8th grade and no cell phone

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP: I promise I'm not trolling. I'm 13 years old, and yes, smart for my age. I'm not using AI, and I can easily switch up my tone in writing to how a "real teenager" would type. But I decided to write it with time and effort into grammar and sentence composition, since this is a parents forum, and I should respect that.

I appreciate the advice, with not trying for Snapchat immediately and veering towards monitored messages, sticking to ground rules, etc. It's all been very helpful to be able to ask questions and continue to see from a parents perspective, since I know they have my best interest in mind.

Please use your time on the internet in better ways than trolling adult message boards. This would concern me, as your parent.

[Anonymous]

My 8th grader does not have a phone either, and that is a huge plus in her life. Your parents are being the bad guys because they care about you. What they are doing is difficult but necessary. Please appreciate it.

[Anonymous]

I'm not trolling, honestly. When I try and look in other advice places written by teens, the advice is all the same, which doesn't help me in any way. I thought being able to see through the eyes of a parent would give me more guidance, and prepared for the concerns that may arise from my parents. I don't plan on coming back here, as this was just for one question. Though it does upset me everyone thinks I'm trolling, when I genuinely want opinions.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, OP, I agree that you are trolling. Regardless, my kids got their phones on their 14th birthdays, which were in the summer before entering 9th grade. You are old for your grade, so that alignment doesn't apply. I don't see any reason for cell phones in middle school. So I will say you should expect to wait until the summer before 9th grade. Or perhaps you will be pleasantly surprised on your 14th birthday.

Your friends can either text you or email you. I would advise avoiding snapchat, tiktok, etc even when you do get a phone.

[Anonymous]

Also, if you are indeed a 13 year old 8th grader, then you should be in class now rather than trolling on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, OP, I agree that you are trolling. Regardless, my kids got their phones on their 14th birthdays, which were in the summer before entering 9th grade. You are old for your grade, so that alignment doesn't apply. I don't see any reason for cell phones in middle school. So I will say you should expect to wait until the summer before 9th grade. Or perhaps you will be pleasantly surprised on your 14th birthday.

Your friends can either text you or email you. I would advise avoiding snapchat, tiktok, etc even when you do get a phone.

How am I too old for my grade? The first day of 8th grade is tomorrow, and I'm currently 13. My birthday is November 2009, which means I'll be 14 this school year. Eighth Graders are 13-14 years old. Your logic doesn't apply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, if you are indeed a 13 year old 8th grader, then you should be in class now rather than trolling on DCUM.

LCPS schools begin on August 24th, 2023. Tomorrow. Today is my last day of summer before I enter 8th grade, tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

As a parent by 8th grade I was annoyed h the one kid in the friend group without a phone.

Their mom would text me about their plans- which I didn’t feel like coordinating and pick ups and carpool were a pain bc there were times her parents didn’t get in touch and for whatever reason the parents would answer texts from my DD so my DD had to text me so I could text the mom to find out what was going on. And then there were fights and drama bc all the kids were chatting on iphones and the one friend got left out. Finally towards the end of the year her dad bought her a phone to use when she was at his house.

Pretending technology and phones aren’t used for socializing by middle school in up is silly. And sure tbh apps aren’t needed at this point but better to give the accounts and monitor for a while.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP: I promise I'm not trolling. I'm 13 years old, and yes, smart for my age. I'm not using AI, and I can easily switch up my tone in writing to how a "real teenager" would type. But I decided to write it with time and effort into grammar and sentence composition, since this is a parents forum, and I should respect that.

I appreciate the advice, with not trying for Snapchat immediately and veering towards monitored messages, sticking to ground rules, etc. It's all been very helpful to be able to ask questions and continue to see from a parents perspective, since I know they have my best interest in mind.

“Veering towards monitored messages”??? No, you are not a teen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, OP, I agree that you are trolling. Regardless, my kids got their phones on their 14th birthdays, which were in the summer before entering 9th grade. You are old for your grade, so that alignment doesn't apply. I don't see any reason for cell phones in middle school. So I will say you should expect to wait until the summer before 9th grade. Or perhaps you will be pleasantly surprised on your 14th birthday.

Your friends can either text you or email you. I would advise avoiding snapchat, tiktok, etc even when you do get a phone.

How am I too old for my grade? The first day of 8th grade is tomorrow, and I'm currently 13. My birthday is November 2009, which means I'll be 14 this school year. Eighth Graders are 13-14 years old. Your logic doesn't apply.

Every post you make sounds more like AI than the one before. AI fail.

[Anonymous]

Learn to accept that your parents are more protective and cautious than your friend's parents. There are Mormon kids your age in Utah living under even more strict rules with no devices at all, so it could always be worse! I know this is very cliche and cringe and eye-rolly, but when you are an adult with your own kids, you'll appreciate that your parents tried to protect you from the malicious kids in your orbit. I mean, every year lots of kids your age commit suicide over coordinated bullying and this kind of stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, OP, I agree that you are trolling. Regardless, my kids got their phones on their 14th birthdays, which were in the summer before entering 9th grade. You are old for your grade, so that alignment doesn't apply. I don't see any reason for cell phones in middle school. So I will say you should expect to wait until the summer before 9th grade. Or perhaps you will be pleasantly surprised on your 14th birthday.

Your friends can either text you or email you. I would advise avoiding snapchat, tiktok, etc even when you do get a phone.

How am I too old for my grade? The first day of 8th grade is tomorrow, and I'm currently 13. My birthday is November 2009, which means I'll be 14 this school year. Eighth Graders are 13-14 years old. Your logic doesn't apply.

Work on your reading comprehension. I did not say you are "too old" for your grade. I said you are old for your grade... as in "on the older side" compared to your peers.

[Anonymous]

Show your parents this thread, then 1. promise to always conduct yourself in this manner online and 2. offer to give them access to see all your activity. Negotiate time/place restrictions. I also concur with the pp who said you should ask them to consider how they would have felt having no ability to talk to friends on the phone at 13.

Alternatively, does your house have a landline? If not, maybe you could get one and talk to your friends that way. I know it isn't the preferred method but it would let you talk to your friends more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Show your parents this thread, then 1. promise to always conduct yourself in this manner online and 2. offer to give them access to see all your activity. Negotiate time/place restrictions. I also concur with the pp who said you should ask them to consider how they would have felt having no ability to talk to friends on the phone at 13.

Alternatively, does your house have a landline? If not, maybe you could get one and talk to your friends that way. I know it isn't the preferred method but it would let you talk to your friends more.

Okay, this is good reasonable advice. Our houses did have a landline when I was 10, until it broke, and they never replaced it. They don't allow me to text/call friends on my apple watch, so a landline would be an option that could let me do that without internet/social media etc, I never thought of that option, tbh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, OP, I agree that you are trolling. Regardless, my kids got their phones on their 14th birthdays, which were in the summer before entering 9th grade. You are old for your grade, so that alignment doesn't apply. I don't see any reason for cell phones in middle school. So I will say you should expect to wait until the summer before 9th grade. Or perhaps you will be pleasantly surprised on your 14th birthday.

Your friends can either text you or email you. I would advise avoiding snapchat, tiktok, etc even when you do get a phone.

How am I too old for my grade? The first day of 8th grade is tomorrow, and I'm currently 13. My birthday is November 2009, which means I'll be 14 this school year. Eighth Graders are 13-14 years old. Your logic doesn't apply.

Every post you make sounds more like AI than the one before. AI fail.

Okay everything humans type these days is AI generated. You can think that if you want, I guess. Just looking for actual opinions/advice. Did you read the part where I said LCPS first day is tomorrow?