Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Pitfalls of allowing kids a mobile phone

By James Fuller
Bay of Plenty Times·
14 Sep, 2012 11:00 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The case of a Bay of Plenty teacher accused of sending inappropriate text messages to a 10-year-old student has reignited the debate over the correct age for children to own mobile phones.

Bart de Jong, who is now studying IT in Tauranga, was acquitted on a technicality after sending 1640 text messages to the girl at a Whakatane school.

Judge Louis Bidois called de Jong's behaviour deplorable and disturbing.

"The charge was not made out - not because you proved your innocence, but because the legislation was not well drafted," Judge Bidois said.

The case highlighted one danger which can arise when children have access to mobile phones. However, many parents believe the day-to-day benefits of remaining in contact with their children outweigh the potential issues of misuse of this kind.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Dave Randell, principal of Otumoetai College, said "the use and misuse of phones is a big issue".

The use of phone and social media messaging between teachers and pupils can be a minefield even for the well-intentioned.

Mr Randell said he had never had a problem at his school but sent a reminder out to his staff recently about appropriate conduct.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I sent out a reminder to staff just a couple of weeks ago about keeping clear professional boundaries. For instance, when a hockey or volleyball practice is cancelled it's a great way of letting people know quickly. But I reminded them there should not be any personal message attached to that which could be misinterpreted. I also reminded teachers not to share any personal information with students."

Mr Randell said his pupils were allowed to use mobile phones in the classroom but "not for personal messaging".

"These are not simply phones anymore, gone are the days of just phone and text. They are a great learning tool. They can be used as calculators, to check the weather forecast, to research a word in a foreign language, the list is endless."

However, Mr Randell said the proliferation of mobile phones and the advent of the social media age had "been terrible for bullying".

Clinical psychologist Tanzi Bennison, of Tauranga's Sunflower Consulting, said the case of Bart de Jong showed the perils of children being drawn into an adult world.

"We need to be really careful," she said. "Children and even teenagers are not cognitively able to process and think through properly the consequences of their actions. They become involved in this world emotionally, socially and cognitively, that they are not equipped to deal with.

"That is why parental inveiglement and knowledge about how a phone is being used is really important. If it's just for a safety measure then put the limitations and boundaries on it to make sure it is only used for that purpose.

"You need to open up that ongoing dialogue with your child about the safety considerations of cellphones and why they're not allowed to use them in certain ways."

Ms Bennison said it was difficult to place an age barrier on mobile phones.

"They need to be old enough to understand the risks associated with cellphones, sharing their number with others or using it inappropriately. They need to understand there will be a consequence and parents can impose a consequence for that. But when that is appropriate depends a lot on the child."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She said many youngsters possessed mobile phones without their parents' knowledge in any case.

"Pretty much all college kids have cellphones and a large proportion of intermediate school kids own them.

"A lot might have been intended for safety situations but the children are using them for a whole lot of other things too. I'm not sure parents are always aware of that. It opens them up to bullying, it opens them up to sexting and all sorts of things.

"I have heard of children who have one phone to keep in touch with mum and dad and then one or two other phones that mum and dad don't know about. So the child is manipulating the situation and they are in control.

"That's where it gets dangerous. Parents might feel like they've got their finger on the pulse but there's another side to the story.

"The danger of that as well is that the child has already lied about the phone usage so if they are being bullied or exposed to inappropriate information or pictures then they can't go to their parents because they would be afraid of getting into more trouble."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

One parent who has had his mind changed about children's use of mobile phones is Need-a-Nerd Tauranga franchise owner Paul Logan.

"My daughter goes to an intermediate school in the Bay and we were sent a parental survey about whether we agreed with children having mobile phones in class. My wife, who is a primary school teacher, said it was okay and my first inkling was that it wasn't. But I've reconsidered that now.

"Speaking as a parent ... I would say there are many benefits of mobile phones and that they have a role in education."

Mr Logan's daughter was 11 when she was allowed a mobile phone. He said the question of the correct age was down to parental choice.

"As long as the boundaries are set in place and you discuss them with your child, that is the important thing. That access to technology, they're already seeking it anyway, so you may as well manage it.

"I've had a complete turnaround in the last three weeks really because I've been opened up to what the kids can use the phones for and how it can benefit their education.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"In many cases we have to give them benefit of the doubt because they're more aware of the technology than us old crusties. You're far better to manage it and learn about it than stick your head in the sand."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

$1m buyers crazy for Hare Krishna barn with cars in the lounge - 'my busiest open home in three years'

Bay of Plenty Times

'Sustained period of cruelty': Starship doctor slates child protection agency failings

Bay of Plenty Times

Mighty ponga trees save driver as car plunges towards stream


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

$1m buyers crazy for Hare Krishna barn with cars in the lounge - 'my busiest open home in three years'
Bay of Plenty Times

$1m buyers crazy for Hare Krishna barn with cars in the lounge - 'my busiest open home in three years'

Stunning Bay of Plenty home used to be a Hare Krishna workshop.

15 Jul 08:10 AM
'Sustained period of cruelty': Starship doctor slates child protection agency failings
Bay of Plenty Times

'Sustained period of cruelty': Starship doctor slates child protection agency failings

15 Jul 06:00 AM
Mighty ponga trees save driver as car plunges towards stream
Bay of Plenty Times

Mighty ponga trees save driver as car plunges towards stream

15 Jul 05:23 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP