Dear counsellor, I am 14 years old. I am completing my O’Level, but my dad says I will own a phone when I finish Senior Six. What bothers me is that I can’t communicate with friends without using dad’s phone. How do I convince him that I am responsible enough to own one and use it responsibly? Arthur

Your future career success will not depend on whether or not you had a mobile phone in your secondary school but rather the great commitment and sacrifice you give to your studies. A mobile phone is a good thing to own at the right age, time and with a right purpose. Speaking from experience, there is a possibility that at your age you can strike a balance between the ever increasing academic tasks and the phone-related issues plus all the interruptions that call for time. Sit down and reasonably evaluate the benefits of education as opposed to having a phone and make a rational decision about which path is more likely to lead you to success. Under any cost, I would encourage you to give up the idea of having a mobile phone at secondary school and divert your energy and interest on how to accomplish your career goals.

Your parents love you so much and this is why they want to protect and support you to achieve your career goals. Respect is foundational to love, and one best way to show your parents that you love them is to treat them with respect. You need to demonstrate your maturity through handling yourself calmly and with a great sense of integrity by doing the right things at the right time without hurting your parents’ feelings. Remember your father is mature and by denying you access to having a private mobile phone, he does it for your own good to protect you from any misleading content that is likely to interfere with or prevent you from achieving your career goals. The higher you go in Education, the more chances of connecting with a wide range of friends who will benefit you greatly in life. Therefore, make competent and good friends that will motivate you every time you see them achieving and break down your contact with students who do not encourage you to make the best out of school.

The weapon of bravery and passion for studies should sail you over to greater heights in all life’s aspects. You should also get fully involved in school activities and academic undertakings like group work discussion, quizzes, debating competitions and co-curricular activities both of which have great contributions to your better performance and physical wellbeing. Set life goals to guide you throughout your studies and never surrender your goal to any worthless negatives. Once you succeed in your studies, you will get the most expensive mobile phones and high quality friends who will benefit you both physically, socially and academically.