Anonymous wrote:If you want to socially cripple your kids, good luck.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I don’t get it. Most of my 9th graders official school activities use Instagram for all communications. By high school I can’t imagine a kid not having a smart phone.
My fear is the obvious dangers of social media and the internet, but also I don't want my kid stuck behind screens all the time. Also, the more devices the less they have to socialize in person. I can't recreate my childhood, but I'm hoping to give them a little of it.
But if everyone else has a phone who are they going to be socializing with, and how are they making plans?
Are there really no teenagers left who lead mainly real/non-virtual lives? Who can make plans by call/text?
So the TL;DR of this thread is:
Many parents of actual current teens/high schoolers have told you the reality of what things are like now. Many parents of elementary/middle school kids have expressed disbelief/denial that their kids will participate in reality.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I don’t get it. Most of my 9th graders official school activities use Instagram for all communications. By high school I can’t imagine a kid not having a smart phone.
My fear is the obvious dangers of social media and the internet, but also I don't want my kid stuck behind screens all the time. Also, the more devices the less they have to socialize in person. I can't recreate my childhood, but I'm hoping to give them a little of it.
But if everyone else has a phone who are they going to be socializing with, and how are they making plans?
Are there really no teenagers left who lead mainly real/non-virtual lives? Who can make plans by call/text?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP how is their self-restraint on their school devices? How do they keep in touch with friends? Are you worried about content, or about their communication, or about not moderating their time?
The school seems to have blocked a lot. I haven't seen much happening on the mcps devices but school stuff.
They text their friends on their watches. They both have messenger kids on the shared iPad and that's how they communicate also. The texting is mainly about when/where they are going to meet up (in person). Sometimes they do hw together on FaceTime (on the iPad).
They aren't popular but each has a group of close friends. Their closest friends also don't have social media so that probably helps.
I am worried about content and how they regulate their time. One is very self controlled but the other would be on the phone all day if she had one.
-OP
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I don’t get it. Most of my 9th graders official school activities use Instagram for all communications. By high school I can’t imagine a kid not having a smart phone.
My fear is the obvious dangers of social media and the internet, but also I don't want my kid stuck behind screens all the time. Also, the more devices the less they have to socialize in person. I can't recreate my childhood, but I'm hoping to give them a little of it.
But if everyone else has a phone who are they going to be socializing with, and how are they making plans?
Are there really no teenagers left who lead mainly real/non-virtual lives? Who can make plans by call/text?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I don’t get it. Most of my 9th graders official school activities use Instagram for all communications. By high school I can’t imagine a kid not having a smart phone.
My fear is the obvious dangers of social media and the internet, but also I don't want my kid stuck behind screens all the time. Also, the more devices the less they have to socialize in person. I can't recreate my childhood, but I'm hoping to give them a little of it.
But if everyone else has a phone who are they going to be socializing with, and how are they making plans?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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?
You clearly don't know that kids socialize in a very different way than we did 30 years ago.
I know that they socialize differently and I don't think it's all that great.
That's irrelevant. Their social life will suffer in HS if they have no way of communicating with their friends over the phone.
+1
Nearly all plans are made via text. If they don’t have a phone, how would their friends even reach them? Do you have a landline? Or expect their friends to call/text you and leave a message? There was a kid or two like that in middle school, but I just don’t see how this would work for a high schooler.
Beyond that, mine use their phones to check grades & get into Google classroom, etc. on the fly. They also use their phones for extracurriculars- for example, my freshman DS uses it for his sport- practice and game schedules are in an app (along with special instructions sometimes- “wear the blue jersey today” “meet in the weight room today instead of the field” “practice will end early today at 4:00”) and so on. These changes are often last minute and I don’t even know how he would find the info without a phone.
I also need them to have phones to keep in touch for rides etc from sports and other extracurriculars and outings. To attend sporting events at our school- like an high school football game for example- all (including kids/students attending) must purchase and show an electronic ticket. No alternative (this one surprised me). They wouldn’t even be able to attend a HS football game with friends, without a phone…
In high school, everything is setup assuming all kids have a phone. It is reality, whether we like it or not…
Sorry if this wasn't clear. My kids have apple watches with cell service. They can text just fine and make phone calls. I can also track them.
-OP
Those Apple Watches are going to be useless for turning in assignments and participating in class.
Unless your high school is unusually non- phone-dependent, they need a smart phone and they need to know how to use it well.
If they have their chrome books, why do they need phones? They take their chrome books to school everyday now. They turn in things electronically for the most part. I am seriously asking. -OP
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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?
You clearly don't know that kids socialize in a very different way than we did 30 years ago.
I know that they socialize differently and I don't think it's all that great.
That's irrelevant. Their social life will suffer in HS if they have no way of communicating with their friends over the phone.
+1
Nearly all plans are made via text. If they don’t have a phone, how would their friends even reach them? Do you have a landline? Or expect their friends to call/text you and leave a message? There was a kid or two like that in middle school, but I just don’t see how this would work for a high schooler.
Beyond that, mine use their phones to check grades & get into Google classroom, etc. on the fly. They also use their phones for extracurriculars- for example, my freshman DS uses it for his sport- practice and game schedules are in an app (along with special instructions sometimes- “wear the blue jersey today” “meet in the weight room today instead of the field” “practice will end early today at 4:00”) and so on. These changes are often last minute and I don’t even know how he would find the info without a phone.
I also need them to have phones to keep in touch for rides etc from sports and other extracurriculars and outings. To attend sporting events at our school- like an high school football game for example- all (including kids/students attending) must purchase and show an electronic ticket. No alternative (this one surprised me). They wouldn’t even be able to attend a HS football game with friends, without a phone…
In high school, everything is setup assuming all kids have a phone. It is reality, whether we like it or not…
Sorry if this wasn't clear. My kids have apple watches with cell service. They can text just fine and make phone calls. I can also track them.
-OP
Those Apple Watches are going to be useless for turning in assignments and participating in class.
Unless your high school is unusually non- phone-dependent, they need a smart phone and they need to know how to use it well.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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?
You clearly don't know that kids socialize in a very different way than we did 30 years ago.
I know that they socialize differently and I don't think it's all that great.
That's irrelevant. Their social life will suffer in HS if they have no way of communicating with their friends over the phone.
+1
Nearly all plans are made via text. If they don’t have a phone, how would their friends even reach them? Do you have a landline? Or expect their friends to call/text you and leave a message? There was a kid or two like that in middle school, but I just don’t see how this would work for a high schooler.
Beyond that, mine use their phones to check grades & get into Google classroom, etc. on the fly. They also use their phones for extracurriculars- for example, my freshman DS uses it for his sport- practice and game schedules are in an app (along with special instructions sometimes- “wear the blue jersey today” “meet in the weight room today instead of the field” “practice will end early today at 4:00”) and so on. These changes are often last minute and I don’t even know how he would find the info without a phone.
I also need them to have phones to keep in touch for rides etc from sports and other extracurriculars and outings. To attend sporting events at our school- like an high school football game for example- all (including kids/students attending) must purchase and show an electronic ticket. No alternative (this one surprised me). They wouldn’t even be able to attend a HS football game with friends, without a phone…
In high school, everything is setup assuming all kids have a phone. It is reality, whether we like it or not…
Sorry if this wasn't clear. My kids have apple watches with cell service. They can text just fine and make phone calls. I can also track them.
-OP
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I don’t get it. Most of my 9th graders official school activities use Instagram for all communications. By high school I can’t imagine a kid not having a smart phone.
My fear is the obvious dangers of social media and the internet, but also I don't want my kid stuck behind screens all the time. Also, the more devices the less they have to socialize in person. I can't recreate my childhood, but I'm hoping to give them a little of it.
Anonymous wrote:OP how is their self-restraint on their school devices? How do they keep in touch with friends? Are you worried about content, or about their communication, or about not moderating their time?