Anonymous wrote:I get the apple to apple situation but it is insane and I just can't participate in this generation of sixth graders getting iphones. We did ipod or family ipads so that kids can get all the apple stuff. In ninth, our kids received an equally nice but much cheaper android phone.

Android is better anyway.

Thanks all - OP here back for the first time. I have an older kid so I know that a phone is inevitable. But I'm completely not on board with a phone at this age. Especially not in pandemic times when unfortunately there is no sports practice or school bus issues to justify. My older kid got his phone at 13yo and I plan to wait until then for this one as well. It's only another year, but I see the impact that the phone has on his friends. I will suppress my rant about Bethesda parents who are insanely neurotic about their kids' well-being during the early childhood years but then hand them unnecessary devices that present huge risks as soon as they hit elementary school. For now it sounds like an Ipod is the right answer.

And to the other PPs, I say this from the knowledge gained from my 16yo: be very very careful with Discord. I posted here a few months ago about one of my teenager's friends who was lured to run away by some weirdos he was voice chatting with on Discord. I'd assumed it was harmless, especially since my geeky kid was mainly chatting about D&D. Be very aware that your kids are talking to strangers who are almost certainly not what they represent themselves to be. We cut it off after the friend's drama, even though it was an important form of socializing for our older kid. Happily he's adapted just fine, but I will never live down the I-told-you-so's from my more tech-skeptic husband.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find kids a use something different to communicate. I know my son has some using Instagram, what's app, text, and dischord.

+1. 7th grader communicates with friends over these and various gaming platforms. Sometimes there are group chats but it’s not the main form of communication now. I’ll add Snapchat.

Yes. My son was coordinating a Halloween get together (flame away, I'm good at ignoring triggered people) and I was so annoyed because I was like who is coming, what time....ect.... please send a group text and just get it done. And he was like "mom I have to use 4 different platforms to coordinate. Text is not what most people use these days."

Sure enough I look at his phone and the only people texting him is his family.

Anonymous wrote:I find kids a use something different to communicate. I know my son has some using Instagram, what's app, text, and dischord.

+1. 7th grader communicates with friends over these and various gaming platforms. Sometimes there are group chats but it’s not the main form of communication now. I’ll add Snapchat.

Anonymous wrote:I find kids a use something different to communicate. I know my son has some using Instagram, what's app, text, and dischord.

**discord***

I find kids a use something different to communicate. I know my son has some using Instagram, what's app, text, and dischord.

Anonymous wrote:Just get him a phone. Best to teach him to be responsible with the phone now that he is at home then when he is out and about on a bus, at school, after school activities, etc

Plus, at least with iPhones, his account is tied directly to yours prior to turning 13. Once he is 13 the account is separate. I found it easier to teach/monitor DD when she got a phone at 12. Made the mistake of waiting until 13 with DS.

Anonymous wrote:You can buy cheap iphones and ipods on Ebay. You can also use a PC or tablet to communicate. DS uses an app called Discord to text and chat with friends.

No phone , but you let him use discord? Have fun with that.

Anonymous wrote:You can buy cheap iphones and ipods on Ebay. You can also use a PC or tablet to communicate. DS uses an app called Discord to text and chat with friends.

Do you have controls on discord?

You can buy cheap iphones and ipods on Ebay. You can also use a PC or tablet to communicate. DS uses an app called Discord to text and chat with friends.