When I was a little girl, only an extraordinary amount of luck would get me a half-hour conversation with my friends on the family’s landline phone. Privacy for kids was almost a non-existent concept in most suburban households and having a phone for our own was not even something we could fantasize about. But times have changed and the huge telecomm revolution that has hit most parts of the world means that even 15-year old 8th graders considers having their own cellphone an absolute necessity of life. The rising use of cellphones among younger kids has, however sparked a major health debate across the world and the news that the world’s most appealing kiddie brand Hello Kitty is due to launch their own line of cellphone aimed at girls below the age of 7, is amusing a lot of parents and concerned authorities. An authoritative report on the subject by Sir William Stewart published in the year 2005 concluded that kids aged 9-14 should only make short essential calls while children under the age of 8 should not use mobiles at all. But given the appeal of the cute pink phone and the fact that most parents are very likely to buckle under peer pressure faced by their kids and buy them the $599 phone as a fashion accessory is something that industry experts as well as children’s health groups need to be more vocal about.
Source: Textually/ Timesonline
