Design Challenges

New Age Drug Dealing

Cell phones are now the new age way to buy and sell drugs and drug paraphernalia according to reports. Apparently, teenagers are able to send and receive text messages with photos attached via their cell phone.

Is technology to be blame for and how people use and misuse their tech gadgets? I think not, the root of the problem lies within the parents. First and foremost, I have a problem with the whole teenager need a cell phone. As a parent of two teenagers, now entering adulthood, I was faced with these dilemmas a few years back. I didn't see why my sons needed to have cell phones, I have always been a tech junkie, but I found that their wants and needs where not the same when it came to the technology. They craze the cell phone as a way to stay in touch with their friends, but I never cave in, instead, I worked a deal with them by which they both were given prepaid phones which they had to pay out of their allowances, if they overuse their minutes too quickly they lost the phone for the time period. They also were constantly asked about the usage of the phones, who they were calling and socializing with. I encourage both my boys to bring their friends/girlfriends home for their mother and I to meet. This way we were able to offer advice on the relationships.

The bottom line is that most parents are thinking that the cell phone companies should be providing a way for them to spy on their kids. Perhaps expand their cell phone homepage to show whom they called, the messages that were sent and received, etc. Where these utilities are great, but missing the bigger picture, parents need to go back to parenting. Don't be afraid to talk to your kids, remember you were a kid once and you have already been there and done that, share your experiences and your kids will share theirs.