[jimmy]

Why is this surprising or ridiculous?

Basic mobile phone costs about the same price as a basic Lego set.

It allows kids to listen to their music, watch little videos, play games, take photos and keep in contact with you when they're out at the park or going for sleepovers etc.

I'm surprised the statistic isn't higher. Phones are so cheap and disposable these days.

[NormandyMary]

At the age of 5, I didn't even know how to make a call with the home phone, let alone use a call box and at that age I had no use for it at all. They are taking childhood away from children more and more these days, and heaven only knows the damage these things are doing to their eyes and their brains!

[jimmy]

I'm pretty sure they said exactly the same about books, radio, TV, cinemas, rock'n'roll, etc etc etc The youth of today eh!

[doganjo]

Doganjo/ HallePalomino

I do agree about big companies but this is not a reason not to do anything


I have been to africa 3 times on Christian build projects with a small organisation which only employed 2people  and made no profit     all money went to the projects (unfortunately after 20 years the resession has closed it at the end of this year )  ............. without going into detail no I didn't have big income .... I fundraised about a third of the money each time any paid for the flights myself.   


. I have direct contact with people in the areas I visited ........ and have directly supported individuals and projects.  and have a calling to continue to do this.

Please dont let media stories of money going into the wrong hands a reason not to do something.    You just never know what future affect your small difference will make.

OK, tell me which charity puts ALL money received to exactly where it is needed and i will support it.

[Backinwellies]

If you wish to make a donation to one of the remaining projects that Soapbox trust has still to go before they close this in Dec               http://www.soapboxtrust.com/New/index.html   all the money will go to that project .... is usually taken to the country in cash and then used to purchase building materials once there.

[mowhaugh]

Well I've never had kids so perhaps I am biased but I think its ridiculous

No, I don't think you are biased, I have 2 small sons and I also think it is ridiculous.  Mine won't be getting a phone until they can pay for it themselves.  I do understand the children who have them for safety travelling to and from school once they are doing this in a less accompanied way, but as you have to go 4 miles from our house to get a signal, my boys won't even be able to use that argument.

[doganjo]

If you wish to make a donation to one of the remaining projects that Soapbox trust has still to go before they close this in Dec               http://www.soapboxtrust.com/New/index.html   all the money will go to that project .... is usually taken to the country in cash and then used to purchase building materials once there.

You can guarantee 100% that any money donated goes where it is needed and not into expenses or inflated salaries?

[Backinwellies]

The charity is sadly closing because they haven't spent loads of money promoting themselves or having posh offices etc. Money donated to a project (which can be done on website) goes to pay directly for resources for that project and are sourced in that country  . Obviously there are currency exchange fees but other than that your money goes direct to pay for bricks etc that are needed .  I was in charge of finances on trip I did last year to Kenya so yes I do know exactly how money was spent.

[shygirl]

The charity is sadly closing because they haven't spent loads of money promoting themselves or having posh offices etc.

that says it all, charities have to act like businesses to survive unfortunately. lets hope they dont all end up like the rspca.

[Lesley Silvester]

My grandchildren didn't have mobile phones until they were taking themselves to and from school.


When I was doing home tutoring I couldn't believe the number of students who had much better phones than I did.

Doganjo/ HallePalomino

I do agree about big companies but this is not a reason not to do anything


I have been to africa 3 times on Christian build projects with a small organisation which only employed 2people  and made no profit     all money went to the projects (unfortunately after 20 years the resession has closed it at the end of this year )  ............. without going into detail no I didn't have big income .... I fundraised about a third of the money each time any paid for the flights myself.   


. I have direct contact with people in the areas I visited ........ and have directly supported individuals and projects.  and have a calling to continue to do this.

Please dont let media stories of money going into the wrong hands a reason not to do something.    You just never know what future affect your small difference will make.

OK, tell me which charity puts ALL money received to exactly where it is needed and i will support it.

They have to channel some money into admin or they couldn't survive. I sponsor a girl in Rwanda. It costs me Ł21 a month and at least 80% goes to her. I think that is reasonable.

[HesterF]

Hmmm, I'm more than a little sceptical about that statistic. Based on the UK population, we could assume there are approximately 1m people at each age (actually this is an overestimate as the population is 63m but life expectancy 78) so the total population below the age of 5 would be 5m tops. Then I can't think that any 0 or 1 year old would have a mobile on the basis they'd eat it, so the total population aged between 2 and 4 is 3m. Which in turn means that they're saying that one in three toddlers/pre-schoolers has a phone. Really? As a mum to a four year old, a six year old and a seven year old I can vouch for not one single one of their friends/class mates having one. I've been a regular attendee of playgroups and preschool groups and I've never once seen a small child whip out a mobile phone. Many seem to get them, as others have said, when they start having to get to senior school by themselves (they tend to still be accompanied to primary school as there are no school buses and in a rural area, most live a long way away).

We do have an iPad and the children do play or watch films on that - I find it particularly useful when my youngest has to sit still and quietly for an hour while we're waiting for the boys to do karate (mostly in winter - at the moment she plays outside for the hour). Yes, I'm sure I could read stories to her for a hour but quite frankly my motherliness doesn't extend that far (a few stories yes, a solid hour, no). Other pre-schoolers do play on their parents' phones but that is not the same as owning a phone of their own.

So I'd take the statistic with a pinch of salt. Most pre-schoolers I know run around a lot, shout a lot, have imaginary friends, look at books, dress up and make up their own games just as generations and generations have done before them. And yes, I'm very grateful that I don't have to worry where the next meal is coming from - mainly because the courgettes will never stop giving - and we should all appreciate what we have and give to those who have less. But that is not an issue just for children - every single person in this society should appreciate what they have and support others who have less (wherever in the world they are).

H

[AnimeLover]

Children shouldn't have mobile phones. Due to inappropriate material they could access. Yet many would argue its safer incase the child becomes lost, yet people seem to be putting more pressure on kids to grow up. Infact i was recently in a primary school and in  Primary 1 out of a  class of 20 pupils only 2 didnt have a device that could ring people or connect to the internet i was shocked they acted like a group of mature adults and knew more about technology than i. When i was that age i found a yo-yo interesting for hours...My little brother is P3 and most of the homework he does requires a computer...It's unbelievable! Children should be children...Childhoods should be lived...