Smartphones

[Sliverofdarkness]

Smartphones - we've managed to get away without being pressured to buy our son, who is turning 13, a phone, until now. He is about to move to a large secondary school close to our home. Technically he doesn't need one to get to and from school as it is a very short walk away and they are not allowed them in school anyway.
I've heard plenty of awful stories about phones and what they can get up to with them, apart from the addictive nature of them. Should I get him a smartphone and try to lock it down completely, even though I've heard teenagers can get around Google family link. Or do I get a type of locked down smart phone. He is totally against having a brick Nokia type phone. Will he be socially isolated and find it hard to make friends if I don't get him a phone? Interested in others experiences with getting /not getting teenagers phones.

@Ncforthis2267 Tell me, do you generally have very low expectations of human abilities, and do you extend those low expectations to yourself and your child/ren?

So heartened to hear people holding off. We held off until 13 but sadly all
the other girls had phones so my dd was being left out due to our decision. We had tears and resentment. The other parents thought we were weirdos. So we gave in as we were the ones making our own child unhappy. It was awful actually. If her friends parents had also held off it would have been much easier. Ours late teens now and their phones are integral to their lives as - if we are honest - they are for all of us. I do support the under 16 ban.