Critics of kid phones

A group of child advocates "including the singer Raffi, Harvard child psychiatrist Alvin Poussaint, and conservative political operative Phyllis Schlafly" are calling on Congress to investigate the marketing and sale of mobile phones to children, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. In letters to the commerce committees of both houses of Congress, they're protesting the creation of the 8-12 market niche whereby marketers can bypass parents and "talk" directly to kids. They're also asking lawmakers to look into whether "adults other than parents could contact children by phone, and whether individuals other than parents could track the physical location of the child's phone." The letters register concerns about classroom disruptions, billing practices, and whether it's healthy for kids to use cellphones. The Sun-Times quotes the letters as citing Disney's soon-to-launched kids' phone service (in partnership with Sprint - see this at NFN); it's not clear if the writers mention others. But the Sun-Times adds some of the latest developments in this niche: "Firefly Mobile has signed up 100,000 users under age 12 since March. Firefly phones connect with parent-programmed phone numbers at the touch of one button…. Coming soon: child-targeted phone service from Enfora for children as young as 6, Global Positioning System through Wherify, a Barbie brand mobile phone from Mattel and one from Hasbro called 'Chat Now'."