Do teens at wealthier schools really feel pressure to have the latest & greatest iPhone?

[Anonymous]

Only the insecure ones that will end up like their social-climbing miserable inside parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP,
ALL kids above the age of 8 or so talk about who has the latest and greatest iPhone. It’s the designer jean of the iGeneration.

Those of us without the Calvin Klein, Guess and Vanderbilt jeans ended up way better in life by 30.

The girls given the convertible at 16, the tight designer jeans...man--not doing so good at 45.

[Anonymous]

We are middle income. Go to a top private and there is no talk about that. The kids are banned from cell phone use all day except 9-12th can use them for 10min after leaving the lunch room. It is my favorite school rule besides uniforms. Leaves school for teaching only.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP,
ALL kids above the age of 8 or so talk about who has the latest and greatest iPhone. It’s the designer jean of the iGeneration.

Serious? There's practically no difference between the 6s and the newest 8. Even Apple is doing sales tactics to encourage people to buy the 8 over the 7 and 6s. I'm pretty into tech and it's pretty impossible to discern which iPhone (6 or 8) someone has because everyone uses a case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP,
ALL kids above the age of 8 or so talk about who has the latest and greatest iPhone. It’s the designer jean of the iGeneration.

Serious? There's practically no difference between the 6s and the newest 8. Even Apple is doing sales tactics to encourage people to buy the 8 over the 7 and 6s. I'm pretty into tech and it's pretty impossible to discern which iPhone (6 or 8) someone has because everyone uses a case.

Totally nit true at our Big 3 school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP,
ALL kids above the age of 8 or so talk about who has the latest and greatest iPhone. It’s the designer jean of the iGeneration.

Those of us without the Calvin Klein, Guess and Vanderbilt jeans ended up way better in life by 30.

The girls given the convertible at 16, the tight designer jeans...man--not doing so good at 45.

No. Many of those with the convertibles and designer clothes did just fine in life.

[Anonymous]

Another Bethesda middle school parent here. My kid is 11 and does not have a phone. Many of his friends dont either.

[Anonymous]

My kids go to the top privates in DC (8th and 11th) and hang with kids from many different area privates as well as a few of the close in MoCo publics, so its a super wealthy crowd.

Both have iphones, the 6s, same as me, which we all upgraded to a few years ago. I think most of their friends have the same phone. They do know when someone has something other than an iphone because that kid almost always complains to his/her peers about it. Its not a big deal but it pretty much signals that the friend might not be as well off as others. They dont seem to have any friedns who dont have a phone at all. That would probably be a big deal.

My DD has been making noise about an iphone X but the boy really doesnt care. I have no idea why DD wants the iphone X but im not getting if for her. Her 6s is just fine. So is mine. Im not impressed with the newest versions so not planning to upgrade to it. Anyway, I doubt its "peer pressure" its more likely just what she wants. She is into technology.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP,
ALL kids above the age of 8 or so talk about who has the latest and greatest iPhone. It’s the designer jean of the iGeneration.

Those of us without the Calvin Klein, Guess and Vanderbilt jeans ended up way better in life by 30.

The girls given the convertible at 16, the tight designer jeans...man--not doing so good at 45.

No. Many of those with the convertibles and designer clothes did just fine in life.

The ones I know tried to marry for $---and didn't really succeed. Not very bright and never really worked or had any career ambition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids go to the top privates in DC (8th and 11th) and hang with kids from many different area privates as well as a few of the close in MoCo publics, so its a super wealthy crowd.

Both have iphones, the 6s, same as me, which we all upgraded to a few years ago. I think most of their friends have the same phone. They do know when someone has something other than an iphone because that kid almost always complains to his/her peers about it. Its not a big deal but it pretty much signals that the friend might not be as well off as others. They dont seem to have any friedns who dont have a phone at all. That would probably be a big deal.

My DD has been making noise about an iphone X but the boy really doesnt care. I have no idea why DD wants the iphone X but im not getting if for her. Her 6s is just fine. So is mine. Im not impressed with the newest versions so not planning to upgrade to it. Anyway, I doubt its "peer pressure" its more likely just what she wants. She is into technology.

Same idiot logic....'they don't have a phone so they must not be wealthy'. Ahhh--it could just be that their parents are doing their job parenting and don't want a kid behind a screen or snap chatting their genitals.

I see this with people that think somebody is wealthy because they drive an expensive car. Really stupid people. The person I know that drives the most expensive car has horrible credit and is in serious debt. Some people aren't "car" people and could care less what they drive.

When you start judging people and their worth on material objects you have your priorities out of whack...and that is what you are passing down to your kids.

[Anonymous]

My kid goes to a public MCPS high school with a mix of SES. Everyone has talked about having the latest iphone since MS but most seem to have 5 or 6 models. Of course they all want an iphone X but few will probably get one anytime soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not going to say the district, but a woman at work today said something to the effect of "tons of competition at [$ high school] to keep up with the Joneses. As in, kids feel left out if they don't have the iPhone 8 or X. I'm dead serious."

Are there actually schools like that?

We are in the Langley pyramid. My daughter has the iPhone SE (the cheap one) and my son has an inexpensive Samsung. They don't really mention wanting to have a better phone, though they do note some of the kids have the higher-end phones. t's just not been a big deal at all. More important to them are the apps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids go to the top privates in DC (8th and 11th) and hang with kids from many different area privates as well as a few of the close in MoCo publics, so its a super wealthy crowd.

Both have iphones, the 6s, same as me, which we all upgraded to a few years ago. I think most of their friends have the same phone. They do know when someone has something other than an iphone because that kid almost always complains to his/her peers about it. Its not a big deal but it pretty much signals that the friend might not be as well off as others. They dont seem to have any friedns who dont have a phone at all. That would probably be a big deal.

My DD has been making noise about an iphone X but the boy really doesnt care. I have no idea why DD wants the iphone X but im not getting if for her. Her 6s is just fine. So is mine. Im not impressed with the newest versions so not planning to upgrade to it. Anyway, I doubt its "peer pressure" its more likely just what she wants. She is into technology.

Same idiot logic....'they don't have a phone so they must not be wealthy'. Ahhh--it could just be that their parents are doing their job parenting and don't want a kid behind a screen or snap chatting their genitals.

I see this with people that think somebody is wealthy because they drive an expensive car. Really stupid people. The person I know that drives the most expensive car has horrible credit and is in serious debt. Some people aren't "car" people and could care less what they drive.

When you start judging people and their worth on material objects you have your priorities out of whack...and that is what you are passing down to your kids.

You have reading comprehension issues - I didn't say not having a phone was a sign of poverty, said it would be viewed as a big deal - as in that kid has truly weird parents.

Your views on tween and teen phone ownership and use are incredibly backwards and uninformed. I have extensive telecomm and social media expertise professionally and, I assure you, kids can be taught from the beginning to use smart phones responsibly and properly. Your attitude labels you as an out of touch luddite, not a good parent. In fact, your ostrich behavior makes you a bad parent as you are depriving your kids of the tools they need to communicate and interact successfully in the modern world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not going to say the district, but a woman at work today said something to the effect of "tons of competition at [$ high school] to keep up with the Joneses. As in, kids feel left out if they don't have the iPhone 8 or X. I'm dead serious."

Are there actually schools like that?

We are in the Langley pyramid. My daughter has the iPhone SE (the cheap one) and my son has an inexpensive Samsung. They don't really mention wanting to have a better phone, though they do note some of the kids have the higher-end phones. t's just not been a big deal at all. More important to them are the apps.

Same here. It's not something my kids or their friends are fixated on.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes I see these posts and wonder whether I am oblivious, my kids are oblivious or we have lucked into a great friend circle. Anyway, not a concern (yet?) for my 8th grader at a high SES public school