| People with young kids on 10:21 - Apr 19 with 1279 views | _clive_baker_ |
Mine are 3 and 6, and I don't envisage either having a phone until they're at least 10, and even then it wont be a smart one, probably just a device that enables inbound and outbound calls and little more functionality than that. |  | |  |
| People with young kids on 10:22 - Apr 19 with 1268 views | BiGDonnie |
I let mine have an iPhone when they reached year 7 at School, so 12. |  |
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| People with young kids on 10:23 - Apr 19 with 1267 views | NthQldITFC |
It's as insane to put the carriers of addictive content into the hands of young children, as the insanity of the people who believe that the Internet and access to its content can be regulated. |  |
| # WE ARE STEALING THE FUTURE FROM OUR CHILDREN --- WE MUST CHANGE COURSE # | | Poll: | It's driving me nuts |
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| People with young kids on 10:26 - Apr 19 with 1263 views | Whos_blue |
| People with young kids on 10:22 - Apr 19 by BiGDonnie |
I let mine have an iPhone when they reached year 7 at School, so 12. |
That's what we did too.
Much to their dismay and annoyance!
Their first phones were bog standard smart phones too.
Again, much to their dismay and annoyance. |  |
| Distortion becomes somehow pure in its wildness. |
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| People with young kids on 10:39 - Apr 19 with 1208 views | DanTheMan |
I've talked about this with my wife before, I don't think I'd let them until they were 12-13 and even then I'd want safe guards. I had a phone at 13 but it you could play snake and text someone at 10p a pop. Bit different now... |  |
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| People with young kids on 10:42 - Apr 19 with 1199 views | Help |
Mine were both in transition from junior to high school. The phones were as locked down as I could make them. They were connected to my Gmail account so anything the did on apps etc I knew about.
Both are sensible enough not to give their number away and not get embroiled in social media spats. Only the eldest had trouble with cyber bullying and that was nipped in the bud when we spoke to the offenders parents, who were horrified at their child's words. Thankfully.
The youngest did have is number distributed by others and again we spoke to the parents of the children advising they cannot give other people's numbers away, not up to them. Thankfully no other issues. But I appreciate not that easy for others. [Post edited 19 Apr 10:44]
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| People with young kids on 10:43 - Apr 19 with 1194 views | giant_stow |
| People with young kids on 10:26 - Apr 19 by Whos_blue |
That's what we did too.
Much to their dismay and annoyance!
Their first phones were bog standard smart phones too.
Again, much to their dismay and annoyance. |
The only thing about giving them non-smart phone is that I believe those aren't trackable, whereas smart phones are.
Don't know if this is the same in all schools, but ours was pushing for kids to be walking to and from school alone from the beginning of year 5. Way too soon imho, and created terrible peer pressure to be allowed to do so. A phone felt like a safety measure in that scenario, although we held out for a while.
Overall, like a lot of tech, they're good and bad bits to them. For an only child, they're great for providing a connection to his mates. On the other hand, sometimes being connected to his mates is the last thing we want! [Post edited 19 Apr 10:48]
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| People with young kids on 10:44 - Apr 19 with 1195 views | Steve_M |
Last year of primary school seems to be a general consensus with lots of people I know.
Of course, kids younger than that incessantly want their parents phones although, if they are like my girlfriend's eight year old it's just to play Roblox on - which at least is differently addictive. |  |
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| People with young kids on 10:46 - Apr 19 with 1175 views | giant_stow |
| People with young kids on 10:44 - Apr 19 by Steve_M |
Last year of primary school seems to be a general consensus with lots of people I know.
Of course, kids younger than that incessantly want their parents phones although, if they are like my girlfriend's eight year old it's just to play Roblox on - which at least is differently addictive. |
That's where my kid is now and you're bang on - most of the hold outs have now given in. | |
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| People with young kids on 10:47 - Apr 19 with 1168 views | Bigalhunter |
My daughter has just let my 8 year old granddaughter have her old iPhone.
As a miserable old man, I rightly voiced my disapproval and was told most of her classmates have one, so she shouldn’t feel left out.
My example of being the only kid in my class who didn’t have reeboks (the cool trainer of choice back in the day) was ‘totally missing the point’
The only advantage I suppose, is that when babysitting, I get expert training on how to use my phone to its full potential without the shame of having an O2 shop whippersnapper look at me pityingly as I ask why my text messages have disappeared. |  | | |
| People with young kids on 11:08 - Apr 19 with 1078 views | Vaughan8 |
My son (nearly) 7 has my old mobile phone.................However its just to play Pokemon go on as you can't do it on anything else, and he's pokemon mad (at the moment).
I would not let him phone/message etc. None of his other friends have one so it would be mostly pointless. |  | | |
| People with young kids on 12:38 - Apr 19 with 958 views | Swansea_Blue |
| People with young kids on 10:22 - Apr 19 by BiGDonnie |
I let mine have an iPhone when they reached year 7 at School, so 12. |
Yep, same. Sadly it’s almost essential now as the school use apps for a variety of things from ordering lunch, behaviour stuff, messages for them and for teaching. |  |
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| People with young kids on 13:03 - Apr 19 with 901 views | leitrimblue |
| People with young kids on 10:47 - Apr 19 by Bigalhunter |
My daughter has just let my 8 year old granddaughter have her old iPhone.
As a miserable old man, I rightly voiced my disapproval and was told most of her classmates have one, so she shouldn’t feel left out.
My example of being the only kid in my class who didn’t have reeboks (the cool trainer of choice back in the day) was ‘totally missing the point’
The only advantage I suppose, is that when babysitting, I get expert training on how to use my phone to its full potential without the shame of having an O2 shop whippersnapper look at me pityingly as I ask why my text messages have disappeared. |
My 8 year old doesn't have a smart phone and seems OK about it most of the time. But we had a bit of an issue last weekend as her friend apparently has 2 iPhones and wanted to give her one which I didn't allow.
How the feck as a 8 year old got a spare IPhone? |  | | |
| People with young kids on 13:58 - Apr 19 with 802 views | Bigalhunter |
| People with young kids on 13:03 - Apr 19 by leitrimblue |
My 8 year old doesn't have a smart phone and seems OK about it most of the time. But we had a bit of an issue last weekend as her friend apparently has 2 iPhones and wanted to give her one which I didn't allow.
How the feck as a 8 year old got a spare IPhone? |
A burner for untraceable haribo and cheese string dealing?
These kids are getting way too savvy. | | | |
| People with young kids on 14:01 - Apr 19 with 796 views | ElderGrizzly |
Our plan is when the eldest (6) gets to 11/going to secondary school she can have one as it's important for her to be able to reach us etc.
She has an iPad now, but that is pretty much locked down by us. |  | | |
| People with young kids on 14:04 - Apr 19 with 786 views | leitrimblue |
| People with young kids on 13:58 - Apr 19 by Bigalhunter |
A burner for untraceable haribo and cheese string dealing?
These kids are getting way too savvy. |
I guess her Haribo addiction may partially explain her gold teeth | | | |
| People with young kids on 14:06 - Apr 19 with 782 views | baxterbasics |
Our youngest is 17 now. But they did get phones way too young, way too lightly supervised, and in hindsight I wish we had been stricter. I have no doubt there have been negative implications for their concentration at school, their mental/emotional stability, and their relationships. It's all so addictive.
I'm now of the opinion that no child should have one until they are old enough to be earning and paying a contract themselves. For parents who think it's essential to keep in touch/track of their child during the day, we can find other tech solutions.
Social media is poisonous enough for too many adults these days, never mind the kids now growing up with it from the start. |  |
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| People with young kids on 14:39 - Apr 19 with 740 views | ElderGrizzly |
| People with young kids on 14:06 - Apr 19 by baxterbasics |
Our youngest is 17 now. But they did get phones way too young, way too lightly supervised, and in hindsight I wish we had been stricter. I have no doubt there have been negative implications for their concentration at school, their mental/emotional stability, and their relationships. It's all so addictive.
I'm now of the opinion that no child should have one until they are old enough to be earning and paying a contract themselves. For parents who think it's essential to keep in touch/track of their child during the day, we can find other tech solutions.
Social media is poisonous enough for too many adults these days, never mind the kids now growing up with it from the start. |
"For parents who think it's essential to keep in touch/track of their child during the day, we can find other tech solutions."
There was a semi-serious policy in the early 2000s about microchipping kids at birth for reasons of identification, medical histories etc. | | | |
| People with young kids on 15:45 - Apr 19 with 654 views | baxterbasics |
| People with young kids on 14:39 - Apr 19 by ElderGrizzly |
"For parents who think it's essential to keep in touch/track of their child during the day, we can find other tech solutions."
There was a semi-serious policy in the early 2000s about microchipping kids at birth for reasons of identification, medical histories etc. |
I'm never going to go that far! I was thinking more of a traditional brick phone but with the sort of GPS/tracking function like 'find my...' or 'life 360' provides. | |
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| People with young kids on 16:01 - Apr 19 with 610 views | Blueschev |
It was year 7 for my oldest. I wish it had been never sometimes as he's always on it and clucks like a crack head when I take it off him at first. But it's difficult as he often does his homework on the app.
I'd have hated having a phone in my early teens, fcuk having a device where your parents could contact you at all times. |  | | |
| People with young kids on 16:11 - Apr 19 with 598 views | CBBlue |
| People with young kids on 10:43 - Apr 19 by giant_stow |
The only thing about giving them non-smart phone is that I believe those aren't trackable, whereas smart phones are.
Don't know if this is the same in all schools, but ours was pushing for kids to be walking to and from school alone from the beginning of year 5. Way too soon imho, and created terrible peer pressure to be allowed to do so. A phone felt like a safety measure in that scenario, although we held out for a while.
Overall, like a lot of tech, they're good and bad bits to them. For an only child, they're great for providing a connection to his mates. On the other hand, sometimes being connected to his mates is the last thing we want! [Post edited 19 Apr 10:48]
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Yes exactly the same with us. At the end of Year 5 they were allowed to walk home from school by themselves so that's when we let our son have one. It has Family Link installed so we can track him when he goes out and he can't download apps etc without us getting a notification. Now he's in Year 7 a lot of his new friends live in other villages so he uses it to keep in touch with them (to be fair 25 years ago I used to tie up the landline for hours at a time chatting to my best friend so I guess it's just the modern version of that). Also, and I was surprised by this, but at school they use them a lot in lessons especially revision quizes. | |
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| People with young kids on 16:20 - Apr 19 with 565 views | Bossy |
Mine is 3, by the time we'd even consider her having a smartphone, I think they'll be a much better understanding and acceptance of the damage it does to their little minds and there will be legislation that takes care of our decision for us.
People who say it's nanny state etc are in complete denial or ignorance about the damage smartphones are doing to us, it'll definitely be seen in the same light as smoking, gambling and so on in time.
I've just bought an Apple Ultra 2 watch to try and get off the gear myself and it's worked wonders. The phone is at home most of the time in a draw and I can do most things I need to with this instead when I'm out and about. No WhatsApp, no social media, no doom scrolling. Calls, texts (which people only seem to use for essential communications now), music, podcasts, audiobooks, paying for things and navigation. Oh and some health things like tracking exercise etc.
Game changer. |  | | |
| People with young kids on 16:35 - Apr 19 with 544 views | _clive_baker_ |
| People with young kids on 16:01 - Apr 19 by Blueschev |
It was year 7 for my oldest. I wish it had been never sometimes as he's always on it and clucks like a crack head when I take it off him at first. But it's difficult as he often does his homework on the app.
I'd have hated having a phone in my early teens, fcuk having a device where your parents could contact you at all times. |
I agree. For me growing up in the 90's mostly without all that was a blessing I think. It's easy to look back with rose tinted glasses but all me and my mates were interested in at 12 / 13 was getting our bikes, up the park playing football until it went dark with the occasional visit to the paper shop for an ice pop and no ability for anyone to get in touch with you, or vice versa. I battle with this now I'm a father to little ones, got to keep up with the times but also try and trust my instincts and protect them from too much of a digital world. It's easy now as they're 3 and 6, I dare say that'll be harder pretty soon.
My first phone was a Nokia brick and even then I was about 14 by the time I got it. It allowed me to call home if I needed I guess, but can't remember ever using it for that. It was mostly used to exchange texts with the girl I fancied at school, but at 10p a pop you weren't wasting them on just anyone and it certainly didn't allow image sharing or internet etc. | | | |
| People with young kids on 16:41 - Apr 19 with 528 views | Blueschev |
| People with young kids on 16:35 - Apr 19 by _clive_baker_ |
I agree. For me growing up in the 90's mostly without all that was a blessing I think. It's easy to look back with rose tinted glasses but all me and my mates were interested in at 12 / 13 was getting our bikes, up the park playing football until it went dark with the occasional visit to the paper shop for an ice pop and no ability for anyone to get in touch with you, or vice versa. I battle with this now I'm a father to little ones, got to keep up with the times but also try and trust my instincts and protect them from too much of a digital world. It's easy now as they're 3 and 6, I dare say that'll be harder pretty soon.
My first phone was a Nokia brick and even then I was about 14 by the time I got it. It allowed me to call home if I needed I guess, but can't remember ever using it for that. It was mostly used to exchange texts with the girl I fancied at school, but at 10p a pop you weren't wasting them on just anyone and it certainly didn't allow image sharing or internet etc. |
There's often talk in the news that China use Tiktok to spy on us in the West, I'd say rather than a weapon of espionage it's more likely to be tool to turn people in to absolute morons who can no longer concentrate on anything or apply critical thinking. I often feel like the only person in my house capable of sitting through an entire film without watching 100 other things at the same time. | | | |
| People with young kids on 19:19 - Apr 19 with 460 views | NthQldITFC |
| People with young kids on 16:41 - Apr 19 by Blueschev |
There's often talk in the news that China use Tiktok to spy on us in the West, I'd say rather than a weapon of espionage it's more likely to be tool to turn people in to absolute morons who can no longer concentrate on anything or apply critical thinking. I often feel like the only person in my house capable of sitting through an entire film without watching 100 other things at the same time. |
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| # WE ARE STEALING THE FUTURE FROM OUR CHILDREN --- WE MUST CHANGE COURSE # | | Poll: | It's driving me nuts |
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