Why do primary aged children have huge smart phones?

Noodlenation · 2023-01-20T22:48:26+00:00

I’m seeing very young children with phones, personally I think it’s completely unnecessary. With regards to contact with parents you can get a brick and put a tenner on it. why are we opening them up to a world of bullying? Isn’t it enough for children to see and hear it in school without having to bring it home as well? i just know I’m gonna get someone saying I don’t want my child to feel left out. but I do want my child to be left out…. : from the bullying, the drama and all the sh*t that comes with it. what do you think?

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

bloodyeverlastinghell · 20/01/2023 22:53

A lot of dc have inherited their parents old phones. My 10 yo uses my old phone but it doesn’t have a sim in. Plays apps offline. Uses it for homework; Sumdog challenges. Roblox on wifi. Will get a sim when off to high school.

adagio · 20/01/2023 22:55

I’ve not personally noticed this, but my (then small) dd would stay nice and entertained on my normal sized phone watching crap videos/doing free games while waiting or doing boring stuff (eg bank, doctors or pharmacy queuing, paying etc). Actual shopping was fun (find me 3 carrots etc) but the paying bit was boring. I can see that a big screen phone would double as tablet style entertainment of peppa pig reruns at 5am in bed too - great idea!

SpinningFloppa · 20/01/2023 22:55

Was coming on to say parents old phones

Saltywalruss · 20/01/2023 22:55

Yes children using their parents ', old phones. Some parents allow all sorts of things because they don't want their children to "be left out".

Humphplumf · 20/01/2023 22:57

This is a huge area of stress for me right now. DC age ten (year 5) back to school after Christmas. One of only 5 children in her class now without a phone. And yes, they are getting left out of chats and online games and other things.
At the moment I’m holding firm. Luckily her bestie is one of the others that hasn’t got one. I know it’s inevitable but honestly I don’t think she (or any one of them) are emotionally mature enough.
I’m getting particularly irritated with friends coming to play and bringing phones and tablets and then getting them out and playing on them. When they’re supposed to be here to hang out with DC. I had a child face timing another child from a different school the other day. Showing them round DC bedroom. I was NOT impressed. Also taking pictures /videos of DC and our home. Why?!! And what are they doing with them? But I can’t really take a phone away from a child. So I can only ask them not to. And hope they go along with it.

Dacadactyl · 20/01/2023 22:57

I agree wholeheartedly. My son is in year 6 and doesn't have a phone yet. We will get him one for his birthday just before he starts in secondary school. Then we will check it regularly and only allow certain apps (no tiktok or snapchat etc)

keri17 · 20/01/2023 23:03

My 11 year old has my old phone but she too is dismayed at her mates iPhone 14s 🤣 Her screen protector gets broken a lot so she knows how risky expensive phones could be

HawaiiWake · 21/01/2023 10:45

Parents’s old phones. Only given when going to secondary school and no phones use in bedroom, time limit use and charging them in kitchen at night.

Howeverdoyouneedme · 21/01/2023 10:55

Agree. I see year 5 and 6 children getting their massive phones out as they leave the school building and I find it jarring. Usual suspects though.

Original poster

Noodlenation · 21/01/2023 13:31

I recently read a comment from a teacher that she wastes at least 20 minutes of learning time sorting out issues that have occurred on social media before coming into school. Where the girls are upset about a comment or a photo.

I personally will give a phone to my child when she can prove to me that she is responsible enough.
and eventually when she does get one, it will be closely monitored.

but yes year 5 and year 6 is who I see leaving school too with big phones. The whole internet in your hands at the tender age of 10 and below is extremely dangerous.

OP posts:

RoomWithAPew · 21/01/2023 13:38

Not every parent who gives their primary aged child a smart phone is irresponsible. My 10yr old DD (soon to be 11) was gifted an iPhone from her dad’s family for Christmas.

The purpose is to teach her how to use it sensibly before high school. It is not allowed in bedrooms, it’s not allowed to be in her hand all day, she has no social media at all and she does not have access to the internet on it (it’s locked down). It’s fairly pointless but she is happy.

Attictroll · 21/01/2023 13:43

Ds is y6 and we want him to have a phone when he starts walking to and from school himself and pre secondary BUT I am very reluctant. About half of his class have them and mostly parents old ones. He has never been just given a phone in a restaurant or queuing etc as I believe he needs to learn to be patient and sociable and it's that kind of distract them rather than teach them which annoys me more ...kids with phones in buggies really riled me for some reason. I am not anti tech he has lap top, console and tablet games at home but that feels more controllable than a phone. So basically I half agree 😂

Coffeellama · 21/01/2023 13:47

Noodlenation · 21/01/2023 13:31

I recently read a comment from a teacher that she wastes at least 20 minutes of learning time sorting out issues that have occurred on social media before coming into school. Where the girls are upset about a comment or a photo.

I personally will give a phone to my child when she can prove to me that she is responsible enough.
and eventually when she does get one, it will be closely monitored.

but yes year 5 and year 6 is who I see leaving school too with big phones. The whole internet in your hands at the tender age of 10 and below is extremely dangerous.

Again big phones usually equal parents old phone, cheaper than buying a brick! And just because a kid has a smart phone, it doesn’t mean the parents are thick and haven’t put any controls on it. Mine don’t have phones yet but when they do I won’t be buying a special phone for their first one, they will get an old one of mine which a very tight contract for emergencies. They won’t be having Google at their fingertips 24/7

MyMachineAndMe · 21/01/2023 14:02

Because they got our old ones when we upgraded a couple of years ago (one dc is now y5 and the other is now y7). It's nothing to do with them keeping up with their mates; if we got a brick we'd have had to buy it whereas their smartphones were of no upfront cost. Yes, they're monitored and limited.

mathanxiety · 21/01/2023 14:59

It's not the phones that cause the bullying, you know.

Saltywalruss · 21/01/2023 16:24

Humphplumf · 20/01/2023 22:57

This is a huge area of stress for me right now. DC age ten (year 5) back to school after Christmas. One of only 5 children in her class now without a phone. And yes, they are getting left out of chats and online games and other things.
At the moment I’m holding firm. Luckily her bestie is one of the others that hasn’t got one. I know it’s inevitable but honestly I don’t think she (or any one of them) are emotionally mature enough.
I’m getting particularly irritated with friends coming to play and bringing phones and tablets and then getting them out and playing on them. When they’re supposed to be here to hang out with DC. I had a child face timing another child from a different school the other day. Showing them round DC bedroom. I was NOT impressed. Also taking pictures /videos of DC and our home. Why?!! And what are they doing with them? But I can’t really take a phone away from a child. So I can only ask them not to. And hope they go along with it.

Yes you can take their phones away from them, just like you would if they brought round some other unsuitable thing. It's your, home and you decide what goes on in your house.

It's really rude to talk to someone else when you are round q friend 's house and completely unacceptable to show others their bedroom. I would ask friends to leave their phone in their coat pocket/bag

Saltywalruss · 21/01/2023 16:27

mathanxiety · 21/01/2023 14:59

It's not the phones that cause the bullying, you know.

No but they make it easier.

ZenNudist · 21/01/2023 16:30

Mine have old phones from a young age. For ds2(8) it's something to message family on, listening to music, play games, especially pokemon go. It doesn't have a sim though I want to get one so we can WhatsApp. I don't let him have it all the time. It's limited like all screen time.

TheSnowyOwl · 21/01/2023 16:30

Surely it depends what they use them for. Phones don't cause bullying; it’s some of the people who use them that are bullies. We have plenty of homework and school apps that children are expected to do on a tablet or phone.

Our local secondary school expects all children to have an iPad. Why not teach primary aged children to use devices properly (and kindly to others) rather than banning them?

snowtrees · 21/01/2023 19:57

Why are you bothered?
Kids world relies on phones & aps.
It's does not automatically equate to bad and bullying

Cookiedough22 · 22/01/2023 02:45

I bought my son year 6 small smart phone for Christmas ready for high school. He doesn’t do tictok, social media, what’s app or anything like that. Whatever he downloads needs my permission through my phone. He has a few friends that he texts and calls and enjoys communicating with them when otherwise wouldn’t outside of school due to distance. He likes to have his own communication with the “other” parent also. He doesn’t take it to school (primary at mo) absolutely pointless. Tbf at the moment it’s not used much at all apart from those odd occasions , but gives me chance to teach responsibility before he reaches high school.

what I don’t get now is that the “other” parent has now handed down their old phone and ordered a SIM card for it to use at their house.

WandaWonder · 22/01/2023 02:51

Why on earth does a child have a phone mean bullying is automatically going to happen?

My child has a phone for 3 years there is no bullying

If you don't think your child needs one don't give them one and own that choice

Saltywalruss · 22/01/2023 14:04

Kids world relies on phones & aps.

Only because parents enable it!

PathOfLeastResitance · 22/01/2023 14:29

The phones aren’t huge, the children are small.

snowtrees · 22/01/2023 19:05

@Saltywalruss School homework aps etc are widely used. TTR, Reading plus, reading Aps etc etc
In reality our lives are run via a million aps.
By high school it's timetables, homework assignment, more learning aps.
Ordering food on line or in restaurants, finding charging points, booking car park spaces, looking up train times, booking tickets, donating money, paying road tolls, booking classes, banking ...
so actually a lot of parents give kids access to a phone for messaging family & mates.
Yes there are risks but bullying doesn't need a phone