Sadie G.’s new cell phone was great–until the bill came. “The first time I got my phone, we went $400 over,” says Sadie, 15, of Wilmette. “We kept text messaging everyone, saying we got a phone.”
Sadie had to pay for part of the bill, and still coughs up cash every time she goes over her allotted minutes. She says text messages and calls to friends usually add 100 extra minutes to her bill each month. The overage charges can be pricey, and she pays her parents about $50 a month for the extra usage.
Despite the costs, cell phones are a common way for kids to keep up with friends. One-third of kids ages 11 to 17 own a cell phone, reports the Yankee Group, a research firm.
Text messaging dominates kid communication. About 2.5 billion text messages are sent each month, most by teens and young adults.
Sadie partly blames text messages for her bloated bills. Many cell phone companies have monthly packages offering 300 messages for a few bucks. Some kids might not understand that receiving or replying to a message counts. Once you go over the allowed messages, the charges start adding up.
Regular phone minutes also can cost kids some serious change. Many national plans include a set amount of minutes, such as 1,000 each month. That might seem like a lot, but it’s only 16 hours. Go over and extra minutes can cost 30 or 40 cents each.
Sadie says she often pays 30 cents a minute to “just ramble on with friends. I don’t know when to cut them off.”
Cutting off friends without hurting feelings can be hard. But telling pals not to send unnecessary text messages such as “Where R U?” can save you from expensive extras.
Kids etiquette expert Sheryl Eberly, author of “365 Manners Kids Should Know” (Three Rivers Press, $22.95), says kids can curb calls without offending friends. The key is to talk about how the calls affect you so it doesn’t seem like a personal attack.
“Say, ‘Unfortunately, I’m responsible for paying for my text messages and I’m getting too many. Can you help me by not sending me any?’ ” Eberly advises.
Most cell phone companies can’t block text messages, but can stop instant messages from e-mail accounts. So Sadie says kids should save before they spend. “You better have the money to pay for it if you go over,” she says.
