Kids need lessons on uses of cellphones

Parenting was never a piece of cake in any age, but probably the greatest source of headache for parents today in Japan is the ubiquitous cellphone. Today, 96 percent of senior high school students and 58 percent of junior high school students have cellphones. Even among primary school children, 31 percent have them.

By enabling youngsters to stay connected with their parents at all times, these gadgets help to keep children safe. For the kids, they are fun toys, too, that let them text to or chat with their pals whenever they want, play Internet games, and enjoy blogging for their own profile and diary purposes. They can even write novels and publish them online.

But terrible dangers lurk beneath all that fun and convenience.