higher resolution camera, say 5.0 megapixels over 2.0, will make a noticeable difference in picture quality. Mark my words, we’re not far from the phone replacing the point-and-shoot camera. Phones with eight megapixel cameras are common, and Sony Ericcson is clamoring for FCC approval for its new touchscreen Satio with 12.1 megapixel camera.

Kids can make good use of the Internet if it’s available. And no, it’s not all a waste of time. Consider doing research with Google’s mobile app, downloading required reading when the local bookstore is closed, and emailing school assignments. An Internet capable phone can take a tremendous load off the family computer. It can even reduce the struggles over the TV. Can you imagine saying, “Go watch it on your phone!”?

If you haven’t shopped at your local phone store lately, you’ll be surprised to see the sophisticated phones available under $100. No wonder kids won’t settle for basic models anymore. It’s not the cost of the phone, it’s the cost of the 24 month plan that eats up the family budget.

Shop carefully and shop in person. You may be surprised at the offers available inside the store. I recently got $20 off the unlimited call, text and data plan for the length of my daughter’s contract and an instant $50 discount off the phone. The Internet capable phone with full keyboard was free and the monthly unlimited data plan cost nearly $500 less than buying online.
Finally, opt for insurance. At about $5 a month, it’s worth it. If your child loses the phone or damages it, you will pay full price to replace it, running $300 or more if you’re not covered.

It used to be a woman’s prerogative to change her mind, and while that’s still true, men and kids change theirs just as frequently. Yes, you can upgrade or replace a phone during the life of the contract, but know, the two year period will roll back to zero. You’ll have to wait another 24 months to change provider or be subject to an early termination fee. With providers vying with one another to offer better deals, that contract can feel like a prison term. If you’re close, exercise some discipline and wait until the contract expires.
When it’s time to buy, work together. Talk about your family’s computer use. A kid’s cell phone can fill a useful gap and keep communication lines open. Encourage kids to try friends’ phones because the phones attached to the store’s display just don’t cut it, and photos can be misleading. Finally, schedule your shopping trip together. Your family’s long term phone satisfaction relies on teamwork.