Many parents find themselves wrestling with whether or not they should buy their teenage child a cell phone. This can be a difficult decision to make when you consider what happens when your child misuses their cell phone privileges, which is a common occurrence, especially among first-time cell phone owners. The truth is, however, there are a number of reasons why your teenager would benefit from having a cell phone, and here are 3 of the most prevalent:

1.    To be prepared in the event of an emergency. Whether your teenager has a simple flip phone or a Blackberry smartphone, having a means of calling 911 or phoning home in an emergency is essential. Your child needs to be able to reach you at all times, so make sure that he or she can.

2.    So you can reach your child in an emergency. If you cannot pick him or her up from school, if you are injured in a car accident, or if you need to find out what his or her plans are for the day, being able to reach your child whenever you need to is one of the most obvious benefits of ensuring that your child always has a cell phone on his or her person.

3.    It’s an outstanding learning experience. Giving your teenager a cell phone and specific boundaries or restrictions on its use is a great learning and teaching experience. You can help your teenager learn to handle a cell phone bill, minute allowances and other aspects of having something that they are responsible for, and so in addition to providing a much needed means of communication, it also allows your child an outstanding learning experience  in the process.