Teenagers & text msg.

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Teenagers & text msg.

may be we will have to mandate that auto manufactures, add a cell phone blocking signals to the safety equipment. LOL.

 

[QC]

Re: Teenagers & text msg.

It's almost funny, but here we got an only hands free while driving "calling" law last July, but they forgot to add text messaging and the wording made it semi-clear that texting was legal . . . Jan 1 we add texting to the no-no list.

BTW, all of the negatives are also behavior issues that can manifest themselves with other stuff. They are not necessarily indicative of an inherent problem with texting. My wife says that popping into my office to check on iboats is rude . . . So all forums are bad? No, Kevin is . . .

 

[WizeOne]

Re: Teenagers & text msg.

....and get the rugged model that is water and very shock proof, its unbreakable, reports are that some have been run over by cars and undamaged. "g phone".....

you're not talking about the new Google phone, are ya, wajajaja?

I tried to find 'g phone' on the Verizon site and could not. I need a rugged model as well. My old LG has taken a real beating and continues to function but soon I should upgrade to something that takes bluetooth and is tough.

 

[JB]

Re: Teenagers & text msg.

I just spent three days with one of my daughters.

13 year old was glued to his computer about 18 hours each day with headphones on. He came up for food and water on his schedule (we ate without him) and stayed on the cell, either talking or texting when he wasn't on the 'puter, and some of the time he was on the 'puter.

I got to say hello and goodbye. He is a great young man. . .good grades (home schooled), polite, etc.,etc., but it scares me that he seemed so withdrawn from family life.

When I was his age I was gone fishing most of the time I wasn't at school. Is his obsession with the 'puter games and the cell just a modern version of my obsession with fishing (I have since learned that my obsession was not so much fishing as obtaining solitude)?

 

[QC]

Re: Teenagers & text msg.

This is a good question JB, and I have struggled with the same. With my now 15 year old, he was seriously addicted to WoW, bought WoW gold, the whole nine yards. The one thing I liked about WoW, though was the teamwork. I concluded that he was not necessarily withdrawn from socializing, in fact he was a leader within his WoW "guild" (is that right? Guild?). They communicated via headsets with players all over the globe. They planned strategy, had roles, etc. I decided it was very much like any team sport with one obvious difference, no exercise. Ultimately the kid is a good athlete, plays sports and snowboards, so that didn't bother me much. And now, he has a girlfriend . . . Whole new obsession . . .

 

[fire831]

Re: Teenagers & text msg.

I just spent three days with one of my daughters.

13 year old was glued to his computer about 18 hours each day with headphones on. He came up for food and water on his schedule (we ate without him) and stayed on the cell, either talking or texting when he wasn't on the 'puter, and some of the time he was on the 'puter.

I got to say hello and goodbye. He is a great young man. . .good grades (home schooled), polite, etc.,etc., but it scares me that he seemed so withdrawn from family life.

When I was his age I was gone fishing most of the time I wasn't at school. Is his obsession with the 'puter games and the cell just a modern version of my obsession with fishing (I have since learned that my obsession was not so much fishing as obtaining solitude)?

That is a shame JB. I wish I had a grandparent to go see, lost all mine by the time I was 7 or 8 years old. Did ya happen to tell him about iboats.com. Maybe he would see this and realize what he did. Not meaning anything bad about him. I have a daughter who will be 18 Mon. and she spends a lot of time on the computer and cell also, but I do get some time with her.

 

[bugman1964]

Re: Teenagers & text msg.

What my wife and I did, once we felt she was responsible enough for the phone, was start her with a track phone with X number of minutes per month. It was up to her to manage them, when she was out of minutes she was out no discussion no more minutes that month. At first she used them up quickly but we did not budge on the monthly minutes, she figured it out. After a year or so of her properly managing the track phone minutes we added her to our family plan and explained to her she had X number of phone minutes and X number of text messages. She went over a couple of months by less than a dozen texts at most. After a year of properly managing her end of the family plan we let her have unlimited text messaging. Adding her to our family plan through US Cellular with unlimited texting is about the same as the $20 we were spending on her track phone. Establish the parameters with her and make them her responsibility, but also set time frames and rewards for properly managing her phone. She was 13 when we gave her the track phone. GOOD LUCK!!!!!

 

[Bondo]

Re: Teenagers & text msg.

you're not talking about the new Google phone, are ya, wajajaja?

I tried to find 'g phone' on the Verizon site and could not. I need a rugged model as well. My old LG has taken a real beating and continues to function but soon I should upgrade to something that takes bluetooth and is tough.

Ayuh,... I Think you're talking about My phone,....

It's a Verizon,...
Heavy Duty, Water resistent, Shock resistent,...
I wouldn't throw it in the pond,+ expect it to still work,...
But,..
This is My 2nd copy of it,...
The 1st one I ran though the Washer,+ Dryer, in my pants....
It still worked Just Fine,.... As long as I didn't need the "0" button.....
After a couple weeks of relying on my phonebook,+resends,....
I broke down, went to the Mall,+ got another 1.... Ayuh,.. I Love going to the Mall....

Anyways,... I've still got the box, Right here...
It's the GzOne, type-s
Verizon Wireless SKU: Model: C211PTT

Good Luck,... I Love the phone...although the Ring could be Louder, workin' on jobsites,+ all....

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Teenagers & text msg.

looks pricey, i don't even want to talk on a phone, when working. especially at those prices.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Teenagers & text msg.

I had an employee who tried to insist that I text him too - seems that I had to explain to him the nature of the relationship ... as in "I'm the boss, you're the employee and, no, I'm not going to text you!"

I don't usually revert to that level of bluntness but sometimes you just have to!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Teenagers & text msg.

i think sometimes they don't want you to here what they are talking about. soon as they read the message they can delete them. But, all iboats kids are perfect!!!

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Teenagers & text msg.

gosh thanks so much for all of your advice and ideas!! What I finally ended up doing was to add 1 month of unlimited testing($20.00) to her phone, she still has about $14.00 of minutes left, and that is her Christmas present. If she wants to text next month, she has chores to do, I'll oay her $5.00 a wekk for them. We just can't afford another phone bill! This is a grat forum, everyone is so helpful and nice!! No wonder my husband spends so much time here!!

 

[projecthog]

Re: Teenagers & text msg.

RATZAKRATZA!!!

Giving a preteen or teen a cell phone that YOU are gonna pay for is like pulling the plug on your financial pool. Texting or just yakking with no idea or concern for the cost can put you in trouble real quick and train him/her to abuse credit in the future.

A cell phone is an excellent way to train kids in financial responsibility and money management. A plan where THEY prepay for a certain number of minutes and the phone goes dead when those are used up cements the relationship between using it and paying for it.

LOL,
My "financial pool" is filled with boats, but I agree whole heartedly with the taining thing, and obviously you are right on, because my kids all turned out very responsible financially and are either headed for well financed futures, or are already there.
I believe in strict and responsible parenting!
None of this "let them be" stuff, nor do I support any kind of physical correction, but IMHO the man is the master of the home and has to bear responsibility for the rest of the family. I had a lot of help from above!
PH.

 

[projecthog]

Re: Teenagers & text msg.

gosh thanks so much for all of your advice and ideas!! What I finally ended up doing was to add 1 month of unlimited testing($20.00) to her phone, she still has about $14.00 of minutes left, and that is her Christmas present. If she wants to text next month, she has chores to do, I'll oay her $5.00 a wekk for them. We just can't afford another phone bill! This is a grat forum, everyone is so helpful and nice!! No wonder my husband spends so much time here!!

Is there any other place?

 

[projecthog]

Re: Teenagers & text msg.

Keep an eye on the bill if you have unlimited. My neice sent 10000+ messages in one month. 80 + while we were at dinner for one hour.

LOL, that's 1.33 messages per minute, what'd you do, spoonfeed her while she did that?
PH.

 

[zach103]

Re: Teenagers & text msg.

we didn't get a phone till we were 16 and driving. we had no need for them before that. we could use the house phone.. i text alot but only when its my friends. and even then if its that important ill call.. we have verizon with three of us on the line all have unlimited texting. we like it but i think the service depends where you are. some places at+t gets better than verizon

 

[projecthog]

Re: Teenagers & text msg.

Not to hijack your thread...but the real downside to texting was evident here lately by the deaths of three youngsters. One ran into a stopped tanker truck, stopped at a RR crossing. He was texting and never hit the brakes. The most recent was in the past few weeks when a 17 yo was hit head on by a 19 yo texting her boyfriend and crossed into oncoming traffic..... Why can't they just talk??

Talking while driving is almost as bad! I drive a big truck for a living and you'd be surprised how many times I have to get out of the way of people who are ready to die for a call!

Phones should not be used at all while driving, but I do it too so I can't really say anything much. When I do use it I do it on straightaways on the Interstates so I minimize the risks, but....I digress.

They can't just "talk" because we live in a new electronics infested age
PH.

 

[UnregisteredUser]

Re: Teenagers & text msg.

I drive a big truck for a living...

Does your trucking company use a Qualcomm? Back when I used to drive OTR, I worked for one company that had the Qualcomm disabled while the truck was moving. That sucked real bad.

I guess using the Qualcomm is what lead me to texting...maybe...

Lemme tell you about Qualcomm and how it effected my retirement.

My banker called me into his office one day back in 1998, (i think) may have been 1997. Anyhow he says "look at this stock, I have no idea what Qualcomm is, but I bought $15,000 in shares three weeks ago and it has almost doubled."

Before he retired my banker and I got along real well. he offered to loan me $5,000 to put with my $5,000 I had banked to buy $10,000 in Qualcomm.

Now every time a truck driver sends in his loaded call, or any other text message, I make money.

Perhaps that is why I tend to enjoy texting and those that use it.

 

[projecthog]

Re: Teenagers & text msg.

Thats pretty cool U/U,

I have used that system when I was driving for one company that had it, but I have always owned my own trucks and never wanted the things, I am old school and didn't like the idea of them tracking my progress.
They are a blessing when you are in trouble though, and I can see why they grew so fast.
The stocks were low in the mid nineties when I had an interest in investing, but never did, I invested lightly in the Orient packages in the late nineties and did ok enough. Did some high risk fast ones that paid off too.
If you invested, you must have done well with those Qualcomm stocks alone, as they (Qualcomm) became a world class outfit real fast.
I am done owning now and am just having fun winding down, still driving at a more relaxed pace for a buddy.
7 1/2 years to go to total retirement and full time boating (yay!), and right back to living on a big one.
Shoot! just did it again....hijacking a thread, sorry folks, Im outta here!
PH.:redface: