Why make their life harder than it has to be?

My kids use phones for all kinds of school things—using the assignments app, turning in assignments, email, looking up info, editing Google docs, texting teachers, etc etc. I guess they could lug a WiFi iPad around and try to find a signal somewhere but that just stupid.

Plus navigating while driving

Plus every sports team is organized by app and coordinates by text.

My oldest even needs a phone for art portfolio submissions—the art teacher said the new iPhones take the best quality digital pics for easy submission.

Plus socialization.

Plus, yes, sometimes when they are tired and zoning out they watch YouTube videos.

And Apple Pay

And calling a parent if they need help—e.g. my kid missed the bus and we were easily able to coordinate a pickup.

Plus I can track them when they go on school trips, so I know things are going ok

And kindle

And my oldest uses the voice notes to do interviews for the school newspaper.

Etc etc etc

Major pain in the ass if they didn’t have a phone.

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.

I don't know why, but I know that my kid's school isn't the only one (because I go to his "away games" at other schools too.)

+1

True at my kids’ high school and at some others in my area. I think it is even the case for theatrical performances at our high school. Not really sure why.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want to socially cripple your kids, good luck.

Exactly. Probably same person who complains kids don’t fit it and are never asked to sleep overs or to do anything. Everyone else is a bully

If other kids won't be friends with your kid or make fun of them for not having a phone or any other stupid reason, then that is a form of bullying.

You don’t get it. There is nothing to talk about to these kids. No one cares if they have a phone or not. Teens talk about pop culture. Which is all online. Maybe these kids can talk to adults about other things and are “impressive” but other teens don’t think so.

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?"

I’ve never heard of a situation where you can only buy using a cell phone. Usually there is a way to buy through a laptop/computer website as well.

You're going to bring your laptop to a high school football game? You do know you're not allowed to bring in any bags (including a laptop case) right?

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.

I don't know why, but I know that my kid's school isn't the only one (because I go to his "away games" at other schools too.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's so interesting to me that so many ppl are asking or saying that a kids social life will suffer. Don't kids live anywhere near their friends anymore?? Can't they see each other in person?

Sure but aside from just showing up at someones door, they need to arrange it. Imagine if you could not text friends or family.

But, that really require them to have their own smartphones though?

You are naive. I am convinced some of these posters don’t actually have high schoolers.

Or they want to control everything in their kids lives and don’t actually want them to have friends.

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?"

I’ve never heard of a situation where you can only buy using a cell phone. Usually there is a way to buy through a laptop/computer website as well.

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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want to socially cripple your kids, good luck.

Exactly. Probably same person who complains kids don’t fit it and are never asked to sleep overs or to do anything. Everyone else is a bully

If other kids won't be friends with your kid or make fun of them for not having a phone or any other stupid reason, then that is a form of bullying.

Anonymous wrote:If you want to socially cripple your kids, good luck.

Exactly. Probably same person who complains kids don’t fit it and are never asked to sleep overs or to do anything. Everyone else is a bully

I'm like you op but had to give in when I realized how socially crippling not.haing a phone is.

The kids who don't have phones are left out of activities. The argument is you don't know you are left out of you have no social media but kids talk during the school day. Once a bunch of girls all showed up in the samd tee shirt. It wad because they had all coordinated themselves and had their moms take them tonthebstore together.

You have to train your kid. Slowly give more privileges on the phone with age. Use tech restrictions to control behavior. Realize in 5 years you won't have any say so you might ad well give them skills now.

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?"

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, don’t do this to your kid. You are making them a weird.

Kids who have smartphones from an early age are weird. Ever try to sit with them for more than five minutes or do anything in real life with them, including having a simple conversation about something non internet related? Their development has been literally re+arded by constant use of their highly addictive devices. There is enough evidence it’s terrible for them I don’t know why you all think it’s fine.

This thread is abt high schoolers.

High schoolers are still kids. And the same applies to them.

If you believe high school kids with phones end up weird, by all means do not give your kid a phone. I disagree with this parenting choice, but it is your kid not mine. I suspect your kid will be socially isolated, out of touch with peers, pop culture, fashion, music, etc. with no phone in high school. This may not be important to you, but it is important to many, many teens.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, don’t do this to your kid. You are making them a weird.

Kids who have smartphones from an early age are weird. Ever try to sit with them for more than five minutes or do anything in real life with them, including having a simple conversation about something non internet related? Their development has been literally re+arded by constant use of their highly addictive devices. There is enough evidence it’s terrible for them I don’t know why you all think it’s fine.

This thread is abt high schoolers.

High schoolers are still kids. And the same applies to them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, don’t do this to your kid. You are making them a weird.

Kids who have smartphones from an early age are weird. Ever try to sit with them for more than five minutes or do anything in real life with them, including having a simple conversation about something non internet related? Their development has been literally re+arded by constant use of their highly addictive devices. There is enough evidence it’s terrible for them I don’t know why you all think it’s fine.

This thread is abt high schoolers.