Someone made a comment above about kids and cell phones. Both my children have cell phones, not because they want them but because I want them to have them. It is a safety/security/peace of mind issue. I can contact them whenever I want, no matter where they are. They can also call me if they are having a problem. When they are at a friend’s house, I can call them directly and instantly know what they are doing and who else is over there playing.
When my son gets out of school and isn’t sure if he is supposed to ride the bus or wait for me, he pulls out his phone and calls me right there. He has also ridden the bus when he was not supposed to (he was to go home with another kid). He ended up at the bus stop all alone and at a place where a very suspicious guy has been observed watching and following kids. He pulled out his phone and called me. I was there in 5 minutes. Problem solved.
Now when one of my children is supposed to go home with a friend, I can call and confirm that everything happened as it was supposed to happen.
I will never take my children’s phone away as punishment. It allows me constant access to them. In fact, their next phones will have GPS trackers in them.
The world is a different place than when we were kids. Parents need to be vigilant. They also need to give their children all available tools to help them stay safe.