non-smartphone to recommend?

[Anonymous]

We're waiting until eighth grade to get our current sixth-grader a smartphone, but would like to get them a non-smartphone to use for texts/calls for coordinating activities with friends and being in touch when commuting independently to extracurricular activities after school. Does your child have one you would recommend?

I know there is the option of getting a smartphone and disabling other apps, but this is a matter of principle with child's older sibling, who did not have a smartphone until 8th grade, so don't want to go that route.

[Anonymous]

Do your kid's friends "text" by actually texting? I've found that mine do not.

[Anonymous]

Our 7th grader has the GABB phone.

But sounds like you would prefer a flip phone - which is also a wise choice.

These can be added to you own plan for like $10 a month and the phone is sometimes free that way.

[Anonymous]

Gabb phone. It has a camera and looks like a smart phone but doesn’t have internet or apps.

[Anonymous]

Just give them a handy-down smart phone with no apps. I don't get the drama especially if they have ipads and computers. Just make a rule they can only use it with your permission outside the home.

[Anonymous]

My 8th grader has a gabb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're waiting until eighth grade to get our current sixth-grader a smartphone, but would like to get them a non-smartphone to use for texts/calls for coordinating activities with friends and being in touch when commuting independently to extracurricular activities after school. Does your child have one you would recommend?

I know there is the option of getting a smartphone and disabling other apps, but this is a matter of principle with child's older sibling, who did not have a smartphone until 8th grade, so don't want to go that route.

We tried this and it just didn't work -- texting on a flip phone is slow, they aren't able to be on group texts with their friends, and they would forget it at home constantly because it didn't even seem like a phone to them. We ended up getting an older iphone and just enabling texting and calls instead. Her brother didn't have a phone at the same age, but doesn't mind since it's not being used like a smartphone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're waiting until eighth grade to get our current sixth-grader a smartphone, but would like to get them a non-smartphone to use for texts/calls for coordinating activities with friends and being in touch when commuting independently to extracurricular activities after school. Does your child have one you would recommend?

I know there is the option of getting a smartphone and disabling other apps, but this is a matter of principle with child's older sibling, who did not have a smartphone until 8th grade, so don't want to go that route.

We tried this and it just didn't work -- texting on a flip phone is slow, they aren't able to be on group texts with their friends, and they would forget it at home constantly because it didn't even seem like a phone to them. We ended up getting an older iphone and just enabling texting and calls instead. Her brother didn't have a phone at the same age, but doesn't mind since it's not being used like a smartphone.

We got a phone in middle school for our needs. It stays in our bedroom and only used with our permission. Kids can text from a computer or iPad too.

[Anonymous]

Younger kid usually gets technology at a younger age than older sibling. Mostly because technology has advanced and also because younger kids grow up faster due to having older siblings. Also, sometimes you realize you were too strict with oldest.

[Anonymous]

I bought a flip phone for this and it didn't work--the difficulty of texting made it useless. I spent a lot of time looking for options, like a phone with a slide-out keyboard, and couldn't find any that were compatible with our service. I ended up buying an Android.

[Anonymous]

The newer GABB phones are made by Samsung and from outward appearance, look like a smartphone (although without all the porn access and TikTok of an IPhone like most kids use).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I bought a flip phone for this and it didn't work--the difficulty of texting made it useless. I spent a lot of time looking for options, like a phone with a slide-out keyboard, and couldn't find any that were compatible with our service. I ended up buying an Android.

Remembering now...it was not just the lack of keyboard, it was not having internet to send/receive texts.

[Anonymous]

Gabb

[Anonymous]

Life is becoming more and more dependent on smart phones.

I don't know what kind of activities/friend outings your daughter participates in, but smart phones might be needed for just very basic things.

I know at my kid's high school, entrance into all games, school plays, etc. are now on an app. Food at the concessions stands are all done by credit card or apple pay/venmo/etc.

So if your daughter was to join a sport team or performing art at her school, and they had some type of competition/event at a high school, she would need either a credit card or phone app just to buy a bottle of water and slice of pizza at the concession stand.

If one of her friends has an older sibling in the high school play and they (your daughter and friends) wanted to go watch the big sibling perform, they'd need to use a phone app just to get in.

I personally find it ridiculous, but it's how it is.

[Anonymous]

Just get the smartphone and remove the apps.