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Original poster

non-smart phone for 11yo

92 replies

surreymother1 · 29/07/2022 21:23

So dd is going to secondary school in September. Having to travel by train by herself so I want her to have a phone for emergencies, but don't want a smartphone and all the potential hazards that might entail. Has anyone else given their child a non-smart phone? Does anyone have any recommendations? Also is it possible to get GPS on one? I am thinking probably not, but would be great if it was possible.

OP posts:
MissDollyMix · 01/08/2022 18:55

I would have loved to not get my ds a smart phone as he entered yr7 but they really do need them for school. Everything is run through apps- timetable, homework, rewards system etc. He’d be lost without it. I have pretty strict restrictions on what he does with it outside of academic pursuits. I have allowed him to have WhatsApp but I check it - I know these apps get a bad rap but actually his class WhatsApp group is a really nice bunch of kids. It’s mostly just photos of their pets and their food!! I’m really glad he’s learning about social media now whilst he’s still in my sphere of control.

Karenxo · 01/08/2022 19:00

DelurkingAJ · 30/07/2022 09:18

Interesting. DH’s school (boarding), has banned smart phones for Y7. They all seem to cope! (And anecdotally bullying has fallen dramatically).

Because it's a rule set by the school rather than one child singled out for having a brick phone.

MzHz · 01/08/2022 19:02

florenceandthemac · 29/07/2022 21:40

This

Show quote history

Absolutely

dont be a dick parent. Your child will need the phone to access homework, emails and heaven forfend entertain themselves on the bus.

Karenxo · 01/08/2022 19:09

This. You'll create more problems than a smart phone will

Throughout school I had either no phone or a shitty phone that was more embarrassing than no phone at all. It sucked, I never got to to hardly anything, extremely isolating. Can't wait for mine to have phones at 11 and for them to be allowed to actually have a social life as a teenager.

You're totally right, tones have changed, just give your kid a phone

Bwix · 01/08/2022 19:10

Buy an iPhone and use parental controls. I've been the one kid in the class who never had what everyone else had. It made me feel poor and made me resent my mother, and ultimately drove me to get around the rules she set.

Didiplanthis · 01/08/2022 19:45

My dd just finished yr 7... she has her dad's old I-phone and a cheap sim. Her phone is locked down so she can only download apps once her dad authorises it from his phone. She only has WhatsApp... I have asked if she wants snap chat as her friends have it but she doesn't as she has seen some of the issues it causes and has no interest in tictoc at all. She gets added to class groups and big groups but leaves them really quickly as she gets fed up with the constant inane comments ! I was quite disappointed by this as I was quite enjoying some of them when I checked her phone... it was rather educational ! She is very quiet and tends to stay away from the Tictoc crowd though. Really just saying that smart phones aren't inevitably the one way street to depravity they are sometimes made out to be..

Toadinthehole33 · 02/08/2022 17:16

My DS just finished y7 with a dumb phone only. It was fine. He’s got loads of friends.

Decidualcast · 05/08/2022 14:16

This is an interesting thread as my DS starts Y7 soon. I recently bought him a dumb phone for emergency calls, and have been quite worried at the thought of him having a smartphone, but this thread has given me plenty to think about.

lanthanum · 05/08/2022 18:48

DD didn't have a smart phone until her birthday at the end of year 7. She was quite happy with a basic one - but her school didn't allow mobile phones in school at all, which makes a massive difference - only her friends had any clue what sort of phone she had. (I would be very interested in any research into how the level of social media bullying relates to school policies on phones.)

QuillBill · 06/08/2022 06:55

Toadinthehole33 · 02/08/2022 17:16

My DS just finished y7 with a dumb phone only. It was fine. He’s got loads of friends.

What did your son do when he was catching the train and it was delayed or he was in a situation where he needed to look up any timetables or contact someone because of it?

MarchingFrogs · 06/08/2022 09:10

QuillBill · 06/08/2022 06:55

What did your son do when he was catching the train and it was delayed or he was in a situation where he needed to look up any timetables or contact someone because of it?

Show quote history

Some DC don't need to use public transport, of course, because school is within walking distance, or can't, because the school isn'ton a sensible route. (Also some parents of DC whose school is easily accessible by public transport regard public transport to be an even greater danger than smartphones...)

Feetache · 07/08/2022 22:22

ExcusesExcuses · 30/07/2022 08:24

so many people saying she needs a smart phone. she doesn't. Both my DS had a Nokia dumb phone and it was fine. indestructible, used for emergencies and no social issues that others are citing.

You say had.
How long ago. ??
No smart phone would be unheard of at our high and they all use snap chat / WAp etc as well as internet all the time

GreenClock · 07/08/2022 22:33

If she’ll be travelling with friends I suppose they’ll all have smartphones to check timetables/cancellations etc. I wouldn’t want to rely on other people myself so I’d get my DC their own smartphone, but I’m a bit of a worrier.

Feetache · 07/08/2022 22:36

OP they need to learn to navigate the smart phone world. They need to learn to navigate internet / phone safety. They need to learn the perils of group chats. That's normal for Yr7
Our school stared phones must be off in blazers at all times but they switch on as soon as out of the gate.. unless asked specifically to use in class. Eg photograph information, do a quiz etc

Beecham · 07/08/2022 22:38

We are conservative with tech but kids need smartphones these days. Honestly, they just do.

At secondary school she will see all sorts of inappropriate things on everyone else's phones. There's really no escaping it.

Ours have strict parental controls, no social media except WhatsApp, it switches off once screen time limit is reached etc - this helps retain some kind of balance

ShandaLear · 07/08/2022 22:42

DelurkingAJ · 30/07/2022 09:18

Interesting. DH’s school (boarding), has banned smart phones for Y7. They all seem to cope! (And anecdotally bullying has fallen dramatically).

Anecdotally*

  • Made up data
NancyDrooo · 07/08/2022 22:50

My kids’ timetables, homework and report charts are all on apps. The teachers sometimed ask them to use their phones for in-class quizzes, to Google research or to take photos of work to upload to shared drives etc. Lots of emailing and Teams. PE asks them to log exercise. Languages have online translation lessons. Lunch menus are on there too.

Just disable the things you don’t want her to access, put parental controls on and check her phone regularly.

Pelhams · 26/05/2023 21:32

Oh that's a shame you didn't get any answers to your actual question. I too came on here looking for recommendations for a non smart phone. Some schools don't allow them for year 7 and in any case I'm more than happy for my DS to wait. They'll be plenty of time for smart phones and when they're better equipped to understand the pitfalls. It's a shame so many including schools have bowed to peer pressure which seems to be the main argument for not having one! Yes they are an integral part of life now but no harm in holding back a little IMHO ❤

Original poster
surreymother1 · 26/05/2023 21:45

I went ahead and bought a Nokia brick and popped an AirTag in her bag for tracking. Of course she’d like a smart phone but is managing ok without. Hoping to hold out till 14th birthday before buying one

OP posts:
OhCrumbsWhereNow · 28/05/2023 10:19

DD (14) is at a school that "officially" says phones must be off and in bags or they will be confiscated.

In reality, homework is all on an App, there's a class WhatsApp, they seem to use them to play Kahoot in tutor group and there are many occasions where they are allowed to use them to take pictures of the board or use timers etc in PE, science and so on.

DD got an old iPhone before starting Y7. She can't download apps without my giving permission online each time, and I have the right to check it. Having seen how things have changed over the years, it is hugely easier to keep an eye on what they are up to at 11/12 than at 13/14.

I was pleasantly surprised how nice they all were on the class WhatsApp. Never been any issues in 3 years.

I'm now pretty liberal with what DD can have - she's not really interested in FB, has IG but her peer group seem v uninterested in 'likes' or followers or anything like that. Also has TikTok, Snapchat etc. The worst I seem to deal with is constantly advising her that no, hair doesn't grow faster with special £50 shampoo etc. She is an marketeer's dream... so I am glad she's still young enough that I can show her how to evaluate information sources and not believe everything you see!

Fine to start with a non-smart phone, but I'd just assume you'll be going shopping for one at Autumn half-term.

BlackSwanEvent · 20/06/2023 21:30

I'm genuinely shocked by the responses on this thread. A recent article cited how smartphones lower IQ, and that's not even mentioning the harm caused by bullying, harmful content and the general addictive nature of them. They should be banned for under 16s, and schools should outright ban them till 6th form.

OhCrumbsWhereNow · 20/06/2023 22:14

BlackSwanEvent · 20/06/2023 21:30

I'm genuinely shocked by the responses on this thread. A recent article cited how smartphones lower IQ, and that's not even mentioning the harm caused by bullying, harmful content and the general addictive nature of them. They should be banned for under 16s, and schools should outright ban them till 6th form.

Seriously? You are being totally ridiculous.

Exactly how do smart phones 'lower' IQ - love to see the research on that one.

DD has had her IQ tested professionally at regular intervals by Ed Psychs as part of her SEN interventions and it has remained exactly the same scores over the last 8 years... despite being a high-frequency user of tech.

Clymene · 20/06/2023 22:22

BlackSwanEvent · 20/06/2023 21:30

I'm genuinely shocked by the responses on this thread. A recent article cited how smartphones lower IQ, and that's not even mentioning the harm caused by bullying, harmful content and the general addictive nature of them. They should be banned for under 16s, and schools should outright ban them till 6th form.

A recent article! GrinGrinGrinGrin