Those who support giving their children mobile phones argue that it is for their safety and ignore the negative social and psychological effects. Others who oppose giving young children mobile phones believe doing so is a waste of time and money and fear the technology could be misused.

Sabri Telib, a manager at an international company in Jeddah and father of four, said his 11-year-old son has a mobile phone. “I’ve given him the phone for his own safety. I’ve placed some strict rules on him in using the phone and we strictly monitor him. He’s not allowed to take it with him to school, only when he’s out with friends so I know where he is,” he said.

“I only give it to him when he is out with his friends so I know where he’s gone. I am, traditionally, against young kids using mobile phones but I think it can be okay if it is properly monitored,” he added. Telib’s son recently asked for a latest BlackBerry, but he refused saying his son is not old enough to use it properly. “The phone he has is a simple one and only costs SR120,” he said.

Amal Ali, a Saudi mother of five, bought her 14-year-old daughter an advanced mobile phone as a present after she passed her exams. She believes mobile phones are crucial to ensure children can contact their parents in emergencies. “I am, in principle, against giving mobiles to children because they can be misused. The only thing we can do is educate them about the positive use of mobile phones,” she said. “I was pressured to buy a phone for my daughter because she was the only one among her friends without one. I gave her one under the strict condition that if she ever misused it then it would be taken from her.”

Essam Abdulrazik, a financial manager at a private company in Jeddah and father of three, is convinced that giving mobile phones to children is important. “When my kids asked for a cell phone, I didn’t object. Children want to have their own mobiles as a luxury item because their friends also have them,” he said. “I bought my son a mobile phone when he turned 11. However, I am against giving children cell phones such as BlackBerries. A simple phone for simple daily use is enough; this would teach children how to properly use advanced phones when they grow up.” Abdulrazik believes that cell phones limit a child’s interaction with people and force them to live in isolation.

Arab News met a 12-year-old at a local mall with a BlackBerry in his hand. When asked what he uses it for, the boy said he bought it for the games and other applications, and that his family rarely calls him on it.

Dr. Ahmed A’Latif Ibrahim, a psychiatrist at the United Doctors Hospital, spoke of some of the psychological effects of using mobiles on children and teenagers. “Children create their own magical worlds through mobile phones that results in behavioral changes. They become isolated and their concentration becomes affected. There is also a negative impact on a child’s education,” he said.

“Children become emotionally attached to people that they don’t even know and who they meet through their mobiles. One of the bad influences is that kids start to lie and fabricate excuses to justify their negligence or talking a lot on phones without providing proper reasons,” he said.

He added that mobiles have a lot of applications and that children seem to involve themselves in little physical activities, confining themselves to mental activities. He said this is a very negative development.