Has anyone successfully avoided giving their *high school* kids smart phones?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does everyone conflate phone with smartphone? The coolest kids I know in HS are the ones who either don’t have a phone or have a dumb phone. They are the ones playing music, navigating the city, spending time with their friends IN PERSON. They are not dull zombies obsessively checking their device when out with friends.

Do you know in some cities, bus fares are done solely by phone app? I actually created a thread on here a couple years ago about it-how I was visiting a (small) city with my son for his college orientation and I thought we should just try using the local buses so he could see how to get around. We are from a car dependent exurb so he had never navigated public transportation so I just wanted to help him figure it out for the first time.
When I looked up the info online, I found that you had to download an app on your phone just to use the bus! And BOTH of us would have had to do it, because you can't pay for two people with the same account.
So in some places it would be difficult to "navigate the city" without a smart phone.

That's college. Smartphone of course no problem and very necessary

I'm not talking about a college bus. I'm talking about the public transportation system for that city. There are people of all ages that live in that city, including teens in high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does everyone conflate phone with smartphone? The coolest kids I know in HS are the ones who either don’t have a phone or have a dumb phone. They are the ones playing music, navigating the city, spending time with their friends IN PERSON. They are not dull zombies obsessively checking their device when out with friends.

Do you know in some cities, bus fares are done solely by phone app? I actually created a thread on here a couple years ago about it-how I was visiting a (small) city with my son for his college orientation and I thought we should just try using the local buses so he could see how to get around. We are from a car dependent exurb so he had never navigated public transportation so I just wanted to help him figure it out for the first time.
When I looked up the info online, I found that you had to download an app on your phone just to use the bus! And BOTH of us would have had to do it, because you can't pay for two people with the same account.
So in some places it would be difficult to "navigate the city" without a smart phone.

That's college. Smartphone of course no problem and very necessary

I'm not talking about a college bus. I'm talking about the public transportation system for that city. There are people of all ages that live in that city, including teens in high school.

Understood. Which city?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does everyone conflate phone with smartphone? The coolest kids I know in HS are the ones who either don’t have a phone or have a dumb phone. They are the ones playing music, navigating the city, spending time with their friends IN PERSON. They are not dull zombies obsessively checking their device when out with friends.

please. You know nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does everyone conflate phone with smartphone? The coolest kids I know in HS are the ones who either don’t have a phone or have a dumb phone. They are the ones playing music, navigating the city, spending time with their friends IN PERSON. They are not dull zombies obsessively checking their device when out with friends.

Do you know in some cities, bus fares are done solely by phone app? I actually created a thread on here a couple years ago about it-how I was visiting a (small) city with my son for his college orientation and I thought we should just try using the local buses so he could see how to get around. We are from a car dependent exurb so he had never navigated public transportation so I just wanted to help him figure it out for the first time.
When I looked up the info online, I found that you had to download an app on your phone just to use the bus! And BOTH of us would have had to do it, because you can't pay for two people with the same account.
So in some places it would be difficult to "navigate the city" without a smart phone.

Name the city or I don't believe it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does everyone conflate phone with smartphone? The coolest kids I know in HS are the ones who either don’t have a phone or have a dumb phone. They are the ones playing music, navigating the city, spending time with their friends IN PERSON. They are not dull zombies obsessively checking their device when out with friends.

Do you know in some cities, bus fares are done solely by phone app? I actually created a thread on here a couple years ago about it-how I was visiting a (small) city with my son for his college orientation and I thought we should just try using the local buses so he could see how to get around. We are from a car dependent exurb so he had never navigated public transportation so I just wanted to help him figure it out for the first time.
When I looked up the info online, I found that you had to download an app on your phone just to use the bus! And BOTH of us would have had to do it, because you can't pay for two people with the same account.
So in some places it would be difficult to "navigate the city" without a smart phone.

That's college. Smartphone of course no problem and very necessary

I'm not talking about a college bus. I'm talking about the public transportation system for that city. There are people of all ages that live in that city, including teens in high school.

Understood. Which city?

Sorry, I don't want to out myself/my kid. It's not a huge city like New York, Chicago, etc. Think more along the lines of Topeka, KS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an adult and I don't have a cell phone. It's totally doable, and frankly, I wish more adults were like this. Get your screen stuff done when you're in front of a computer and then go live your life!

If you ever want to go to a game at my kid's high school (like if your kid plays a sport and playing against our school, at our school) the only way for you to get in is buying tickets through the app. Literally, you can not just show up and hand over cash.
From going to my kid's games, it's my impression that many of the schools in this area are like that.
Would you really just tell your kid "Sorry, I won't be watching you play, ever?"

That’s horrible. Why does your school do that? I would definitely advocate for more ticket buying options.

It’s very common. Our school is this way and so are two of my nephews’ schools in other states (and yes, I know that, because we went to their games when we visited).

What’s so terrible about it?

My high schooler submits homework assignments on her smartphone. You literally can’t take the class without a smartphone. Tickets to a game are nothing.

This should be illegal, but I suspect it's not true. You cannot require a student to have a smartphone unless the school is issuing them to students.

This is at Whitman. They upload their homework by scanning it with a smartphone into an app and uploading it to the mcps site.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an adult and I don't have a cell phone. It's totally doable, and frankly, I wish more adults were like this. Get your screen stuff done when you're in front of a computer and then go live your life!

If you ever want to go to a game at my kid's high school (like if your kid plays a sport and playing against our school, at our school) the only way for you to get in is buying tickets through the app. Literally, you can not just show up and hand over cash.
From going to my kid's games, it's my impression that many of the schools in this area are like that.
Would you really just tell your kid "Sorry, I won't be watching you play, ever?"

That’s horrible. Why does your school do that? I would definitely advocate for more ticket buying options.

It’s very common. Our school is this way and so are two of my nephews’ schools in other states (and yes, I know that, because we went to their games when we visited).

What’s so terrible about it?

My high schooler submits homework assignments on her smartphone. You literally can’t take the class without a smartphone. Tickets to a game are nothing.

This should be illegal, but I suspect it's not true. You cannot require a student to have a smartphone unless the school is issuing them to students.

This is at Whitman. They upload their homework by scanning it with a smartphone into an app and uploading it to the mcps site.

I should add that at Pyle, you need a smartphone to attend the orchestra trip in the spring. When my Jud tried to explain she didn’t have one (in seventh grade) they looked at her like she had two heads. And it was also required by Hershey park to pay for anything anyway.

It is 2023. Phones are part of life now. For better or worse.

[Anonymous]

No, we hit cell phones for DC after 8th grade. I still take them away when they are home until school work finished. And then stay downstairs at night except on weekends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an adult and I don't have a cell phone. It's totally doable, and frankly, I wish more adults were like this. Get your screen stuff done when you're in front of a computer and then go live your life!

If you ever want to go to a game at my kid's high school (like if your kid plays a sport and playing against our school, at our school) the only way for you to get in is buying tickets through the app. Literally, you can not just show up and hand over cash.
From going to my kid's games, it's my impression that many of the schools in this area are like that.
Would you really just tell your kid "Sorry, I won't be watching you play, ever?"

That’s horrible. Why does your school do that? I would definitely advocate for more ticket buying options.

It’s very common. Our school is this way and so are two of my nephews’ schools in other states (and yes, I know that, because we went to their games when we visited).

What’s so terrible about it?

My high schooler submits homework assignments on her smartphone. You literally can’t take the class without a smartphone. Tickets to a game are nothing.

This should be illegal, but I suspect it's not true. You cannot require a student to have a smartphone unless the school is issuing them to students.

Different school but true. It’s not “required” in the sense that the kid could borrow a parents’ smartphone or another kids but that is how homework is turned in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does everyone conflate phone with smartphone? The coolest kids I know in HS are the ones who either don’t have a phone or have a dumb phone. They are the ones playing music, navigating the city, spending time with their friends IN PERSON. They are not dull zombies obsessively checking their device when out with friends.

please. You know nothing.

+1

What an idiot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does everyone conflate phone with smartphone? The coolest kids I know in HS are the ones who either don’t have a phone or have a dumb phone. They are the ones playing music, navigating the city, spending time with their friends IN PERSON. They are not dull zombies obsessively checking their device when out with friends.

Do you know in some cities, bus fares are done solely by phone app? I actually created a thread on here a couple years ago about it-how I was visiting a (small) city with my son for his college orientation and I thought we should just try using the local buses so he could see how to get around. We are from a car dependent exurb so he had never navigated public transportation so I just wanted to help him figure it out for the first time.
When I looked up the info online, I found that you had to download an app on your phone just to use the bus! And BOTH of us would have had to do it, because you can't pay for two people with the same account.
So in some places it would be difficult to "navigate the city" without a smart phone.

That's college. Smartphone of course no problem and very necessary

I'm not talking about a college bus. I'm talking about the public transportation system for that city. There are people of all ages that live in that city, including teens in high school.

Understood. Which city?

Sorry, I don't want to out myself/my kid. It's not a huge city like New York, Chicago, etc. Think more along the lines of Topeka, KS.

More likely you checked the website and found there is a non-smartphone option for residents