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Kids and Iphones (no offense to the younger folks)

I'm a 36 year-old 2nd degree/graduate student (long story...), but I could care less what people think of me or the "gear" I use. Before I bought my iPhone, a cell phone was merely something I used to call loved ones in the case of an emergency. Half the time I never even had my RAZR on. Since having purchased my iPhone in February, I couldn't imagine going back to a regular old phone again. Sure, I could probably get by with an iPod Touch and another RAZR, but the iPhone has already become too ingrained in my routine.

I'd never get either of my kids (10 and 6 now) a phone like this, but if parents want to go out and spend the money, who am I to tell them how to live? I personally believe it is a bit excessive, but it is what it is.
 
I think it will maintain some air of exclusivity because of the monthly costs associated with the device.

I'm not defined by my phone, I just want the new iPhone because it is better than my original iPhone.
 
I think the ONLY thing that bothers me is the kids that have their parents pay for it. I'm not saying all of them do, but I can bet a majority does. Kids who bring flashy things to school tend to get them stolen and who has to pay for it or be stuck in a contract for a stolen phone, not the kid.

It's weird to say, but technology is the new pet dog. If you can work for it, afford it, and be responsible from breaking or losing it, it builds responsibility.
 
BongoBanger said:
Sure, I can see a lot of parents being perfectly happy to fork out £35 a month for their kids' phone bill.
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Some already do. Been around a school lately? Those unlimited texting plans aint cheap (and believe me the average 14 year old *needs* an unlimited texting plan). 5000 SMS are sent every second in the UK. That's about 432 million a day... it sure aint my generation sending them (source)

Most will buy their children the PayG for birthdays/christmas and leave it up to them to keep it topped up, just like they do now.
 
The only kids getting the iphone would be the type of kids whose parent would be paying their monthly bills for them.

Sadly, these are the worst users since they never know what wonderful technology is in between their fingers(or the value of a dollar)...and will probably treat their phone like ****.
 
impact_blue said:
I think the ONLY thing that bothers me is the kids that have their parents pay for it. I'm not saying all of them do, but I can bet a majority does. Kids who bring flashy things to school tend to get them stolen and who has to pay for it or be stuck in a contract for a stolen phone, not the kid.

It's weird to say, but technology is the new pet dog. If you can work for it, afford it, and be responsible from breaking or losing it, it builds responsibility.
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I agree completely. I worked for a fairly affluent school district (at least for my area) for 6 years until I decided to go back to school, and you'd be surprised at the attitude of both the students and parents. PSPs, Gameboy DSs, Cell Phones...All left behind on a daily basis. And it doesn't matter, because mom and dad will just furnish a new one when the old one gets lost, broken, outdated, or no longer "in".

I guess it is the same now as it was 50 years ago. Instill in your children the value of a hard day's work, and they will respect the things they have to earn. Too many parents are willing to throw money (and "toys") at their progeny just to keep them out of their hair. I know a family that rarely talks face to face anymore, everything is either through SMS, MMS or AIM. Sad really.

*Edit - I'll never forget. I wanted a pair of the Nike Air Revolution sneakers in the worst way. My parents said "No way, we're not forking over $100 for sneakers." So I saved up the money from my part-time job and bought a pair. You know what? They weren't any cooler and were less comfortable than the $30 of sneakers they got me for school. Taught me a very valuable lesson.
 
I agree to. I can't stand when kids with iPhones are walking around. A few days in the apple store, a kid was talking on one. When he went to hang up, he dropped it. These kids, (at least 90% of the time) have rich parents who buy everything for them and they don't know the value of a dollar.
 
BongoBanger said:
Actually, I think it would be pretty bad.

I mean Think Different? LOL!
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Alright man, well I think it will be cool when everyone has their 3g iPhone and I still just have the 1st Gen iPhone...old school man...old school :cool:

Do I use the cool smilie too much??
Makes me feel cool...:cool:
kinda like my iPhone...:cool:
 
Too many parents these day feel like their doing their kids a favor by getting em everything they want because they feel bad for not actually spending decent quality time with their kids. It doesnt teach these kids anything other then whine and beg for these things long enough and they will eventually get it.
 
I one of the younger kids(14) and I had to buy my iPhone. Since my family has an ATT plan, I only need a data plan, and instead of giving me a weekly allowance of $5, my dad will make me do chores etc and then pay the $20 data plan for me. <3
 
I am 16, and I have to agree, that most teens buy (or have their parents buy them) phones just because it looks cool. when the first iphone was announced, I wanted it because it looked really cool because of the touch screen, but after that i started researching it and eventually found out every little detail about it. I am also getting the new iphone, but the only reason i am upgrading is because my old one is cracked (still works though) and again i think it is very cool. I could probably live without it, but there are so many times where it has been very useful and not just for fun. The main thing i am glad about the upgrade is just the 3G and the improved audio. GPS is just a plus for me, i dont really need it.
 
I don't think we'll see a sharp increase with the younger users. The monthy plan is now $70 a month, with NO text messaging included. I'd like to see how many parents are going to justify spending that kind of money (monthly) on their kids iPhone...

On the flip side, im 16, and purchasing a iPhone and letting my dad pay the monthly fee, so it may not be all bad...


Also, what's so bad about purchasing something because of how it looks? I, personally, factor in looks at around 40% of the importance. I can't justify purchasing anything that looks like crap, no matter how "functional" it is. There's a reason we aren't all driving a Toyota Prius...
 
I'm 17 and I'm getting the 16 GB iPhone 3G in black on the 11th. I'm paying for the phone and I'm paying for the plan. My parent's both think I'm crazy but technology is my life and so is Apple. I am buying an iPhone and spending $90/month out of of my pocket because I plan on using everything the iPhone has to offer. I'm not just going to be carrying it around and acting cool. I want to be constantly connected and the iPhone will certainly help me achieve that.
 
justinm said:
I agree to. I can't stand when kids with iPhones are walking around. A few days in the apple store, a kid was talking on one. When he went to hang up, he dropped it. These kids, (at least 90% of the time) have rich parents who buy everything for them and they don't know the value of a dollar.
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I will agree with you that kids like me (14) who have their parents pay for all of their stuff don't know the value of a dollar. I guess I admit that I don't either....I've never really had to work for anything, but that doesn't mean that I am some kind of brat who breaks all of my stuff just because my parents will buy me a new one. All my friends say that I take really good care of my stuff and a lot of them don't ..... So I guess what I'm saying is that you're right, but don't hate kids with wealthy parents because they aren't really exposed to learning the meaning of a dollar.........
 
Also, I'd like to add in that kids with technology savvy parents (like mine) have an easier time purchasing these things... My dad forked in $400 towards my MacBook Pro (instead of a MacBook) because he'd never used a Mac, and acknowledged the advantages over the MacBook...
 
Syrus28 said:
Also, I'd like to add in that kids with technology savvy parents (like mine) have an easier time purchasing these things... My dad forked in $400 towards my MacBook Pro because he'd never used a Mac.
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Ya. I agree. My dad's been buying Apple stuff since the company was created and never uses anything else. LOL So he gets all of the iPhone obsession stuff.
 
Hey, I have just read this whole thread and actually enjoyed it. Anyways, I am 16 and I will be getting my first iPhone on July 11. Beforehand, I had had a motorola krzr with Verizon since 8th grade, and yes my parents did pay for that bill. I buy most of my electronics myself such as ipods, xbox 360, and etc. I will be purchasing the 3g iPhone 16gb the day it comes out. Because of the higher price and the difference from the Verizon plan I will be paying most of the bill myself because I do have a job and I work for things I want. I agree with what a lot of people are saying on this thread and I know exactly what you mean by kids just wanting one to be cool. The fact is, it is cool and yet it can still do so much. I know I probably will be one the first kids at my (private) school to have one and that makes me want to hide it and show it off a little at the same time. My family is definitely not rich and I don't want to be perceived as a rich kid who gets whatever they want and be the only one with the iPhone. I hope that made sense, lol, I just kind of went off typing........
 
I'm 15 and I have the 1st gen iPhone and will be at my Apple store on July 11 for iPhone 3G. I am a really huge geek and love to know and use all the features of my gadgets and teach others. I am one to research all of the specs of everything etc. I am a walking tech statistics person. I am also president of my high schools tech club. I do like the look of Apple gear and that is part of what I like but it also has tons of features that I use daily.
Now, I am not the average teenager at my school for technical knowledge. I am used as a "beta" tester for our school before they deploy software on the computers at school etc. I was the first person to have Office 2008 installed n my computer and gave my feedback and told the IT Admins to hold the release until an update was released etc. I have also tested Final Cut for them to see if the "average" student could use it. Later this summer, we will be imaging 300+ macbooks and the like.
Now I don't consider myself as a "kid" so no offense taken.
Some "kids" have no respect for their electronics unfortunately. My MacBook Pro gets cleaned at least once per week and has not a scratch on it. My gear is my life and i couldn't live without it!
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; IEMobile 7.11))

I agree with ipodtouchy333. This is an interesting thread.
 
 
TheFam said:
First off, let me say that I'm not totally shallow, wanting to buy phones only for their aesthetic appeal and status. I am getting one for the progressive technical aspects of the Iphone 3G, and being that I'm about to graduate college, will need most of its features...:)


With that being said, I wanted to ask the semi-older crowd (20+) if the Iphone 3G will lose some of its appeal with you, being that the 199/299 price will draw the younger crowd (most, not all) that thinks having the Iphone makes you cool, so to speak. They don't know crap about the device and its features, they just know it has a touchscreen and its a cool device. Does this devalue the Iphone in your eyes, not wanting to be associated in your graduate school classes or business meetings as having a "kiddie phone"?


Again, no offense to the younger folks that actually buy things for their functionality.......
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Conceited much?

I just happen to be 19 years old, yet code Objective-C, Ruby, and extensive web codes... I also happen to be an iPhone Dev, and work on theiphoneproject.org... My advice, check what you say before hitting submit, it just makes you look like an ass.

It's funny, I bet myself and other "young people" could run circles around you and your technical features.
 
impact_blue said:
Doesn't bother me. As cheap as the iphone is, I still think it wont be as hot as people think it will be. Kids will argue to the their parents about the cheap cost, but when the parents find out about the new plans plus the additional $$$ they have to shell out for the text messages [which are a must teenagers] they'll put their foot down. Also I look at this way:

No MMS
No Video Recording

Two things that teenagers are addicted to. If you got the money and the credit to buy, start, and maintain a contract with the iphone, props and the more power to you.

For those powered by mom and dad. Well....
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I agree, I am 16 and I have a job, I buy my own s**t, I don't need my parents to power me, lol...

And I know everything about the iPhone and have been planning on getting one since the 1st gen iPhone, so NO I am not just getting the phone to be "COOL", internet,aim,text,videos + ipod in your pocket is a no doubter... :cool:
 
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