Kids & Cell Phones

Kids everywhere have cell phones.  Why does a 5^th grader need one?  Parents often say it’s a safety issue.  They always want to be able to reach their child.  Unfortunately, the cell phone hasn’t turned out to be the safety solution parents envisioned.  Kids have proven themselves more innovative than anyone could have anticipated, and it’s made them less, not more, safe. 

The new craze is “sexting,” and it happens when a teen sends a sexually suggestive picture or message from one camera phone to another.  The messages are usually intended for friends or online acquaintances, which is alarming enough; but often the messages are seen by more than the intended audience.  Once the message has been sent, the recipient can show it to anyone around them, forward it in a text message, or e-mail it and put it on the world-wide web.  From there, the possibilities are endless.

If you think this is a problem for a relatively small number of kids, check out this recent study done by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.  They found that 39% of all teens surveyed admitted to sending sexually suggestive messages, and 48% reported having received one.

You might say, “But this is a study about teens.  The kids in my ministry are too young for this.”  You may be right, but your kids have older brothers and sisters who are right in the middle of this.  And it won’t be long until the kids in your ministry are hit with it, too.  As crazy as this sounds, it may not be too early to strike up a discussion.