Virgin Mobile put out a press release with its "Simple Tips To Help Keep Teen Cell Phone Users Safe." They seem like common sense, but I'm betting a lot of busy parents may forget to do this after buying their teen a new cell phone. I'm going to add my own tips on cell phone ethics to the bottom:

1) Pre-program all key contact numbers for parents or other responsible adults into a teen's cell phone, both for home and work.

2) Make sure to program an ICE ("in case of emergency") number with appropriate contact information, so that police and other emergency personnel know who to call if the child needs help. This means you list a number so it appears as ICE on the alphabetical contacts list.

3) Make sure they know they can use "911" for emergencies from cell phones as well.

4) One can also use the preprogrammed keys #2-9 [#1 usually is preset to dial voicemail] using #2 for 911, #3 for home, etc.

5) Remind teens not to say their phone number, name or other personally identifiable information out loud in crowded settings. They never know who might be listening.

6) Teens must be reminded that talking on handsets while driving is a dangerous -- and in many states, illegal -- distraction and should be avoided. Ear "buds" are useful for talking on the phone but still require dialing, which should not be done while driving. Some phones offer voice-activated dialing; if so, the voice activations should be done in advance. Ideally, teens should pull over in a safe place, turn the car off, keep doors locked and then make their necessary call.

7) Fun features on cell phones like texting, downloading ringtones or instant messaging are great, but it is important to use them in the appropriate time and place. Not only does this relate to courtesy toward others, even more important is to remind teens to remain aware of their surroundings (such as crossing a busy street or walking alone at night) while using the phone.

8) Remind them not to use their phone at school.

9) They should give out their cell phone numbers only to people that they know and trust and they should never respond to text messages from an unknown or unrecognizable number.

10) Teach teens how to block suspicious or unwanted numbers from their cell phones.

In many cases I can imagine parents asking their teens to help them do many of these tasks, like figuring out how to block unwanted numbers. Here are my tips on cell phone ethics:

1) Talk about the bill. Familiarize yourself with the plan you have purchased for your teen and then go over it with them line by line explaining exactly what is included and what isn't. This is key when it comes to features teens love like texting as well as the fun stuff Virgin Mobile mentioned - ringtones, wallpapers, etc.

2) Talk about when to turn it off and when to turn it down. It's not just at school. It can be at family dinners, movies or public performances and most importantly, when they are studying or when it's time to go to sleep at night. Help them by setting limits. Back to school, remind them that off means no texting, no ringtones that adults can't hear, etc. Also talk to them about cheating in general and cheating via text messaging -- another NO.

3) Talk about cyberbullying, gossip and the camera or video functionality on the phone. Remind them that it's not ok to record or capture people's images without their permission or knowledge and that posting these images on a public site like YouTube can has consequences. Also tell them it's not cool to use phones to gossip via text about someone who may be in the same room or the same car!