What phones do your teens have?

[Anonymous]

I forget which one but a two year old Iphone SE. He only got a new one as they offered me one for $150. He started off with our old one and it was struggling so we upgraded our phones and planned to give him one of those but a new battery was $100. Not a change I'd buy a 16. An SE/13/14 maybe.

If you have an older phone, upgrade yours and give it to him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Wow that's so rigid - her friends can call you? Yikes...

Yes, remember the 90s when you called a friend's house and *gasp* might have to talk to their dad for 10 seconds before he put your friend on? Yeah, it's like that.

Or, like I said, they can use the household cell phone, my wife's phone. Spare me the sanctimony.

So she's not on social media, I can't imagine, my 13yo DD is addicted and I'm trying to get her to stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I forget which one but a two year old Iphone SE. He only got a new one as they offered me one for $150. He started off with our old one and it was struggling so we upgraded our phones and planned to give him one of those but a new battery was $100. Not a change I'd buy a 16. An SE/13/14 maybe.

If you have an older phone, upgrade yours and give it to him.

Oh, missed he has a 13. Absolutely no new phone. That's a good phone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Wow that's so rigid - her friends can call you? Yikes...

Yes, remember the 90s when you called a friend's house and *gasp* might have to talk to their dad for 10 seconds before he put your friend on? Yeah, it's like that.

Or, like I said, they can use the household cell phone, my wife's phone. Spare me the sanctimony.

Calling in the 90’s, it was house phone to house phone. So yes, anyone picked up. It’s not comparable to today. We can text. Most people text instead of call. So it’s weird for a teen girl to text “the cellphone,” and the dad reads it or responds. It’s creepy. Why no phone?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Wow that's so rigid - her friends can call you? Yikes...

Yes, remember the 90s when you called a friend's house and *gasp* might have to talk to their dad for 10 seconds before he put your friend on? Yeah, it's like that.

Or, like I said, they can use the household cell phone, my wife's phone. Spare me the sanctimony.

So she's not on social media, I can't imagine, my 13yo DD is addicted and I'm trying to get her to stop.

Correct. We aren't either, finally gave up on Instagram a couple years ago; off Facebook for 10 years or so.

I sympathize with you. It's hard enough for us adults to put the damn things down. I wish you the best in helping your daughter navigate this.

[Anonymous]

OP: Seems like most sensible parents around here give their kids older models. I told him he will be keeping it till he can work and buy his own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Wow that's so rigid - her friends can call you? Yikes...

Yes, remember the 90s when you called a friend's house and *gasp* might have to talk to their dad for 10 seconds before he put your friend on? Yeah, it's like that.

Or, like I said, they can use the household cell phone, my wife's phone. Spare me the sanctimony.

Calling in the 90’s, it was house phone to house phone. So yes, anyone picked up. It’s not comparable to today. We can text. Most people text instead of call. So it’s weird for a teen girl to text “the cellphone,” and the dad reads it or responds. It’s creepy. Why no phone?

They don't really text. Mostly call. There's no iron law that says they have to text. Regarding "Why no phone?" I will provide no answer, because it's not a serious question.

[Anonymous]

BTW, teens aren't comparing their phones. You have a phone, you use it. If your phone is so old that you can't use the same apps as your friends, you stand out (my youngest is in such a situation). If the friend circle is heavily into imessage and you don't have an iPhone, you stand out.

Parents shouldn't feel the need to rescue their poor abused kids who don't have the latest and greatest. I'm also not a fan of not giving some private means of communication to a teen either. The device has to call and text. My youngest with the decrepit cell managed to communicate with me during her school's lockdown. She spent 3 hours in a closet in the dark due to a gun fight outside of the school grounds. Texting was comforting in the moment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Wow that's so rigid - her friends can call you? Yikes...

Yes, remember the 90s when you called a friend's house and *gasp* might have to talk to their dad for 10 seconds before he put your friend on? Yeah, it's like that.

Or, like I said, they can use the household cell phone, my wife's phone. Spare me the sanctimony.

Calling in the 90’s, it was house phone to house phone. So yes, anyone picked up. It’s not comparable to today. We can text. Most people text instead of call. So it’s weird for a teen girl to text “the cellphone,” and the dad reads it or responds. It’s creepy. Why no phone?

They don't really text. Mostly call. There's no iron law that says they have to text. Regarding "Why no phone?" I will provide no answer, because it's not a serious question.

This is pretty unusual. My teens pretty much never talk on the phone with friends- pretty much always text or DMs. Maybe the very occasional FT with a close friend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BTW, teens aren't comparing their phones. You have a phone, you use it. If your phone is so old that you can't use the same apps as your friends, you stand out (my youngest is in such a situation). If the friend circle is heavily into imessage and you don't have an iPhone, you stand out.

Parents shouldn't feel the need to rescue their poor abused kids who don't have the latest and greatest. I'm also not a fan of not giving some private means of communication to a teen either. The device has to call and text. My youngest with the decrepit cell managed to communicate with me during her school's lockdown. She spent 3 hours in a closet in the dark due to a gun fight outside of the school grounds. Texting was comforting in the moment.

+1

The phone model might come up in conversation occasionally, but it isn’t anything you are going to be made fun of about, by any means.

My teens have old but functional iPhones and we purchase the phones and pay the bill. I think that is more than generous enough. I replace them if they break or are legitimately not functioning well (for example at one point, DS’s would not hold a charge well anymore).

[Anonymous]

No smartphones until my kids are 18 and they buy them with their own money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No smartphones until my kids are 18 and they buy them with their own money.

Agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Wow that's so rigid - her friends can call you? Yikes...

Yes, remember the 90s when you called a friend's house and *gasp* might have to talk to their dad for 10 seconds before he put your friend on? Yeah, it's like that.

Or, like I said, they can use the household cell phone, my wife's phone. Spare me the sanctimony.

Calling in the 90’s, it was house phone to house phone. So yes, anyone picked up. It’s not comparable to today. We can text. Most people text instead of call. So it’s weird for a teen girl to text “the cellphone,” and the dad reads it or responds. It’s creepy. Why no phone?

They don't really text. Mostly call. There's no iron law that says they have to text. Regarding "Why no phone?" I will provide no answer, because it's not a serious question.

Sounds like your family are just a bunch of losers. Losers raising a loser daughter. Must suck to be her. You are sheltering her instead of teaching her how to navigate the world. Good luck when she finally gets her freedom…..

NP. Sounds like someone who is insecure in their parenting choices. Invariably, I find that kids without phones (or at least without smart phones) are the smartest and most interesting kids I know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Wow that's so rigid - her friends can call you? Yikes...

Yes, remember the 90s when you called a friend's house and *gasp* might have to talk to their dad for 10 seconds before he put your friend on? Yeah, it's like that.

Or, like I said, they can use the household cell phone, my wife's phone. Spare me the sanctimony.

Calling in the 90’s, it was house phone to house phone. So yes, anyone picked up. It’s not comparable to today. We can text. Most people text instead of call. So it’s weird for a teen girl to text “the cellphone,” and the dad reads it or responds. It’s creepy. Why no phone?

They don't really text. Mostly call. There's no iron law that says they have to text. Regarding "Why no phone?" I will provide no answer, because it's not a serious question.

Sounds like your family are just a bunch of losers. Losers raising a loser daughter. Must suck to be her. You are sheltering her instead of teaching her how to navigate the world. Good luck when she finally gets her freedom…..

NP: you don’t need to be so mean, geez….

That said, I can’t even imagine what this is like socially for her. I have never even heard of a 16yo without a cell phone. (Younger teens- yes) No matter how strict the parents are. Though some parents will still have heavier restrictions/monitoring.

[Anonymous]

My 8th grader and DH got free upgrades so they both have 16s. I still have my 13 and will probably pass it down to my younger DC in a few years when they get a phone and upgrade myself.