Birthday parties and phones (8 year olds)

[mrsfoof]

DN attended a birthday party yesterday. She's in yr 3 so the birthday child was turning 8 - other guests were mainly 7 or 8.
It was an activity party but one where you have to wait your turn rather than 'doing the thing' all the time (I don't want to out myself by naming the activity, but think bowling rather than laser tag...)
Out of the 12 kids, 4 brought a phone with them. So naturally, almost ALL the kids gravitated towards the phones and interest was soon lost on the (good) activity in favour of watching videos / playing games on the phones. Even those who still wanted to do the activity got bored as their team mates had to be cajoled into putting the phone away and having their go so the flow was lost.
DSis is really miffed that DN was watching Tiktok videos on other kids' phones at the party (she doesn't have access at home and it never crossed her mind that she might be accessing it at a party) but doesn't blame the host who's child wasn't one of the phone owners and had a hard time trying to get the others to put their phones away.
AIBU to think that you don't send your primary-aged child to a party with their phone?

The only friends of my kids who had phones at that age were ones who split their time between 2 houses and had a phone so they could always phone other parent when they wanted. Fri eve, sat am or sun pm birthday parties were often used to swap over - one parent dropped off other picked up. The split-parents don't have to see each other. It doesn't mean they are bad parents they might be horrified to know their kid got the phone out of their weekend bag and was using it at a party. Up to the parents at the party to police it and insist all phones away. Couldn't one of the adults there just have said no phones to be used during party hours? (Although to be fair tiktok pretty shocking. My 11 y.o is not allowed that)

This would annoy me too.
My 8.5 year old does have a phone but only so that he can call me /be called when he is out playing with his friends. Sometimes he'll play angry birds or minecraft. Or faff about with the calculator making words out of numbers and laughing hysterically at himself.

He doesnt have any social media as he doesnt know what it is.
He thinks Instagram is just for making funny faces - me and the kids play with the silly filters on my instagram but we dont post them or anything. He has no idea what tiktok is and thinks facebook is just a place where mummy buys second hand toys or furniture😂

I think at 8 having access to the entire world through social media, with no real understanding of what they are seeing, is a real shame for these children.

If you're DN ever has a similar party just put No phones please on the invite. And leave a number so that any parents can contact you if they need to get in touch with their child. Its only a few hours out of the day after all.

Wow my kid is 8 and fairly sure none of his pals have phones.
tablets, Xboxes etc yes and they def watch a bit of YouTube etc at home.
but I’d be staggered (and annoyed) if devices were brought along to a party.