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Texting Teens Generating OMG Phone Bills
theodp writes "Last month, Washington high school junior Sofia Rubenstein used 6,807 text messages, which, at a rate of 15 cents apiece for most of them, pushed her family's Verizon Wireless bill over $1,100. She and other teens are finding themselves in hot water after their families get blindsided with huge phone bills thanks to hefty a la carte text messaging charges." Use of SMS in the US doubled from 2005 to 2006.
I know a couple of kids who come into a coffee shop I frequent who will sit there and call random people they don't even know - spending hours doing it - just because it is fun. I talked with them at one point, and they told me about how they kept up a 3 month relationship with this older woman, and they professed to be her sister from out of state. Even talked with the older woman's grand children.
If they can't learn the value of the tools we give them, then don't give them the tools. That, or get one of those kiddy phones that only allows 4 pre-programmed numbers - that way, they can call mommy and daddy when their friends ditch them at the ice cream social, or something like that.
it is great that so many of us can afford to give our children luxuries that we never even dreamed of having, but when they don't understand the usefulness of the luxuries and just dick around constantly with them, then something needs to be done.
"Better to be vulgar than non-existent" -Bev Henson
I can deal with texting at places like a rock concert or anywhere else that if I tried to make a call I wouldn't be able to hear a damn thing, or in places where its not appropriate to make a phone call (though some might consider the taps of your fingers on the keypad only slightly less annoying than you making a call right there). The only other useful situation is broadcasting - when you want to send a message or note to more than a few people at a time. Tell 10 of your friends you're having a party or something.
Otherwise it just seems to me that its an anti-social device. Instead of talking to someone you're sending one way messages.
The Doormat
If you're not outraged, then you're not paying attention.
Profoundly dead? Nice try... I think you mean "profoundly deaf".
As a hard-of-hearing person myself I find your reaction to be insulting. Someone expected you to help them with their computer (it seems you may be paid to do support?) and contacted you with the only method she had available to her. And you considered it "pestering". If you have had a prepaid phone for all that time I doubt that you find voice calls to be "pestering" and yet when the message comes from a deaf person, you find it aggravating and annoying?
Get some tact, help her out, and don't be so damn rude. How do you think we (deaf/hard of hearing people) feel when we ask for help with something only to be told "we don't do email, CALL our number". If we wanted to call you, WE WOULD HAVE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
People with disabilities can't help it. Rude and arrogant and holier-than-thou treatment from people like you doesn't help us function in an uncaring society any better.
Insensitive clod. And I don't mean that in the Slashdot "running joke" way.
i am a soviet space shuttle
I have a 2-year-old, and I am proud to say that I have never so much as raised my voice at him, and he has turned out fine. Of course it's more difficult to raise a kid this way, but nobody parenting was easy.
For those of you who agree with any of this, this might be of interest: http://takingchildrenseriously.com/.