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

[Rhayader]

My DCs school does not allow smartphones and most of the schools around here are the same. The kids all have Nokias (and often an AirTag or similar for tracking).

I can’t believe it’s 97%! Am I totally out of touch? She’s never even asked for a phone.

https://amp.theguardian.com/technology/2024/sep/23/children-who-dont-have-smartphones

Not surprised. I would’ve said more 80-90% but yeah.

That's a lot of screen addicted kids.

I’m shocked that you are shocked

I don't believe it's that high

12 years old is secondary age, many travelling to school alone. I don't know any child with a Nokia or who doesn't have a phone at 12. And I held out till end of year 6 for mobiles in my house and heavily police their useage (apps like quosodio). I believe this stat.

Yeah right do all the kids have Nokias 😂

From the kids I know I would have guessed that at most 1/4 have smartphones.

Best laugh in years lol

That's Yrs 7&8, the majority travel to school independently. I'm not letting my son go 40 mins on a bus without having some way of getting hold of me so yes you are being ridiculously unreasonable.

I'm surprised you're surprised. I can't imagine any 12 year old being happy with a Nokia.

I think you're very easily shocked.

Also I'm not sure why your child not asking for one would mean you're ignorant towards such a huge trend.

Do you not watch the news or listen to/read current affairs?

I don’t know any tween who has a Nokia or dumb phone. They all have smartphones.

You clearly know a very unrepresentative bunch of pre teens. Getting a phone before starting secondary is absolutely the norm if not earlier. That can possibly be shocking to anyone unless you have a ground level shockometer. I'm more surprised that its not 100%, school rules are irrelevant surely

They are quite common in secondary schools ds 2 doesn't take his to school but he is on sen school transport so it's door to door

They need one to do their homework on.

My 10, 11 and 13 year old all have smartphones. They're second hand/hand me down. The 11 year old is at High school and does various clubs so needs it so I can stay in touch as he travels independently. He also has homework set on an app on it, and teachers make announcements and put up timetables on there. The older one is home educated so uses it to stay in touch with other home Ed kidd and uses various apps, takes photos etc. They youngest has one in case we pop out for a bit and leave him for an hour or two.

They all use them to talk to family on WhatsApp as well.

And I don't know a single child with a Nokia...they've all got smartphones for pretty much the same reason

I'm not letting my son go 40 mins on a bus without having some way of getting hold of me so yes you are being ridiculously unreasonable.

I'm sure this is a significant social change - these days I think you're in the majority. But back in the mid-90s I was allowed, at age 12, to take a 40 minute bus ride to go shopping in town on my own, obviously without a phone. And my mum was widely considered to be ridiculously strict. I don't know what approach I'll take when my own dc is age 12, as I work with young people and from what I can see, the risks of having a phone are at least as great as the risks of not having a phone.

High schools where I live set homework through an app! Phones are sometimes used in class. I think kids that age would really struggle without one to be honest.

Most children have their parents old phones from upgrading so yes most children will have a smart phone.

The school has an app with the schedule and the homework on it. Teachers send messages through it. You just need an Iphone to get to the right classes…

I suspect it jumps up at 12, 12 is year7, I imagine that's the threshold for a lot of parents, especially if they're getting to school independently.

I'm not remotely surprised. Most kids I know have a smartphone by P6 (age 10).

My DD11 has since she was 9, but it's because she lives between 2 homes and likes to speak with me/her Dad without having to ask.
She has a tracker and takes it to school (for split homes) but turns it off when she gets there for the whole day, just turns it back on when she gets on the bus home.

i’m not surprised.