Well I think you BOTH have some valid points. Here is how it is cell phone wise in my house now. Currently all 3 of my children have cell phones (ages 13, 15 and 17). I gave them their phones during the summer of them changing from elementary school to middle school. The middle school is about a mile away and my kids ride their bikes to school so the main reason was for safety. Have they had to use thier phones for emergency's - YES. The one neighbor girl riding with my son hit a mailbox with her bike, went over the handle bars and broke her arm. Son called us for help. Then I had one son jumped by kids after school and was beat up pretty good, I got that teary call from him to come get him. That call was then followed by a call from the paramedics who showed up before I did to check him out.

When I got phones for my kids they were all basic, no cameras on them. Now my oldest his phone did break and when I called the phone insurance they sent me a new phone (his was discontinued) that did have a camera. My kids have no internet on their phones but they can text however they can not send or receive text pictures only typed messages.

I do view their phone bill every month (it shows the phone numbers). Bottom line with phones comes trust just like anything else now days with kids. I think its more important to know what your kids are doing, who they hang with and what activities they are into. I pretty much know what my kids are into and who their friends are since my house is the neighborhood hang out.