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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU about this mobile phone issue?

12 replies

Thisismyhappyface101 · 03/06/2018 23:46

DD1 has just been given a phone for her 11th birthday (after many years of nagging). We gave her my old 4yo Sony Xperia Z1 to see how she gets on with it until she starts high school in September when I want to get her a better phone. Between now & then my DHs contact is up for renewal so I would like DD to have his old Samsung Galaxy S7 which is a much better phone than the one she has now.

DH, however disagrees. Be thinks she should stick with my old phone as a) it's older and therefore less expensive so we wouldn't mind so much of she lost it or broke it etc, and b) his phone would be more likely to get pinched. I can kind of see his point a bit but he wants to give his old phone to his mum (she has all of his old phones) who will be basically using it as a camera, texting & setting reminders to take her tablets. My argument is DD would make much more use of the features of the newer phone than MiL and I'm also concerned about the potential for bullying when she goes to high school for having such an old phone. So who IBU? Would you give her the newer, better phone or leave her with the older one? Is phone bullying a thing in High School (DH thinks it isn't)? What phones do your high school age kids have?

OP posts:
whywhywhywhywhyyy · 03/06/2018 23:52

How about a compromise? See how DD gets on with having a phone until it's renewal time. Is she charging it, is she losing it, is she smashing the screen?

heatherblue · 03/06/2018 23:53

A four year old phone is embarrassingly old ?Blush

thedishonthecoffeetable · 03/06/2018 23:56

I think she should have the newer phone simply because the older the phone the more likely it is to stop working. My Sony Xperia was a great phone, so much so that when my contract came up for renewal I went SIM only, two months later the phone died, not saying they only make them to last so long but....

o0o0o · 03/06/2018 23:57

Yes she should have the newer phone imo

MilkTwoSugarsThanks · 04/06/2018 00:01

Newer phone. Kids have a lot of stuff on apps and online when they get to secondary. Often they're allowed to take (supervised) photos of work or look things up. Quite a lot of schools use apps for homework and resources. Social media is used for homework - sharing info and discussing projects. She will need something that can do this.

Yeah, yeah, not all kids have, blah, blah... but seriously, why would you disadvantage your kid if you had the opportunity not to?

Leeds2 · 04/06/2018 00:03

Could you not give MIL the older phone?

MilkTwoSugarsThanks · 04/06/2018 00:05

Oh, and as for an old Samsung Galaxy S7 getting pinched - unlikely. Most kids will have newer versions and iPhones.

CoughLaughFart · 04/06/2018 00:06

It’s your partner’s phone. He has decided to give it to his mum.

The. End.

RainbowsAndUnicorns23 · 04/06/2018 00:06

Phone bullying is a thing. Sorry but she will get laughed at with a 4yo phone.

TitsalinaBumsquat · 04/06/2018 00:09

I am shocked that you think she would get bullied for a 4 year old phone. I’m sure there will be 11 year olds with older phones than that. I agree to seeing how she does with the one she’s got. If she looks after it then why not let her have the newer one and give MIL the older one. I agree with you about your daughter using the features more but surely there’s not much difference between the 2 phones in that respect. Has she asked for it or is this just you and OH discussing?

ExceptionFatale · 04/06/2018 00:32

I agree with the above poster, this seems like sound advice. I think that'd be along the same lines of giving your child a goldfish when they ask for a dog, in order to prove they are responsible enough to care for a pet? (I've heard this before, best analogy I could think of!)

I'm also way surprised, I looked up the phone and I think that's a really killer first "starter phone" to have. It runs on Android version Jellybean (4.2) from the factory and depending on your carrier it can upgrade two more versions to Lollipop (5.1) and outside of a better camera and sharper screen most of your cool abilites from Android phones come from OS version upgrades. (FYI: Android is currently 3 stable releases above this at Oreo 8.1 with the next version 9 not currently released). Unless Google Play is giving her an error of "Your device is not compatible/supported" when she tries to download Apps, this phone is fine.

About the bullying thing, unless she's carrying around an old Nokia that only plays Snake (see picture) I don't think anyone will say anything. As a general rule, because Android is supported on so many different kinds of phones - I haven't seen the hyper obsession with "The Best and Newest" with the Android crowd that does tend to exist with children using iPhones. If she starts begging for an iPhone then you've got a whole other issue onnyour hands :P

(Feh, I just checked Amazon, they still sell exterior cases for the Xperia - have her pick one she likes to make it feel like HER phone - cases also tend to conceal make/model unless you're really looking so dual purpose Wink )

Thisismyhappyface101 · 04/06/2018 10:21

Thanks for all the advice. Really didn't know if phone bullying is a thing as mobile phones didn't exist when I was at school. I agree with the pp who said that thieves are more likely to go for the latest iPhone than a 2 yo Samsung. DD seems happy with the phone atm so it's just me & DH discussing it.

I might be being a bit neurotic but I'm nervous enough about her starting a new school, I don't really want to give the other kids any ammunition to start to tease her (she's quite sensitive).

I will definitely investigate phone covers.

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