teenagers can also use cell phones to communicate with parents. if a teen has asked to go to a party or event, a parent might give permission only on the condition that the teenager use a cell phone to call home every hour and confirm she's safe and will be home inn time . without a cell phone, the teenager in question could claim she was unable to find a telephone to check in at home.
cell phones also help if the teenager needs to ask a parent for information while filling out permission forms, job applications or other paperwork.
cell phones give teenagers a measure of independence without compromising their safety or putting them at risk of becoming lost and unable to reach their parents. teenagers need to experience independence and problem solving in order to prepare them for adult life. a teen with a cell phone has a safety net to lend her confidence as she explores the world independently. one can safely drop even a fairly young teen off in a safe area of the nearest big city and encourage her to explore on her own for a day so long as she has a cell phone and a little bit of spending money. this experience encourages teens to make decisions, budget, read maps and practice other life skills without ever putting them in danger.
although parents may worry that teens communicate too much with friends and too little with their family, the importance of socialization for teenagers can't be discounted. the adolescent years are the best time to learn how to make and sustain friendships. it becomes much more difficult to socialize when adult responsibilities take over, leaving little time for friends. cell phones allow teenagers to communicate with their friends regularly, encouraging them to take time to sustain and nurture relationships with friends.
in most circumstances, parents should resist the temptation to monitor their teenagers excessively. the opportunity to make mistakes and face the consequences is an important part of being a teenager. however, if a particular teen has demonstrated a tendency to defy rules that are important to his safety and development, some cell phone companies offer GPS tracking programs that can inform a parent of the teenager's location. combine this with a requirement that the teenager call home at predetermined intervals and a parent can reliably monitor an out of control teen without physically following her to work and school every day.
