Are there any parents out there who support smartphones in schools?

I agree it’s unnecessary for adults, but I think the peer pressure on kids to have things like Snapchat and WhatsApp is massive. Of course they don’t need it, but feeling left out of conversations happening on social media is a powerful draw towards them.

Bullying in any form is awful, but online the danger is compounded by stranger danger. There is no way to tell if someone is who they claim to be.

And I totally disagree about avoiding bullies - at school there are (or should be) clear safeguards to manage bullying - and at 3pm, you can walk away.

If you are being bullied or manipulated online, it can be 24/7.

Children don’t have the maturity to deal with online dangers and many cannot rely on their parents to even recognise them, let alone mitigate them.

There is not one single good reason to give children smart phones.

when you're told (by all the adults) that your social problems are your fault

no idea what you mean by this.

the nice thing about online groups is you can choose not to go there. I don't need a Mumsnet account at all in my life,.

But when you're told (by all the adults) that your social problems are your fault & the school/parents/govt say you have to go to school, then the nasty things people say to you in person daily at school, you're stuck with that. There is no way to avoid.

This is why I'd say nastiness online is a fairly easily avoided problem, and hugely much easier to deal with than any nastiness in person.,

I actually think I'd complain to school, removing all those things just before exams is just cruel.

I agree. Our school are bringing in the ban 6 weeks before exams and I do worry about how he will cope.

He very much relies on his phone to help him keep organised through the school day with calendars, trackers, notes, reminders, revision apps, flash cards.

He’s done really well in developing these life-skills using the tools available to him - many of which were suggested by the school - and I worry about how he will adapt to having it all taken away.

As a person with ADHD, a smartphone could have completely changed my school experience, with all the calendars, reminders and storage facilities. I don't think a minority of children misusing them across the school day should prevent them from being utilised as they are meant to be.

Define Social Media any thing that is open to the general public. MN, Reddit, FB, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube.
I hate the thought of young teens being 'influenced' by completely unregulated people. Or putting videos out there for people to criticise and laugh at. Or for fights to end up on the Internet forever more.

WhatsApp tends to be more of a Chat place with groups who already know one another.

Mumsnet is a toxic dumpster on some occasions. I wouldn’t want my child anywhere near it.

Kids shouldn’t be on any forum where the other suers could be anyone.

And I don’t really know what you mean about arm-reach groups, but if you mean in person groups, that’s not even remotely similar. IRL you know who you are talking to and most people are far less rude or mean face to face.

Define what is social media?
I am most amused by Mumsnet posts slagged off social media... Mumsnet is social media. So is whatsApp, reddit, Discord, PokemonGo Campfire. Any group chat or forum is SM.

Are you going to encourage bans of children physically live chatting in arms-reach groups, too?

Watch the "social dilemma" on Netflix.

Creators of current tech (ex Apple employees) saying they would never let their child have an iPad or an iPhone made me rethink all my childs access to the internet or screens.

It is very good but very scary.

This is brilliant. And puts paid to all the 'it's unworkable' comments. Invest some money in pouches like this and reap all the dividends in terms of focus, social skills and improved attainment. Have exclusions where kids may have a specific medical or social need where a phone is essential. Kids have phones for travel, if parents so wish, and obviously parents set their own limits or none outwith school according to their views. I can't see any reasonable argument against this approach.

Not supporting. Just a smart watch for tracking and emergency phone call/ payment

I agree. Some are completely unaware and never monitor phone use, never mind put controls on.

Oh God that's verging on funny 😁
But seriously it's nuts that at 13 'in line with your countries laws, your child can turn of parental controls'

Yeah. My son managed to infiltrate our parental controls and somehow change himself to the manager of the whole system. He was around 13. It’s such a battle.

They are just more techy than us. It is ridiculous.

I 100% agree there needs to be more laws about protecting kids on line. I also find it ludicrous that at 13 kids can disable parental controls.

Yes it’s the parents that are the problem… I personally think that is why the government needs to step in and make more laws to actually protect children online.

What?! I never once called my parents when I was at school. Or after school.

Or when I went out in the evenings or when I was out all day with friends. What nonsense!

My overriding feeling they should be handed in and locked away in the morning and handed back at the end of the day

That's unworkable in a school with 1500 pupils and only ten minutes between the end of school and when the school bus leaves (rural areas with poor public transport).

I honestly think the rules around social media should be tightened up. Should be 16. It shouldn't be down to schools to police it.

I think it’s helpful to be able to communicate with your Dc. My eldest goes to school nine miles away and there’s no public transport. If he wants to be with friends after school or if there is something on he can give me a quick call to check someone can give him a lift later. I’d be fine with a dumb phones in school/ off in bag/ locked in a pouch. They do use phones a bit for class work.

I do- off and in bags. Then after school/ before school we can update each other on change of collection times etc. and why smartphone? So I can see where they are and on / occasions, see where they are when lost!!! (Child not phone)

I agree, but it means you have to have a very tough toilet policy, though, because they go to the toilet in lessons to use their phones.

At DDs school, phones must be off and in their bags all day. Phone is confiscated if seen.

However, many do not follow this rule; a friend says her DD feels pressured within her friendship group to go on her phone at lunchtime. It’s better to be in the plastics…

DD is autistic and needs her phone for the bus ride home. She likes to check in with DH and I, and we have to offer to reassurance. Although this is becoming less as she moves towards more independence.

I would support a smartphone ban. We would get DD a basic phone to take so she can still contact us on her journey home. An outright ban would be problematic, DD would absolutely not speak to a stranger, but it’s something she would have to learn to try and do.

Depends what you need by ban. No phones on the premises at all, I don't support (though I can see the logic in it). Phones in bags, turned off and confiscated if found to be used without permission, totally fair enough.

When DD was at school she had to turn the phone off and keep it in her bag all day. No phones at all during school hours. She told me the toilets were where you use the phone illicitly.

She also said that the ban encouraged the students to talk to each other and have good conversations during the dinner break (if they weren't hiding in the loo) so in some ways it's good.