Would it be possible for a teen to have no access to any social media until college?

Anonymous
Including YouTube, and including on school computers and friends devices?

Please settle a debate on whether or not this would be possible (or advisable.)

Thanks.
Anonymous
Nope. Not possible to enforce. Not something I’d encourage anyone to attempt. Time would be better spent having conversations with a kid about meeting friends from the internet, how whose feed you look at affects mood, what’s legal and illegal in terms of sexting, etc.
Anonymous
No. My rising senior has zero interest in instagram, tik tok, etc., but he love to watch TedEd videos on YouTube and uses discord for school clubs. So, even for a kid who isn't interested in social media in the usual sense, he uses social media daily. For a kid who is at least somewhat social, it would be impossible. I should add that having a cellphone is expected in high school, not just by peers but by teachers who assign group projects or use Kahoot in class.
Anonymous
Definitely not possible, almost definitely not advisable.
Anonymous
Of course it’s possible, many people do this every day
Anonymous
We have two families that we are friends with and their kids are not allowed to have cell phones until they are old enough to drive and no social media until 18. They have very large families and let me tell you, these kids are the most sociable happy humble kids. Not a lot of insecurities either. These families keep their word too. A few of their kids are over 16 and 18. It's refreshing, I am not going to lie.

Many Amish families have no cell phones. It can be done. But sadly parents in America want their kids to have phones because they are anxious idiots and think they "need" them.
Anonymous
Close to impossible. DC uses cell phone at school — e.g. attendance check by scanning QR code, taking photos of work to submit, uses tuning app for instrument etc.
Anonymous
Oh yes, and kahoot as mentioned above. Definitely assumption by our MS/HS teachers that you have a phone. And in most classes, phones are stored until needed in one of those over the door accessory holders, every student has a pocket.
Anonymous
Not possible unless they are friendless and homeschooled (yes, I know, Not All Homeschoolers Are Friendless) and would be doing them no favors as they went off into the adult world with no way to regulate their usage.
Anonymous
Amish, for example.


Ultra orthodox Hasidic
Anonymous
Live off the grid in a log cabin.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:We have two families that we are friends with and their kids are not allowed to have cell phones until they are old enough to drive and no social media until 18. They have very large families and let me tell you, these kids are the most sociable happy humble kids. Not a lot of insecurities either. These families keep their word too. A few of their kids are over 16 and 18. It's refreshing, I am not going to lie.

Many Amish families have no cell phones. It can be done. But sadly parents in America want their kids to have phones because they are anxious idiots and think they "need" them.


Actually a lot of amish have cellphones, it's how they coordinate their amish taxis and go to their jobs off the farm. Do they text their buddies? Idk, a lot of them seem to be glued to their phones during breaks at the markets.

i also would not hold up the amish as an example, cutting off their kids from the world leads to really terrible abuse: https://people.com/crime/sins-of-the-amish-inside-amish-sex-abuse-survivor-quest-for-justice/


Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Of course it’s possible, many people do this every day


How do parents insure they do not use computers at schools or friends phones? Are you thinking of a 12 year old or any age teen?
Anonymous
…if you homeschooled? Maybe? I would say not advisable; social media is how kids talk (assuming you’re including things like discord in that category).
Anonymous
OP here. Not Amish (or any other religion outside the mainstream), not homeschooled. Regular kids in mainstream school.
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