What are the advantages and disadvantages of children using mobile phones?
Most young children today own a mobile phone. The age at which they receive their first phone is getting younger and younger. Parents usually purchase their children a cell phone in order to locate them at all times or notify them when there is a change in their timetable.
Children are able to contact their parents in an emergency and this is the greatest advantage of owning a mobile phone. By having a cell phone, children are more independent and are able to keep in touch with their school friends as well as get updates when they miss classes.
There are, however, more disadvantages to mobile ownership. Firstly, children often misuse phones as they have no concept of call charges and parents end up paying high bills at the end of each month. Secondly, there is peer pressure to have the latest phone and in case a phone is stolen by others at school it is expensive to replace. Thirdly, children become obsessed with the applications and games on their phones and instead of paying attention in class they are busy playing games or texting their friends. In some cases, phones can be used to store information for tests. Finally, there are health risks to consider. Children should not be exposed to high levels of radiation which is often the case when they don’t use hands-free devices while speaking on the phone for hours.
Mobiles are seldom used by children for their intended purpose, that is, to communicate with their family in emergencies. They are mostly used for other less important reasons.
Question taken from Get ready for IELTS Writing p. 51
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