The article notes that a new national survey from C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor shows 75 percent of children 13 to 17 and 27 children 9 to 12 have cell phones. Among those who do, 87 percent use them for texting, the poll shows.
The poll also showed that while 55 percent of parents whose children had cell phones used time limits to restrict their children's phone activity, only 33 percent blocked transmission of images on their children's phones.
Placing limits on children's phone usage and discussing appropriate use is something parents need to consider, Dr. Matthew M. Davis, associate professor of general pediatrics at the University of Michigan Medical School and director of the Mott poll, told The Free Prres.
While teens may easily master the use of electronic devices like cell phones, they may not yet have the maturity to "appreciate and understand" what they're sending and receiving, Davis said.
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