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

I'm also in my 20s. I got my first phone at 11 (non-smartphone as they weren't really common place back then). When I was in year 8, a lot of people had Blackberries and then when the iPhone 4S was out most people had smartphones at school.

Homework get set on apps, children travel from age 11 alone to school...can't see why it's not 100÷>. Yabu

How old are your kids, out of interest?

A couple of points here:

1. For me, ‘banning’ smartphones until an arbitrary age is a lazy solution. We (parents and schools) need to be teaching DC to use smartphones appropriately as like it or not, they are a major part of life.
2. Smartphones are simply a piece of technology. The problem comes with how theyare used (e.g. too much) or what they are used to do (e.g. cyber bullying). No one would seriously suggest DC be banned from watching TV because there are porn channels on there, but that is what some are suggesting with smartphones).
3. The proposal to only allow them from a certain age is quite dangerous in my view. I can’t see how 16 year olds who’ve never been allowed near phones by ‘protective’ parents will possibly be able to use them safely or sensibly when allowed free access.

It's funny how we're all different as that is just as worrying to me as the smartphone thing!

As I stated though it isn't just about that for me, it is the privacy aspect, I just don't want my DC's fingerprint codes stored somewhere.

Yes but if vulnerabilities, is it possible to reconstruct a synthetic sample that matches the actual fingerprint, I wouldn't know but don't want to risk it.

Laughing at no phone but Chromebook, do what does that achieve.

What's the problem with WhatsApp too? Like it's some sort of den of iniquity. I'm on the parents football WhatsApp. Ds2 is on the boys football group. Mostly details only - Football Match against xx team, kick off at 10am. Hardly bullying misery!

Oh and don’t forget children all went to the closest schools. They didn’t travel hours to get to school unless very in the sticks or off to a private school.

DD’s school aren’t allowed phones anywhere on campus (even the boarders) until they are in sixth form.

The world pre smart phone. Working pay phones everywhere. Where every child and adult knew the reverse charge number and new landline numbers in their heads. Where everyone knew the local shop keeper.

We all have a nosey neighbour who knew if you farted or burped.

Police where regularly seen down the streets keeping an eye and knew the local children and weirdos.

Where kids played in the street playing Kirby and climbed trees in the local fields.

Now its country lines, concealed knifes, no bobbies on the beat, barely any working pay phones, no one knows the reverse charge number let alone their own landline. That’s if they even have a landline anymore.

And Nosey Nora would be called a pedo nonce so she doesn’t look out anymore. Plus people don’t even talk to their neighbours.

So tracking phones and maps on phones is the new safety net as the old ones don’t exist really in the same way anymore.

Some of the poorest people I know have the most expensive phones and so do their kids. I do wonder if it’s a status symbol? Or if people get sucked in as it’s not that much more to move up to next model. I’ll be passing down my 3yo iPhone at some point tbh. I’ll probably get a 12. I could afford a newer version but I don’t think I’ll like it £30 a month for three years more than an older version.

Mini board AND chalk!

Your child doesn't know how lucky they are.

Mine is only allowed a charred stick and has to write messages to friends on the pavement or a wall.

He can have chalk when he's 18.

I think you have to be on top of it but it can be managed but also I don't think we are all bad parents from thay have DC our ages as it just wasn't in the news then, it's the new campaign now, I saw an article on it on breakfast news and listened to a radio programme about it, it's the hot topic at the moment.

Although the fingerprint is not actually stored but just a few points or measurements

He can have a phone but it doesn’t have to have a smart phone!

So basically your DS gets loads of screen time, just not on a phone? In what way do you think thats really any different....

DS had one from Y5 when he was 10. We did not restrict his use. He was trusted to be sensible and he was. He gained an MEng in computer science and now has his dream job as a programmer of a well-respected and very popular computer sports game.

Same, but I have an older DC and schools didn’t ban them or ask for them to be turned off all day. They actually photographed their science projects in the lessons in Yr8.

You maybe seen as a bit of pain by the school but in my mind it was/is important.

Knew not new

And bobbies on bikes where seen.

Yes, I get that and also it is pushed by the schools as more convenient but I was informed by my knowledge in this area and new it was Consent based so knew they had to provide an alternative. I don't think finger print canteen payment should be obligatory, the lawful basis should always be Consent so maybe take it up with your school.