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Cell Phones & Teenagersa

A Social Necessity or A Dangerous Combination?

My name is Sue. I'm 15 years old, and I'm a junior high school student. Last night, I asked my parents if I could have my own cell phone, but they said "NO". They think I'm too young to have my own phone, and they're actually worried that if I do get one, I might somehow get myself into trouble. That's so stupid! I'm not a baby - I can take care of myself. I think the only reason they don't want me to have my own cell phone is because they won't be able to eavesdrop on my conversations anymore. My father says "I didn't have my own cell phone when I was a teenager and you don't need one either!". That's ridiculous. Times have changed since then and now everyone my age has a cell phone - except me.

I'm Peter, and I'm Sue's father. I know all her friends have their own cell phones - and I think it's ridiculous. I mean, why does a teenager need a cell phone? She sees all her friends at school everyday, and if they want to reach her at night or on weekends, they can call her at home. Besides, having her own cell phone might put her at risk. If she starts receiving calls on her own cell phone, my wife and I won't be able to monitor who she is talking to. It's a dangerous world out there and my daughter is naive - what if she starts talking to the wrong kind of people? My wife and I won't be able to protect her if we don't know who she is talking to. She thinks she can take care of herself, but I'm not going to take any chances. When she turns 18, she can have as many cell phones as she wants, but in the meantime, the answer is "NO".

Discussion Questions - Beginner Level:

1. Do you agree with Sue or with her father? Why?
2. Do you think it's really necessary for teenagers to have cell phones?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a teenager having a cell phone?
4. If you had a teenager who wanted a cell phone, would you say "YES" or "NO"? Why?

Discussion Questions - Intermediate to Advanced Levels:

5. What are the social consequences of Sue being the only one of her friends not to have a cell phone?
6. Peter is worried that his daughter might be in danger if she has her own cell phone. Do you agree with him, or do you think he is over-reacting?

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レッスン後の Nicole 先生からのフィードバックです。

Hi Yoko,

Thank you so much for taking my lesson today. It was such a pleasure to speak with you again, and to hear how you've been doing.

REVIEW OF LESSON 1: CELL PHONES AND TEENAGERS

I'm glad you enjoyed this lesson - I had fun writing it! I was also pleased to hear that it was especially appropriate for you, as you had actually faced a similar situation with your own daughter a few years ago.

I was not surprised to hear you agree with Peter, and that you made a similar decision when your daughter asked you for a cell phone when she was in junior high school. Most parents would agree with you: they should be able to monitor their children's phone calls - especially to protect their safety!

I thought it was very clever of you to ask your daughter how many times she had actually "needed" a cell phone in the previous week, when she expressed "necessity" as the reason for asking for a cell phone. The fact that she had not "needed" to use a phone in the previous week was a clear indicator that it was indeed not a "necessity", but rather, a "want". I also thought your suggestion to your daughter of borrowing her friend's phone when she needed to make a call was very good... but I'm sure she was dismayed when you said this!

As for the advantages and disadvantages, I agree that it must give parents some comfort to be able to reach their children any time, to make sure they are ok. Of course, one of the biggest disadvantages is the cost - chatting with friends on a cell phone can quickly get expensive!

I admire you for resolutely standing by your decision not to give into your daughter's pleading for a cell phone while she was a junior high school student - even though in your heart, you wanted to say "yes". Good for you!

Finally, I have to tell you that I loved the story of your landlord having to yell out the window for you to come to the phone, each time you received a call, because you didn't have a phone in your apartment when you were a university student!

I think your recommendation to Peter is reasonable: to let her have a cell phone eventually, but to explain to her how to use it responsibly, and to make her pay at least a portion of the charges from the money she earns at a part-time job. Because she will have to help pay for it, she will appreciate it and act responsibly.

Yoko, you did very well in this lesson. You expressed your opinions clearly and with conviction, and you made me laugh with some of your stories - BRAVO!

It was wonderful speaking with you. I hope to talk to you again sometime soon.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Nicole