Look on the bright side if your cell phone is taking away at least your not at risk by texting and driving.I just can't stand those drivers that talk and text while driving  at a lower speed not giving on the freeway or on the road.Plus it's now against the law To text while driving.Maybe all of those  accidents I've seen are due to texting  while driving.lol

jasonZed : I don’t have kids of my own but I am an uncle of six and have had to look after them from time to time. I think parents or anyone the parent designates to take care of their children in their absence should be fully within their rights to take away a cell phone or any privilege for that matter. I grew up in the 80s and 90s and I loved playing video games and recording video tapes (Still do) but I knew that those things were a privilege and if I misbehaved and or wasn’t doing the things I was supposed to do I would have those privileges taken away from me from time to time.

I realize that my view may seem a bit antiquated for today’s day and age but the way I see it is in most cases kids today get into trouble in most cases due to lack of discipline and structure.

For instance I have seen things with my nieces and nephews that I don’t really agree with because I know how I and my sisters were raised and I know if it were one of us who behaved in the way that I sometimes see my nephews or nieces do we would get disciplined. Although I don’t agree with how my sisters may deal with things when their children misbehave I pretty much keep to myself for the soul reason that it’s not my place. Now if I were trusted with taking care of any of my sisters kids it would be different.

In regard to cell phones I haven’t really had to deal too much with that as I don’t even have a cell phone. I do few though that cell phones should be used as a necessity and not for recreational purposes. Although the apps they have now of days can be fun, I do think that if it is a distraction that prevents a child from doing what their suppose to do I.E. their homework, grades slipping or, other responsibilities it is probably time to restrict their access or outright take the phone. It is also worth remembering that in the case of children it is the parents who pay for their phone and subsequent service. It is therefore fully within that parent or guardian’s rights to police what their child does in regard to a phone.

As I said I realize that my view of things and or the way I was raised may seem a bit antiquated by today’s standards but I’m just being honest even if that honesty may not necessarily mean that I am popular. In cases like that I like to quote the late great Howard Cosell. In his words “What’s popular isn’t always right and, what’s right isn’t always popular.”

Simple words but direct and to the point.

Mamma giveth and mamma taketh away.

They are allowed because they're the ones that gave it to their kids.

It's not really morally right, but it's a way of punishment that will probably be remembered.

alexanyways : I agree with you but there are other things that go into it that kids don’t think of. Mainly a lot of privileges that kids have often cost a parent or guardian money and especially in hard economic times it can be pricy.

Kids don’t think about what a parent goes through to give them what they want or to put it more bluntly what they need. There is nothing more frustrating than to really do something nice for either your son or daughter or, in my case niece or nephew and then to see them almost take it for granted. It can really put someone’s mood down.

I know when I was a kid I didn’t think about things like money and what my parents had to go through so I don’t throw any stones but as you get older you start to see the other end of things. It gives you a renewed appreciation for things especially when you have to budget yourself and watch what you spend and such. I just think that it would be a little better for kids today if there was more of a standard of discipline.

When I say discipline I don’t mean hitting or anything like that but I see stories on the news all the time about kids either getting in trouble with the law and or, posting videos online of fights with other kids and instead of punishing the kid often they punish the parent or guardian. I’m not saying under circumstances like that, that a parent doesn’t deserve to be held accountable but I think it should be both the child and parent who should share responsibility where as normally they seem to go after the parent and allow the child to slide without punishment. The schools can only go so far with suspensions and espellsions, there has to be a more stern way of discipline.

As for me the only time I ever got suspended was when I cursed out a bus driver for bad mouthing my mother. I wasn’t proud of myself but I stood my ground and refused to apologize to the bus driver for what I said in defense. The school tried to make an example out of me but it took me threatening to pursue legal action to be let back in school.


One of the many reasons I left school. As I said wasn’t proud of it but the way I saw it is if I was going to get in trouble for something (Before high school, I was an honor role student with near perfect attendance and was generally well liked by teachers and higher ups in school administrations.) I mind as well get in trouble for defending my mother against an uncalled for tirade simply because the bus driver wasn’t doing her job and my mother reported her. Not proud but don’t regret it.

Strongly agree. It's a parents job to discipline their children, and if they feel their child doesn't deserve to have their phone they should take it away. In most cases the parent bought the phone and pays the phone bill, so it's pretty much their choice. 

Well evidently the parents have the right to take their kids phone if they did something wrong and on top of that, If they have teenagers that drive and text as well then that would prevent them from having accidents a lot more than usual. However if they do take the kids phone and something bad occurs to them or someone they know, then they won't have a easier and faster way to contact the parents so there are some good and bad things about this situation

Well I think sometimes parents do this as they wish security and safety for their children or they wish to give them a punishment....But frankly I do not like this as a punishment because it contains a bit personal things like messaging ....texts to girlfriend and all that....so its a bit like personal belongings ..lol....

I personally think so. Unless you've payed for both the phone and the monthly bill, they should have every right to. Although it's officially under your ownership; the parents have the final say.

Even if you did pay for everything, I still think parents have that right because you're supposed to listen to them anyways.

My stance on this depends on a few factors
the first is whether or not the child pays for the phone him/herself.  If yes then they have obviously earned the right to pay bills and thus have a cell phone.
If not then that falls to the agreement upon which the cell phone was obtained.  While many people see Cell phones as a simple little extra, they have actually become very important in life.   I for one do not have a cell phone, so I see and am struck many times by programs and websites that seem to require a cell phone number.  Many jobs and such also require the being to have a cell phone as a way of Mail, quick message, or to call in case of an emergency.   While normally I'd agree that The parent is the boss of the house and their word is law. Modern times have made them almost required for life.   It is not EXACTLY required, but hey, you don't NEED Internet do you?

If you doubt my logic look many years into the past, when Computers and Internet where pointless expensive luxuries, now look at modern times, when even something as simple as a BOOK has been almost entirely replaced by an electronic program.   Soon, Cell phones will be as important then, as Internet is to us now.  Maybe even more so even...
However, if the child is young and has no actual need of the item for any purpose other than just chatting and playing games, then wait... why do they even have one anyway?   Ah, never mind, if the cell phone is not actually needed for anything the of course it's the parent's right to take said object away.  

If they are paying for your cellphone monthly, they have every right to do so in my opinion (or at least cancel the service)
Your parents work hard to get the money to pay for your cellphone, but if for some reason you are paying for your cellphone than I don't think they have the right to do that. Honestly it all comes down to who pays for it monthly.

Of course they should! In my opinion, who actually pays for the phone is not a great factor. Say, the child was found using a phone to message inappropriate pictures. Would it really matter that the child was paying for the phone when the parents found out and wanted to confiscate it? The true problem with rights to either parent or child by payment is that no matter who pays for it, it does not make using the phone for abusive purposes right. On the whole, parents have the choice of what is best for their children until adulthood, so if a parent wants to take away a child's cellphone, they should have that right(which is precisely why they do).

Madeline :   Theft:  the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's freely-given consent.
IF the child is paying for the object with his or her own legally obtained money, then the phone is their property.  They have bought and paid for it with their own money.   Technically taking away such an item for any reason without the child's consent would be theft and is illegal.   They bought it, They paid the bills, its their property.  Meaning they have the right to be stupid.   Doing inappropriate things with items is part of growing up.  So long as their action is not Illegal, there is no trouble.   The parent's lost that right as soon as they agreed to allow the child to buy the phone.  (for any beings under 18 or 21 contracts normally require the Ok of a parent and/or guardian.  By signing that OK they have legally lost the right to take away the phone their child has paid for.)

It would depend.If you had to only use it for emengercies,then no.If it is just to text and talk with your friends and the bills cost alot of money,then yes.It would just have to depend on how much a kid uses a cell phone

YES. THEY SHOULD. UNLESS IT IS IN THEIR OWN NAME YEA. I THINK ITS LIKE A VERBAL AGREEMENT OTHERWISE. USE IT RIGHT, AND YOU CAN HAVE IT. USE IT WRONG, AND ITS "UNPLUGGED" SO TO SPEAK. CELL PHONES ARE A PAIN IN THE BUTT AT THE STORE, ON THE ROAD, AND WHEN YOU ARE WALKING DOWN THE STREET.

Yes they should since they have a good right to take them away. As long as they don't impersonate their children to see what they do, its 100% fine.

The fact that this is even an open discussion just reinforces my belief that parenting in the west has gone so soft that children don't respect them as much anymore. Should a parent be allowed to take a teenagers phone? Well my rebuttal to that is: Does the teenager like having a place to live?
Seriously though. Forget 18 years old. The way I see it if the child is living with their parents then the parents can do whatever they want to intervene when their child is doing something stupid with its life. Like wasting all their times on social networking sites and video games and doing absolutely nothing to better themselves. If the child is 18 years old and insists on keeping their phone, they can move out of the house and see how they manage without free rent and bills.
Call me old fashioned but I don't like this whole wishy washy new way of raising kids. Although one should obviously be affectionate, it is also very important as a parent to make sure discipline standards are high. Unless you are a crappy parent, if your child isn't listening to you, you have raised them too softly. Dont always give them what they want from a very young age, let them get familiar with the word No(With explanations why of course) and then lets see if they step out of line when you tell them they cant do something.
Im pretty sure that answers both questions really. But to summarise:
Yes the parents can take away the phone
No the child cant fight to get it back. If its been taken away it must have been done so for a reason.

If they are paying for your cell phone bill or they bought the phone then yes, but if you bought and pay for your own phone and bill then no they can not take away your phone.