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Original poster

Smartphones and kids

16 replies

changedagain67543 · 11/03/2024 21:22

DCs are 10 and 7. Not in the wanting a phone era yet. I don't want them to ever have a phone but realise it is inevitable to some extent.

What age did your DCs get phones, if at all? I would like to get them a non-smartphone when the time comes. Is that a done thing these days? I am trying to protect their brains as long as I possibly can.

OP posts:
MaloneMeadow · 11/03/2024 21:26

DD got her first phone (iPhone 5c) towards the end of primary school, aged 11 which was pretty much in line with the rest of her peers at the time

Pedallleur · 11/03/2024 21:58

My daughter is 13. Has a cheap regular phone. Has a Chromebook as well which we monitor. This idea they need a smartphone is nonesense but somehow people believe their child will be alienated from society without one.

SneakySnakeEx · 11/03/2024 23:15

Dd 10 has an i phone as now walks to school alone

DinnaeFashYersel · 11/03/2024 23:21

Eldest got a cheap reconditioned iPhone age 10 (P6)

Youngest got one age 7 (P3) but only because of lockdowns to keep in touch with friends. If it hadn't been for Covid she would have to wait till 10.

Got eldest a decent Samsung for high school. Will do the same for youngest when she goes this year.

DinnaeFashYersel · 11/03/2024 23:22

To add high school gives out chrome books which has all the apps on it anyway.

MobileStationery · 11/03/2024 23:23

I swore she'd not have one till at least high school. ..

She got one last year of primary, it surprised how many of her class mates also have them, i thought she'd be one of the only ones, but nope.
There's only 1 girl in her class that doesn't have one, my DD feels bad for the girl because she misses out on the group chats and such.

My DD is 11 end of march

floppybit · 12/03/2024 00:21

First year of high school. No need for a phone in primary!

Toblerbone · 12/03/2024 00:26

My DC got phones for their 11th birthdays.

Stompythedinosaur · 12/03/2024 00:48

I'm going to stand out by saying my dc got phones around 7/8. Initially they didn't have a SIM and they used them in the house on WiFi to play games. Then they got more real phone use when we went into lockdown to talk to friends.

I know most people on mn give phones later, but my dc didn't stand out as unusual in their class by having a phone.

I've never noticed an impact of their brains, they self-regulate and have plenty of offline interests.

Original poster
changedagain67543 · 12/03/2024 04:35

Gosh I’m so surprised. Really thought it’d be a lot later

OP posts:
CabinetofMonstrosities · 12/03/2024 04:40

Pedallleur · 11/03/2024 21:58

My daughter is 13. Has a cheap regular phone. Has a Chromebook as well which we monitor. This idea they need a smartphone is nonesense but somehow people believe their child will be alienated from society without one.

This.
Our DC were 14 when they got theirs. They haven’t become hooked like so many of their peers who got one at 11.

They have no social media on them - no Snapchat, no insta, no TikTok. They also get the bus to school - and have coped with unexpected travel issues without a phone like we had to!
in years to come we won’t believe how easily we handed over our kids’ childhoods to social media.

SportNovice · 12/03/2024 05:38

DD was 10, almost 11 and we bought it because she was going on a school trip and we wanted her to be able to contact us if need be. For the first year, she had no games on it, no social media, allowed apps and websites only and downtime enabled so she can't use it overnight.
Now she's 12 and I have just allowed WhatsApp on the understanding I get to read and spot check everything. Also 30 minutes of games a day, I've taken off allowed websites and now it's on child settings. She has a time limit on YouTube. The phone contract is in my name so I set the passcode. My biggest issue has been the kindle app! That's not a phone issue though, she's the same with physical books.

Sunnysidegold · 12/03/2024 05:46

Start of High school for my two. They had to travel by bus quite far and with after school clubs cancelling due to weather and such it helped keeping InTouch.

No social media apart from WhatsApp but there has been a lot of asking for Snapchat as they are apparently the only person in the year without it, but I'm sticking to my guns.

I'd say I'm reasonable savvy about the negative side of phones and my two have rules they must stick to. I can access phone any time, read any messages, search history,know their passcode etc.

We are android house and I have an app called family link which allows me to limit the time on certain apps, shut off screen time, see their location etc.

Ambergrease · 12/03/2024 06:45

It’s not about a phone, it’s about how you set the phone up.

My DC got one in Y5 for walking from school to hobbies by themselves- it was locked down to do calls and texts only, to family members.

Now in early secondary we have loosened some restrictions but have downtime (so it’s dead overnight apart from ability to text us or grandparents in an emergency), no social media (apart from WhatsApp which I allowed in Y7), filtered internet, no ability to download apps, time limits on apps (so only 30 mins of WhatsApp, 30 mins of games etc.).

WandaWonder · 12/03/2024 06:54

Start of secondary school

slithytoveisascientist · 13/03/2024 16:08

I wish it was not so but they were walking home from school at that point (encouraged by school) and I wanted to keep them safe.

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