Aibu to ask if you bought your child a dumbphone

We got our son a basic Nokia (he's just started year 7). He's not interested in using social media apps, etc, and isn't interested in using a phone at all really, but we thought it would be good to have in case of emergencies.

We had to get him a laptop for school which is used in class and for homework. Kids aren't allowed to use their phones on the school grounds.

@Namechange8463 Our homework is literally in an app. The homework tasks are listed in an app and need to be ticked off in there. Some tasks are done within the app (quizzes, listening tasks) and other homeworks need to be done in other apps. Most tasks are inaccessible from a computer. Apparently it’s kinder for kids who don’t have computer access. 🤷‍♀️

So we have smartphones that are very locked down and limited. It works, but I would prefer textbooks and worksheets.

When’s your parenting book coming out? I look forward to being taught how to be a sensible parent.

Me too.

I follow the Smartphone free childhood account on Instagram and it's heartening to start to see other school mums following it too.

For those saying smartphones are essential for homework apps, are you saying your DC do their homework on a phone?? Can you not access the homework on a computer? Surely it's far easier for them to do homework on a computer than phone?!

This was the plan for DS aged 10 as he has just started getting a (school) bus to his new school. Instead we repurposed an old iPhone but it's essentially a dumb phone as he can only text and call and play games on it on the bus. He can't download any apps without permission or use the Internet.

It’s total BS to try and spin giving a child a smartphone as some sort of educational necessity. You don’t give a child a gun to teach them about gun control.

Yeah i am hoping by the time my DC are secondary age dumbphones will be the norm for under 16s, if not that then heavy restrictions via family link etc
The younger teens in my family have smartphones but completely locked down. Minimal screen time, no social media except whatsapp & this is monitored, no youtube/tiktok, no web browser except for a small amount of time (monitored).

Really just maps, some school related apps, ability to call & text

You make it sound like you are the only person who works in tech and the only person who has a clue.

Na.

My 12 year old as a smartphone but:

It’s locked down for 12 hours overnight, 7.30-7.30

She cannot access any social media.

She needs permission to download any apps.

She does not have access to google search / internet.

So it’s basically a dumb phone except she can use maps, school apps, chat on what’s app with friends, video calls etc.

for all those joking about burner phones
I was chatting with a secondary school teacher the other day and was told a child having a brick phone would be a possible red flag for county lines
so maybe not so funny after all

Nonsense. It isn’t knowing how to use a smartphone that kids need to learn, its how to manage relationships. This doesn’t come from being online. Also, learning how to use a smartphone takes 5 minutes for kids. It’s not a life skills that takes years to develop.

All of the evidence shows that withholding these devices for as long as possible is in the interests of children.

I work I tech and I can assure you that the people designing the phones and the apps that go on them are keeping them away from the kids for as long as possible.

Nokia here too. Only needed for phonecalls.

Nokia here too. Only needed for phonecalls.

My year 8 DC has had a brick phone since the end of year six. She goes to a huge, fairly strict comprehensive. School are strict about not allowing phones to be used in school and although they use Google classroom for homework, she is fine doing this on a laptop at home.

Socially she’s been fine. I was surprised to find that she is far from the only one and not having a smart phone has been a non-issue.

Is there an age you would teach them about using a smartphone?

I know what my DD does on her phone and it's not porn or nudes or being radicalised! Not saying those aren't issues for some DC.

Realistically most of us don't have much choice as to what school our DC go to and for me there were more important issues like SEN support than if they used apps. I've not heard of a school that doesn't round here anyway.

It's great you're happy with a smartphone, but when buses are cut out it doesn't show on a printed timetable and not everyone is comfortable speaking to strangers.

I think the kick back is great, however for my DC, I prefer a locked down smart phone.

Smartphones aren't ESSENTIAL even for adults - not absolutely everyone has them. You can decide against. Just going along and doing something because everybody else does is what seems lazy to me (not to mention teaching your dc that that's what you have to do in life).

They'll probably have to navigate, say, sexual relationships at some point (again, not actually mandatory). But you'd put a stop to it if they were 12. They have to learn to go out alone and cross roads etc - but not at 4. Personally I'd be happy if the law set some rules on minimum age for smartphones (as it does with underage sex and leaving toddlers unattended and suchlike); but in the meantime it's totally reasonable for parents to say "not until 16" or whatever.

Snapchat should be a hard no, regardless. Sorry.

This is bollocks.

A smartphone isn't the problem. It's how much access they have which can be managed.

Basically a dumb phone is a lazy way of parenting.

The kids still need to learn to use and manage a smartphone over time because they are an essential part of adult life now.

There are also very apps which are helpful for educational purposes.

Teach your kids to use a smartphone responsibly rather than having a cope out only for them to get a smartphone a few years later and be faced with dealing with the same problems and not knowing how to use safely and responsibly with only a little more maturity.

It's pointless withholding a smartphone only for them to still be eventually thrown in the deep end.

Have those essential conversations with them about the whys etc, rather than effectively disengaging on the top.

@Yellowbananasarebetterthangreen We don’t all live where there is a choice of schools within a reasonable distance. And there are many other criteria to choose a school on. Schools find it cheaper to have parents provide tech and use free online resources instead of textbooks, and teachers like app homework that doesn’t need marking. Until schools are properly funded, going dumb phone only at school is a luxury behaviour. So we mitigate it as best we can, just like we mitigate the rest of the nonsense.

This. Our school don't allow phones visible unless they asked to play a kahoot quiz / photograph ingredients / go to google classroom.
Most use for bus tickets & cash card etc