Sorry, Doug. Times have changed and whether you think it's right or wrong, a teenage girl will want nothing less than a smartphone.

I think it's a bit crazy that I know multiple parents who give their teens and pre-teens iPhones, but I'm not a parent. Also, when I was a teen in the mid 90s, I had a pager. That was a bit unusual at the time, but you bet your bippy that I would have a smartphone if I was a teen today. Whether I was the one paying for it or not.

If you're an American parent in 2013, I have to guess the pressure you get from your kid to provide them with a smartphone is intense. I imagine the best way to deal with it would be get a relatively cheap Android phone and put it on a prepaid carrier. By far, I think Virgin Mobile is the most competitive. Especially if your kid mostly texts and uses data services.

I've set up multiple people in our factory with Virgin Mobile handsets because they a) don't have credit, and b) don't want to spend a lot on service. The HTC One V is often on sale for $99, and I think it's a great value. The screen is nice, the build quality is high, and it runs Ice Cream Sandwich. Overall, I think that phone on the $35 plan is the best value in wireless (as long as your expectation of high-speed data is low). If you're just using it to check Facebook and similar stuff I imagine teens like to do, it's more than fine.