Convince parents - texting?

Question

I need some help on convincing my parents to get texting. What can I say? I even offered to pay for it myself, but that doesn't seem to work! Any ideas???

Answer 1

texting is dumb ... why not just use the phone to talk to the person??

Answer 2

hah well i had the samee problem

just say ill pay for it . whats the big deal

andd that you'll do good in school, and if not they can take it offf

helpedd me.

Answer 3

I say respect their decision and move on.  No means No.

Answer 4

Perhaps you should suggest a trial period, say, a period of two months, where you pay for the texting.  After this time, let your parents decide if they should continue.  They'll realize that your grades didn't go down, that you didn't get hit by a car, and that the fact that you had texting really didn't hurt.  

Answer 5

Think about why they wouldn't want you to have it.  Address those concerns.  Are you responsible, do you get good grades, do get in trouble a lot?  If you are responsible and get good grades and don't get in trouble then lay that out for them.  But if you are not doing AT LEAST that then if you were them do you think you would be able to convince them?

You just stated not to lecture you but you never said what their reasoning was for not letting you have texting, because obviously its not a money thing.  Maybe they don't trust you.  Or maybe they do.  You need more info.

Answer 6

tell them your cell phone bill would be less if you text more because talking uses minutes but you can get a plan with unlimited texting.

We have unlimited texting on our plan and we spend less minutes because of it.

EDIT: she didn't ask if she should have it, she asked how to convnce her parents to get it.

Answer 7

I asked if I could get it as an end-of-the-year present. Maybe you can ask for it for the beginning of the school year.  It comes in handy, especially if you're at somewhere where it's loud and wouldn't be able to hear your parents if you called them. Also, it's fun :) But I'd say say the positive things of texting and that might convince them

Answer 8

If you want to convince someone of something, you should address their objections to it.  With the company my family uses, these points might help your argument (other plans might be different though):  

If the issue is cost, show that with unlimited texting, you might actually save money by cutting back on the minutes you pay for.

If they think you might use it when you shouldn't, such as at school or during the middle of the night, tell them they can get usage controls that allow them to stop you from using your phone for anything except emergencies during certain hours of the day.  Then negotiate for when those controls will be used.

If they think you might send or receive inappropriate messages or pictures, tell them you will allow them to see what you're sending at random times.   Talk to them and let them know that you know how to use texting safely.  

If they worry that you may be connecting with people they don't approve of, offer to let them see your contacts list.  Tell them they can see the numbers you're messaging online and on the bills. Let them know they can block certain numbers from contacting you.

These things might reassure them about their worries.  But you might also have to accept your parents' supervision and control, at least until they trust you with it.  If you can't do that, maybe you shouldn't be texting.  

Answer 9

What do you need it for? Call that person and if you can't call then wait. I know it's popular with the younger crowd to text but I honestly don't get it. It wastes so much time. Paris Hilton isn't cool, and you'd be looking like her. Put the phone down, step away and go live life and stop texting and talking about on the phone.