Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Hello rich and clueless OP,

It must be so nice to be you, and not have to worry about money and whether your children will lose so many hundreds of dollars worth of phone.

Sincerely, the common man.

Does common man = stupid as well? You can get a very cheap Android based smart phone for less than @$100. Super cheap if you buy one used. Then you just use a pay as you go service.

Still too expensive.

I agree. $100 is still a lot of money for us. Living within our means and differentiating between a 'want' and a 'need' = smart.

Android phone plus 90 days of service - $59 - http://www.hsn.com/products/lg-lucky-android-tracfone-600-min-texts-data-and-case/8033624

Refills are as low as $10 a month.

Cheap smartphones do exist.

Have you taken the time to look around Instagram, for one, and see all the things your kid can be exposed to from the comfort of their own phone? I have an Instagram account and over 70% of its content is not something I want my kids seeing/reading. From pictures and videos (sexual, violent, pro-eating disorder, drug relates content, etc) to user comments (bullying, harassing, soliciting, etc). Its just not something I think my kids need and it comes with too many possible "side effects".

Anonymous wrote:My SD didn't get one until she turned 18. DH bought it for her for her bday. Bio mom had physical custody and she said no phone--smart or otherwise. DH respected her decision but as soon as his DD was of age, he remedied the issue .

Bio moms reason was that DD was had poor grades and did not put in effort. She believed that a phone was an earned privilege not a right. DD had support at school and tutors but yet still couldn't get above a C. Mom said the needed to maintain a 3.0 for 2 consecutive quarters to get the phone--and she just couldn't.

What's the problem with this?

Anonymous wrote:Cyberbullying, sexting, addiction to distraction.

This. It opens up social situations that are too complex and potentially damaging for young teens. High school? Fine.

Additional reason:

To me, teaching delayed gratification is one of the most important character traits we can help our kids with, so I see no reason to get these types of things for kids so soon. Make them wait.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I could go back in time, one of the parenting decisions I would reverse was getting a smartphone for my kiddo. For DC, the smartphone has been the gateway drug leading to an ever-widening array of social media temptations and distractions. And here's the thing: the addiction is such that whenever I have implemented reasonable controls, my kiddo has found work-arounds. Put controls on the phone, and the kid uses the (internet-enabled) ipod; take away phone and ipod, and the kid uses the laptop. You get the picture.

Wise words indeed. Parents, take heed.

I think at least in middle school, girls are the ones who are fixated on social media. Boys seem more likely to get addicted to video games.

Anonymous wrote:I personally know someone who has an 18-year-old daughter who is now on her 3rd iPhone 6 because she sat on the first two and broke them. No, they did not have them insured. No, they are not rich (far from it). But they swear they all need their iPhone 6's.

Mind blowingly dumb.

Why are the parents paying for her replacements?

Our kid bought his own laptop.

He crashed the hard drive.

He had to wait about four months until lawn mowing season rolled around so he could earn the money to replace his crashed hard drive. We paid for the operating system in exchange for babysitting and extra, beyond the norm chores.

He has an iphone o his plan. He knows the cost. He knows that if he loses or breaks it, he will not get a new one until he can afford to replace it.

Why would a parent keep buying her expensive things she won't take care of?

Anonymous wrote:Usually one of a couple of reasons:

1) Cost
2) Some stubborn belief that screens are bad or other luddite type attitude.

Our kid got one when it was convenient for us for her to have one. That was middle school.

great for you! Now go back and parent your own kid.

Anonymous wrote:If I could go back in time, one of the parenting decisions I would reverse was getting a smartphone for my kiddo. For DC, the smartphone has been the gateway drug leading to an ever-widening array of social media temptations and distractions. And here's the thing: the addiction is such that whenever I have implemented reasonable controls, my kiddo has found work-arounds. Put controls on the phone, and the kid uses the (internet-enabled) ipod; take away phone and ipod, and the kid uses the laptop. You get the picture.

Wise words indeed. Parents, take heed.

Anonymous wrote:Because I'm not going to spend the money on one and because I don't think kids need to be entertained constantly.

In fact, boredom is good for kids. Ask any psychologist.

http://qz.com/704723/to-be-more-self-reliant-children-need-boring-summers/

Yep, this too.

Anonymous wrote:Lots of reasons that have already been stated by other PPS, but also because I don't believe in technology purely for the sake of technology. Not a Luddite by any means--we have all sorts of technology, but only after it's clear that adopting each item will actually measurably improve our lives. A smartphone for our young teen doesn't pass that test. He can call and text on a regular phone, and use the computer for school-based assignments, etc. He loves to read and we'd much rather he continue to do that than "have fun on Instagram." When the day comes that the benefits seem to outweigh the potential costs, we'll get him one. Until then, no need.

+1. I agree with all the other reasons above (cost, etc), but this is really my main reason. The list of things I'd rather my kids be doing than "having fun on instagram" is very, very long.

Anonymous wrote:Lots of reasons that have already been stated by other PPS, but also because I don't believe in technology purely for the sake of technology. Not a Luddite by any means--we have all sorts of technology, but only after it's clear that adopting each item will actually measurably improve our lives. A smartphone for our young teen doesn't pass that test. He can call and text on a regular phone, and use the computer for school-based assignments, etc. He loves to read and we'd much rather he continue to do that than "have fun on Instagram." When the day comes that the benefits seem to outweigh the potential costs, we'll get him one. Until then, no need.

Jesus, a thousand times this.

If I could go back in time, one of the parenting decisions I would reverse was getting a smartphone for my kiddo. For DC, the smartphone has been the gateway drug leading to an ever-widening array of social media temptations and distractions. And here's the thing: the addiction is such that whenever I have implemented reasonable controls, my kiddo has found work-arounds. Put controls on the phone, and the kid uses the (internet-enabled) ipod; take away phone and ipod, and the kid uses the laptop. You get the picture.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Hello rich and clueless OP,

It must be so nice to be you, and not have to worry about money and whether your children will lose so many hundreds of dollars worth of phone.

Sincerely, the common man.

Does common man = stupid as well? You can get a very cheap Android based smart phone for less than @$100. Super cheap if you buy one used. Then you just use a pay as you go service.

Still too expensive.

I agree. $100 is still a lot of money for us. Living within our means and differentiating between a 'want' and a 'need' = smart.

Because I'm not going to spend the money on one and because I don't think kids need to be entertained constantly.

In fact, boredom is good for kids. Ask any psychologist.

http://qz.com/704723/to-be-more-self-reliant-children-need-boring-summers/

My SD didn't get one until she turned 18. DH bought it for her for her bday. Bio mom had physical custody and she said no phone--smart or otherwise. DH respected her decision but as soon as his DD was of age, he remedied the issue .

Bio moms reason was that DD was had poor grades and did not put in effort. She believed that a phone was an earned privilege not a right. DD had support at school and tutors but yet still couldn't get above a C. Mom said the needed to maintain a 3.0 for 2 consecutive quarters to get the phone--and she just couldn't.