To be astounded at the number of smart phones?

[Youbutterbelieve]

I was in the playground with DS (9, year 4) and some of his classmates were also there, of the 6 children, 4 of them had smart phones - definitely their own phones rather than parents (who weren't present) and they were watching tiktok and showing each other things on Instagram. We had parents evening later that day and the teacher said over half the class have a smart phone in school with them. At 9! I was genuinely shocked.

AIBU to be shocked.

At year 4 the school doesn't allow them to walk home alone.

When DS went back to school after lockdown, I was surprised that half of y5 had phones already.

Both of mine were among the last to get theirs during Christmas of y6 which gave a bit of time for learning curve in a more managable environment before secondary where they have to use them for things like bus fares and the school information system app.

At 12 & 14, their access to apps is still monitored and managed. (No to Tik Tok and Snapchat for a start!)

YANBU but be prepared to be told that children will be socially isolated and laughed at unless you give them a smartphone.

My DS is in year 5 and he sometimes walks home alone. He has a brick phone. Zero need for a smartphone.

I agree with you. I think it's horrible to see kids hunched over phones instead of playing, or cycling or shuffling to school engrossed in a phone. We're raising a generation of morons*. Reminds me of the film Idiocracy.

• Except the millions of kids who only have them for bus timetables and duolingo

Btw OP according to the smartphone free childhood movement, something like 25% of 5-7 year olds own a smartphone

My 9 year old tells me they are the last of their friends to get a phone. We are planning to get them a phone when they start secondary and so far they are happy to wait. When they do get one it will be under restrictions and heavily monitored.

Great to hear. I will be joining you with this approach.
Just awful to see 9 year olds (or older) scrolling tiktok and Instagram!

YANBU it is shocking. When DD was in year 5 she nagged me for a smartphone and TikTok because her mates had several accounts!
wait until they start secondary school and some are watching porn in year 7. It’s like a gut punch.

My DS is in year 3 so aged 7-8 and the girls have a WhatsApp group

My son is in Year 6. No smartphone.

Not quite the same but I remember being appalled that Reception children in my daughter's class had been given an iPad for Christmas. This is now 14 years ago and I'm assuming pretty much all 5 year olds now use tablets or phones on a regular basis.

I was in a year 1 class recently where they were watching a youtube video focussed on 'sight words' ie words like 'what' that can't be sounded out by phonics. And at the end it showed 'like and subscribe' and the whole class of 5-6 year olds 'read' those,words outloud because they are obviously very familiar to them. 😬😥

Agree. DD was one of the last in her class to get a phone, and that was Easter of Y6, last year. She had a tablet when she was 8 and again, one of the last amongst family and friends kids to get that too, most had one 3-4 years before that. She’s 13 this year and doesn’t have any social media. Allowing it at 9yrs is actually neglectful in my opinion.

Is that why my year 3 DS keeps saying “subscribe subscribe subscribe”???

Your child is far more likely to succeed in life than those with a smartphone.

My eldest at primary school.got shown an indecent image from a porn site by a boy in their class on his phone. My youngest (year 4) tells me that children in their class have seen rude pictures. Speaking with the teachers about it has meant phones are now banned from school and have to be handed in at the start of the day and collected at the end. It scares me how much children are being exposed to at such a young and vulnerable age.

YANBU, it's ridiculous. Everyone thinks they're doing the right thing because they don't want their child to feel left out because everyone else has one. I gave my ds one in year 6 before high school and even now part of me regrets it as they get so addicted to scrolling. I have a dd in Yr 5 and I won't be getting her a phone any time soon.