I went out with a friend for dinner last week, and on learning that her teenage daughter and niece were staying with her, suggested that they should've joined us. The woman said that she'd forbid them to use their cell phones in the restaurant, and in turn, they'd refuse to go, choosing to stay home with their phones instead. I was amazed and astonished at this revelation.

So I wasn't too surprised when I saw an article on the BBC website about a couple of kids (aged 12 and 13) in Spain being institutionalized over addiction to mobile phones. School was suffering, and they were lying to get money for their phones. They'd had the phones for 18 months, and in that space of time, the parents didn't limit their usage until they discovered what a problem the phones had become.

Maybe I've become one of those people who's lost touch with youth, but I don't understand why a 12-year-old really needs a cell phone. OK, I do understand giving a phone to your kids in case they get into trouble. Apart from that, which can be done well with a very basic, limited phone, I don't understand giving cell phones to kids, especially with no limits. I'm certain that my friend's kid is not abnormal, and it's a really scary situation we're creating. I'm not sure how these kids are sitting through school when they can't seem to function at all without their phones. I'm afraid cell-phone rehab is probably in store for a lot of addicted kids.