Did anyone not give their tween a smartphone?

[MrsSchrute]

My DC is in year 6, starting secondary in Sept, and so naturally the question of smartphones has reared its ugly head!
He hasn't asked for one, but all of his peers have them, or will have them soon. I hadn't given it much thought, and was beginning to look into handsets etc, but then I read a few articles like this one:

amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/02/teacher-smartphone-children-mental-health-internet

Is there anyone who didn't get their DC a smartphone for secondary school? Has that worked out?

I really don't want to get him one, but I also don't want him to be the only one without one!

Most highschools you need a smartphone for google classroom and your child will struggle to meet friends outside of school without you

Our DS is nearly at the end of Y8 and still doesn’t have a phone.

Has worked out great. He is popular, has loads of hobbies and hasn’t been embroiled in the several social media /WhatsApp craziness that his peers have.

We’re considering one for next year for music, audiobooks and revision apps.

Same.

Then I wished I’d waited.

If you do, absolutely do not allow Snapchat, insta, tik tok, etc.

Yes, yes, I know these are age restricted. But I caved. My kids are fine, they’re late teens and currently A/A star students, but I’d have saved a whole lotta angst if I’d just delayed the inevitable for a while.

DS had no phone until secondary, when we tried to give him an old brick one as he gets the bus across town to school. He flat-out refused to have anything other than a smartphone (in case his friends saw) and we kept up the battle of wills for over a year until we cracked when he turned 13 and let him have one (castoff). We would have to send messages via his older sibling (at the same school), or email him, so stressful.

He had little interest in social media, apart from WhatsApp with family - it was more the games. The bus app has been useful though and has given him more independence.

My son got my old phone when he went into Y7. They sometimes use them in class to Google things, when told to by the teacher.

When he's home he never uses it, which I am happy about! He isn't interested in social media etc. He uses my laptop/ family PCs for homework etc. He's going into Y8 in September and his phone has been dead since they broke up in July 😂

DD starts Y7 in Sept and has been begging for a smartphone for over a year. I bought her a Nokia but apparently there’s no point because it’s too difficult to type out messages 🙄 She’s possibly the only one in her class without a smartphone so it’s really hard to decide what to so (I know she will be glued to it the moment she has one).

Mine are about to go into Y9 now and still phone free.

Lol sorry just saw I already commented on this thread 😂

They will tell you that everyone has a Smartphone but in reality it’s a small number that have them with the majority having non smartphones

I’ve already told the children they will not be getting phones as presents until they are older and wiser as I think that’s how we have twelve year olds walking around with brand new iPhones and parents lose control of the phones as the kids ‘own’ them.

So phones will be useful tools of communication as opposed to fashion
items. .

Don't do it. Mine had there's year 7 but I even wish they didn't have one thar early. Definitely not in year 6. If you do then one that can just msg nothing else.