Back to School: Choosing a Cell Phone for Your Child
Take the mystery out of this back-to-school assignment.
Aug. 30, 2010 — -- This morning on "Good Morning America" you saw correspondent Claire Shipman report about parents who are considering getting cell phones for their pre-teen children.
They're not alone. A Kaiser Family Foundation study found that 31 percent of 8- to 10-year-olds now have cell phones. The number of 11- to 14-year-olds with cell phones is 69 percent and the figure rises to 85 percent for 15- to 18-year-olds.
Click HERE to read a full report about the study.
If you are considering getting your school-age child a cell phone, here are a few resources to help you choose the correct phone.
Choosing a Cell Phone for Your Child
Click HERE to learn about phones that let you keep tabs on your child's activity, allows you to control what they see and do and permits you to limit their online time.
Click HERE to learn about the new cell service that lets parents limit when a wireless phone makes and receives calls, restrict text messages and talk time and set allowances for ring tones and other downloads.
Click HERE to read ConsumerSearch.com's review and comparison of top-rated phones for kids, along with performance and calling plans.
Click HERE to visit CellPhonesForKidsGuide.com , where you can find a review of the best and cell phones created specifically for your younger children, including the LG MIGO VX1000.
Click HERE to visit Firefly Mobile, which offers pin-protected features, pre-paid plans and the Firefly glowPhone – designed for children.
Click HERE to visit PCWorld.com's review of cell phones for kids, including the TicTalk and Wherifone GPS Locator Phone – which allows kids to call pre-assigned numbers and parents to track their whereabouts.
Click HERE to visit Wirefly.com for a comprehensive review – including video -- of several cell phones for younger people.
Click HERE to learn about Kajeet, a cell phone service that's made for kids, offering technology they want and services parents need.