Cellphones are not just talking devices anymore -- they are cameras, Instant Message machines and umbilical cords attaching kids to their peers. Many cellphones now connect to the Internet and play as much music as an MP3 player. The costs and complexities of user plans and features range from simple kid phones (with preprogrammed numbers for parents and caretakers) to complex online hubs costing more than $100 dollars a month.

Why You Should Care:

Cell phones can be lifesavers. Parents can keep track of their kids, kids can make their own plans, and kids can keep in touch with their friends quickly and easily. That\'s the good news.

But there\'s more: Not only can cell phone minutes -- and costs -- spiral wildly out of control, but text messaging (SMS is the technical term) can take over kids\' communications, raising both bills and questions about what kind of texting -- and when -- is appropriate. Kids frequently text in school, during classes, at the dinner table, and late into the evenings. They use language and shorthand speak that would make a trucker blush, they access the Internet, and they send photos and videos that range from cute to cyberbullying.

When you hand your children a phone, you give them a way to navigate the world without you. Before you do that, here are some tips:

Some Facts You Should Know

• 85% of U.S. kids under 17 have a cell phone (22% of kids 10-11 and 39% of kids 12-13)
• Phones aren\'t just phones: they access the Web, they send pictures, they send text messages
• 1 in 3 teenagers reported having been "cyberbullied" in ways that include cell phone use
• A 2007 AAA and Seventeen Magazine survey found that 51% of teens 16-17 admitted that they talk on cell phones behind the wheel, and 43% read text messages. Even more alarming, 32% of them said they text while driving • Make sure you have the right plan -- phones get expensive fast. Pick one that\'s realistic for your kids\' probable use.
• Investigate plans that create limits for your kids. AT&T now offers (for an additional fee) Smart Limits, and Disney and others have plans that restrict time and track use.

Common Sense Says:

• Establish rules for use and consequences for breaking them. Set time and place boundaries. Absolutely no phone use during class time, and turn it off at bedtime.
• Emphasize safety. Makes sure your kids don\'t give out their phone numbers to strangers, and make sure they never drive while speaking or texting.
• Practice cell phone etiquette: No abusive or humiliating texts or pictures. No prank calls.
• If your kids are bullied on the phone, save the messages, and report them to your provider.