pinwheel phone?

[Anonymous]

My dd has had a gabb phone for the past 1.5 years (since spring of 5th grade--she is now in fall of 7th grade). It has been a good fit. I have told her that she is not getting a smartphone until 8th grade, if then.

Now, with her 13th birthday approaching, she's pushing back on this, and saying she wants a smartphone for her birthday. I don't intend to get her one (this is made easier by the fact that quite a few kids in her social circle don't have them)... but all the same I would like to find some way to be responsive to her feelings, short of granting what she's requesting.

One thought I had was to get a Pinwheel phone, which won't accommodate internet browser or social media but which will allow parent to add other apps from a curated list--this way she could have other things she's expressed interest in (google maps, spotify, calendar, mindfulness apps, kindle app, etc).

I am interested to hear from anyone who has tried a Pinwheel. What is your experience--pros, cons, anything else you'd care to share?

I am NOT asking for people's opinion about whether I should get my daughter a smartphone, I'm well informed as to the pros and cons and I don't want to have that debate here.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Does she want those apps? If not just stick with what she already has.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does she want those apps? If not just stick with what she already has.

Sorry just saw she expressed interest int them. I still would stick with what you already have, it’s doubtful The Pinwheel will scratch the itch.

[Anonymous]

Hi. Both my kids have pinwheel phones (11 & 13)

What 8noove about them is that I have total (and simple user friendly) control over when their phones are in what mode. For example, I’ve programmed the phones to be shut off at 9pm. I can also program the phones to allow certain apps at certain times. My kids have a school day mode where they can receive texts from only me and can use Remind; but they cannot chat with friends or use Spotify. Those things become available at 3:30. All of this is customizable and intended to grow with your child.
They are Samsung phones so they don’t look like a kid phone with has been key in fitting in with peers. Also like that I can approve/ monitor contacts and text and call history. I generally don’t, but recently my son got into trouble and I decided to go back through his phone and it was quite helpful.
The pinwheelmplatform occasionally needs to be updated and reloaded but I would 100% recommend it. And if you decide it’s not for you, then just remove the pinwheel platform and run it as an Android smartphone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi. Both my kids have pinwheel phones (11 & 13)

What 8noove about them is that I have total (and simple user friendly) control over when their phones are in what mode. For example, I’ve programmed the phones to be shut off at 9pm. I can also program the phones to allow certain apps at certain times. My kids have a school day mode where they can receive texts from only me and can use Remind; but they cannot chat with friends or use Spotify. Those things become available at 3:30. All of this is customizable and intended to grow with your child.
They are Samsung phones so they don’t look like a kid phone with has been key in fitting in with peers. Also like that I can approve/ monitor contacts and text and call history. I generally don’t, but recently my son got into trouble and I decided to go back through his phone and it was quite helpful.
The pinwheelmplatform occasionally needs to be updated and reloaded but I would 100% recommend it. And if you decide it’s not for you, then just remove the pinwheel platform and run it as an Android smartphone.

This is extremely helpful. This is all very appealing. Thank you so much!

[Anonymous]

Thanks OP!

Right there with you. We just got second tween his own Gabb phone. The newest ones are some sort of Samsung model designed for Gabb.

As a Samsung, it seems somehow "more acceptable" at school. Gabb works great!

Will check out Pinwheel next. Holding out against a smart phone for as long as possible because its horrible to see what these phones are doing to other kids in this generation.

[Anonymous]

If you are planning to get her a phone in 8th grade, do you want to get another piece of hardware now that she will replace in 11 months?

What about a tablet? She can use all those apps on a tablet but only when she has wifi, so there are some automatic brakes on usage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are planning to get her a phone in 8th grade, do you want to get another piece of hardware now that she will replace in 11 months?

What about a tablet? She can use all those apps on a tablet but only when she has wifi, so there are some automatic brakes on usage.

OP here. When she gets a smartphone, I could use the Pinwheel for her younger sibling. But to be honest, although I'm hardly in the "money is no object" category, I am willing to spend extra money here given that there are mental health issues at stake (some of which are particular to my anxious and slightly compulsive kiddo - not judging others). In that context, buying 11 months of time for her to ease her way into use of a device like this, and 11 months of time to gain just a bit more maturity and a stronger sense of self... Is worth it to me (and cheap compared to the costs--financial and otherwise-- of mental health issues).

simply put, I don't want instagram and internet in her pocket just yet (and yes I know iphones have parental controls, and I also know kids who get around them).

We have an ipad, and I agree 1000% with your logic. If I don't get the Pinwheel I'll continue to offer that as an alternative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are planning to get her a phone in 8th grade, do you want to get another piece of hardware now that she will replace in 11 months?

What about a tablet? She can use all those apps on a tablet but only when she has wifi, so there are some automatic brakes on usage.

OP here. When she gets a smartphone, I could use the Pinwheel for her younger sibling. But to be honest, although I'm hardly in the "money is no object" category, I am willing to spend extra money here given that there are mental health issues at stake (some of which are particular to my anxious and slightly compulsive kiddo - not judging others). In that context, buying 11 months of time for her to ease her way into use of a device like this, and 11 months of time to gain just a bit more maturity and a stronger sense of self... Is worth it to me (and cheap compared to the costs--financial and otherwise-- of mental health issues).

simply put, I don't want instagram and internet in her pocket just yet (and yes I know iphones have parental controls, and I also know kids who get around them).

We have an ipad, and I agree 1000% with your logic. If I don't get the Pinwheel I'll continue to offer that as an alternative.

Insta is toxic for teens:

“ Depression, lower self-esteem, appearance anxiety and body dissatisfaction are all associated with Instagram use. One study examined the frequency of Instagram use, and found it was linked with all of these negative outcomes."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are planning to get her a phone in 8th grade, do you want to get another piece of hardware now that she will replace in 11 months?

What about a tablet? She can use all those apps on a tablet but only when she has wifi, so there are some automatic brakes on usage.

OP here. When she gets a smartphone, I could use the Pinwheel for her younger sibling. But to be honest, although I'm hardly in the "money is no object" category, I am willing to spend extra money here given that there are mental health issues at stake (some of which are particular to my anxious and slightly compulsive kiddo - not judging others). In that context, buying 11 months of time for her to ease her way into use of a device like this, and 11 months of time to gain just a bit more maturity and a stronger sense of self... Is worth it to me (and cheap compared to the costs--financial and otherwise-- of mental health issues).

simply put, I don't want instagram and internet in her pocket just yet (and yes I know iphones have parental controls, and I also know kids who get around them).

We have an ipad, and I agree 1000% with your logic. If I don't get the Pinwheel I'll continue to offer that as an alternative.

Insta is toxic for teens:

“ Depression, lower self-esteem, appearance anxiety and body dissatisfaction are all associated with Instagram use. One study examined the frequency of Instagram use, and found it was linked with all of these negative outcomes."

Here is the source, cited in a Forbes article:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimelsesser/2021/10/05/heres-how-instagram-harms-young-women-according-to-research/?sh=747da796255a

[Anonymous]

Pinwheel does have good phones, and you are able to enable play store on them in case you want to add more apps that are not on the approved list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are planning to get her a phone in 8th grade, do you want to get another piece of hardware now that she will replace in 11 months?

What about a tablet? She can use all those apps on a tablet but only when she has wifi, so there are some automatic brakes on usage.

OP here. When she gets a smartphone, I could use the Pinwheel for her younger sibling. But to be honest, although I'm hardly in the "money is no object" category, I am willing to spend extra money here given that there are mental health issues at stake (some of which are particular to my anxious and slightly compulsive kiddo - not judging others). In that context, buying 11 months of time for her to ease her way into use of a device like this, and 11 months of time to gain just a bit more maturity and a stronger sense of self... Is worth it to me (and cheap compared to the costs--financial and otherwise-- of mental health issues).

simply put, I don't want instagram and internet in her pocket just yet (and yes I know iphones have parental controls, and I also know kids who get around them).

We have an ipad, and I agree 1000% with your logic. If I don't get the Pinwheel I'll continue to offer that as an alternative.

Insta is toxic for teens:

“ Depression, lower self-esteem, appearance anxiety and body dissatisfaction are all associated with Instagram use. One study examined the frequency of Instagram use, and found it was linked with all of these negative outcomes."

Hi OP,

Please take a look - even a brief look - at this science ( especially the graph on page 5):

https://sapienlabs.org/wp-content/uploads/202...llbeing-Outcomes.pdf

I would put off getting your child a phone for as long as possible.

If they really need it, buy them a flip-phone.