To be shocked that 97% of 12 years olds have smart phones?

It's a shame. The lucky kids in the future will be those who go to schools which are small enough/well-coordinated enough that the parents can agree a policy that their children won't have smart phones until 15/16. I believe some private schools/academy schools manage this - hopefully it will become more common in the state sector, although of course children travelling independently should have basic phones for contacting parents/emergencies.

Doesn’t surprise me at all that it’s that high. Pretty much every kid here gets their phone from the time they start walking to school alone (last term of year 6). Then from year 7 the school sets homework via an app they access from their phone.

I’m surprised you’re surprised. None of the kids that age that I know (and my two are very similar age so I know quite a few) have non-smart phones.
I cannot believe, I’m afraid, that the majority of your child’s peer group are carrying around brick phones.
Our school does not allow phone use in school time either. It doesn’t really affect the phones the kids own.

OP if you live where your username is (I assume not but I will go with it) I absolutely would not believe the local school had kids mostly with dumb phones. Unless indeed they were involved with county lines.

Why would you be privy to what 100% of all the other kids in the school own?

My 12 yo has no phone.
She gets school bus to school and back, she has a chromebook/tablet that she uses for games, chat and schoolwork (eg most of the stuff a phone does).

For her sister we held off until 13th b-day. I might push it to 14 this time.

Important info: we are in Canada and things are a bit different here. High school starts at 14 (grade 9).

For my 12 year olds class (grade 7) I would say about half the class has phones, maybe 40-50%

Haha yes I think a dumb phone would scream county lines here.

I think I know the one. I considered applying for my son, only because I really like the lack of smart phones. I think it's a great idea. Decided school is a little too religious for us though.

Yes throw away burner phones.

I reckon the kids at your school OP probably comprise the 3% of the study who don’t have them. It’s very unusual. DD is 12, all her friends have them. I spend most evenings and most weekends either at the side of an athletics track or netball court, and they all have them too. Neither of my DC (Y8 & Y11) could get into their athletics track for training without the online membership card - on their smartphones.

I’m in my 20s and had a smartphone at that age as did most of my peers. The original iPhone came out in 2007. I think your view of technology is outdated, if it was normal a decade ago, it’s certainly going to be normal now.

Our rule was always age 12 but our now 12 year old is addicted to all forms of screens and gaming so holding out for the moment- hell have to have one for secondary for contact though

Using a dumb phone is for kids up to no good here eg dealing drugs. No location means if caught by the police, there’s little to go on.

Have you chosen to send your child there? Don't you worry that they will grow up completely out of touch with real life?

You have demonstrated that you don't know the reality of life for the rest of the country, do you want them to be so out of touch?

I'm in my 30s and it's been the norm since people my age left primary for them to have a phone. That became smart phones as they evolved. I don't necessarily agree with it but I think it's a bit naive to think it doesn't happen.

The vast majority of kids I know who are year 7 like my DD only have a Nokia or one of the other 2 allowed phones. They have to sign a contract with the school when they join saying they won’t have a smart phone until year 12 and they won’t have any social media accounts.

Hahaha.

my eldest is 14 and has had a phone since end of year 5 when he started travelling back home from school to prepare him for year 7. He has always had a smart phone. Never really been into it though he’ll watch something on Netflix on it once he gets into bed as he shares a room with his younger brother who goes to bed at 7.

Both my children’s schools before the start of the summer holidays asked parents what should their mobile phone policy be. Eldest sons school planned on banning phones completely which got voted against by parents which rightly so as I like him to have it for emergencies ect. So their rule is, mobile phones to be switched off before entering the school building and if caught with it on it’s confiscated. Younger sons school wanted to ban smart phones, my youngest doesn’t have a mobile phone but parents voted against that as I’m assuming most probably already had smart phones and parents didn’t want to buy another. So rule is to be handed into the office into school and collected at the end of the day.

Dumb phones are all well & good but I like the fact I have 2 trackers set up on my son’s phone incase one fails. He also has his debit card linked to his phone so he doesn’t have to carry any money around with him or his debit card. It’s been useful for when he has gone away with school to residential trips which he has done for the past 3 years. as he’s been able to watch films on the the coach or trains, he’s been able to take pictures with friends and again has been able to go cashless.

I'm shocked that your shocked. I'd say 1/4 of DDs Year 5 class (9-10yrs old) had phones last year. Another 1/4 have no intention of allowing them until high school (that includes me), the other half I have no idea. It's a sad state of affairs. Older DS's had them once at high school but they have to be off and away on the premises, if they are caught with a phone out/on its confiscated until the Friday.

Yes ours is the same.

You don't need an app to travel on the bus. But you can only buy the term time tickets (like a bulk bought ticket that lasts for a whole half term) on the app, and these are much cheaper than buying a ticket individually each day with a card.

I know of a school with that rule. A very religious one, where most of the parents would likely support the rule. I don't think it work in most schools.