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Um, not everyone has a smartphone. Most people don't need them.
There is a difference between a luxury and a need. Most people today don't have a clue as to the difference.
Flip phone is perfectly fine. If she wants a smartphone badly enough she can pay for it herself.
If you follow that to its logical conclusion a flip phone is a "luxury" too, though I suspect what you really mean is a convenience.
No one NEEDS anything more than food, clothing and shelter. So kids don't NEED a phone at all. So pretending that your mode of convenience is more of a need than anyone elses is just plain old wrong.
We actually got complimented by the owner of a restaurant when we went out to dinner. We do not use a screen device to bribe or control our kid. We taught him manners and he brings one small, quiet toy with him. We also actually TALK to him, gasp, SHOCKING, I know.
The owner came over and said how wonderful it was that our kid was playing with a TOY and not staring at an iPad. He said he rarely sees that ever.
Saddest thing: we were out for lunch a few years ago and a family was sitting at a table, Dad staring at phone, Mom staring at phone .... little girl silent and staring into space. The whole time they were there. Not one word exchanged. I wanted to cry for that little girl.
If you follow that to its logical conclusion a flip phone is a "luxury" too, though I suspect what you really mean is a convenience.
No one NEEDS anything more than food, clothing and shelter. So kids don't NEED a phone at all. So pretending that your mode of convenience is more of a need than anyone elses is just plain old wrong.
No. With the lack of pay phones available, a teen would need a flip phone to call in an emergency situation.
A smartphone is a TOY. Gee look at the games!!! Look I took a selfie!!!! Look I can post to FB!! Look I can text about the selfie I took and posted to FB!!!
It is NOT a necessity. Sad that most people cannot make that distinction.
Get the smartphone just for the safety features. They all have GPS so you can track your children easier and they can find their way if they ever get lost somewhere. The old fogies on this website will try to give you every reason to avoid any kind of technology.
No. With the lack of pay phones available, a teen would need a flip phone to call in an emergency situation.
A smartphone is a TOY. Gee look at the games!!! Look I took a selfie!!!! Look I can post to FB!! Look I can text about the selfie I took and posted to FB!!!
It is NOT a necessity. Sad that most people cannot make that distinction.
Nonsense. Any phone is a luxury item.
People live without phones all the time. In emergencies, other people call, they walk to a business, or go in the school, or a hundred other options. There is no reason a cell phone is a necessity at all.
Therefore you are quibbling about what level of convenience you feel comfortable with. No moral high ground there at ll.
We actually got complimented by the owner of a restaurant when we went out to dinner. We do not use a screen device to bribe or control our kid. We taught him manners and he brings one small, quiet toy with him. We also actually TALK to him, gasp, SHOCKING, I know.
The owner came over and said how wonderful it was that our kid was playing with a TOY and not staring at an iPad. He said he rarely sees that ever.
Saddest thing: we were out for lunch a few years ago and a family was sitting at a table, Dad staring at phone, Mom staring at phone .... little girl silent and staring into space. The whole time they were there. Not one word exchanged. I wanted to cry for that little girl.
People are addicted and refuse to admit it. Sad.
These stories crack me up. You think you have moral superiority based on a single snap shot in time.
A few months back my daughter and I went out to eat, we looked at our phones constantly, hardly talked at all. I am sure you would have felt super superior to us
Except, we had just spent a three hour drive talking to and from setting up the service for my best friends little sister. We were on our device, waiting for our meals, doing errands for the family who was not emotional up for notifying everyone and dealing with all the questions. But, from your POV, I am sure we looked just like the family you describe. But as long as it makes you feel good about your family, keep judging away, doesn't actually change anything but sure says a lot about the people doing the judging.
People live without phones all the time. In emergencies, other people call, they walk to a business, or go in the school, or a hundred other options. There is no reason a cell phone is a necessity at all.
Therefore you are quibbling about what level of convenience you feel comfortable with. No moral high ground there at ll.
For an adult yes, I agree. A phone is a luxury.
For a teenager that cannot drive, have access to a pay phone or may not have financial means to deal with an emergency situation it is not a luxury.
Flip phone is fine and inexpensive. Teens and parents should get over the smartphone nonsense.
Interesting attitudes here-get the kids smartphones just because everyone else has them It reminds me of the old and true adage: If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you do it too? I recall a family that came in my optical a few months back. Not only did the teenagers not have smartphones, the mother didn't either. She said she didn't want them to have phones because she wanted them to enjoy life beyond a 5" screen. And they did. When I asked them a question, they answered it. They smiled at me and paid attention to their surroundings. We had an enjoyable conversation while their mom was having an eye exam. I think parents who believe setting boundaries on phone usage are naive. It creeps into their daily lives more and more and before you know it, many kids are on it all the time, Facebooking and Tweeting. There's nothing wrong with a flip phone. If they need to do research or look something up, they can use the family computer, and parents can monitor their usage much better when they are able to view a large monitor.
My 5th grader (almost 11) has been asking for a phone for a year. ALL of her friends have IPhones. Some since they were 8 years old. We told her she could wait till middle school 6th or 7th grade. She was at a Halloween party and needed to call me to pick her up. She had her friend text me, but she was still upset that she didn't have a phone to call/text me herself. Obviously I did not have a cell phone at her age (wasn't invented yet or only elite rich people had them) but I did have my own house phone and phone line.
She is getting an IPhone for Christmas! It will be $25 a month to add her to our plan with unlimited calls & texts and the data plan. The phone was also FREE! I feel it's almost a safety issue now that she is in middle school with activities, etc. Knowing she has a phone to call me makes me more at ease.
As far as having a smartphone vs. the basic flip phone, nowadays there's not much difference in price so might as well get her the better phone. She will be limited on how long she can just sit on it and play games, etc. We will have parental blocks and I will be able to trace the phone to know where she is at. To me, it just makes more sense as you are getting way more for your money.
In a few years the flip phone will be no more. You can hardly find one in stores now as it is.
its not a need, its an addiction!
kids dont know how to talk to people anymore
rock & roll is the devil's music
10 yr old kids should gets jobs to pay for a phone
no one under 40 needs a phone
only attorneys & emergency personnel need phones
flip phones are still way cool
The tech world is here to stay. Deal.
And please, dont force your kid to use a Jitterbug because of your nonsense.
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It reminds me of the old and true adage: If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you do it too? I recall a family that came in my optical a few months back. Not only did the teenagers not have smartphones, the mother didn't either. She said she didn't want them to have phones because she wanted them to enjoy life beyond a 5" screen. And they did. When I asked them a question, they answered it. They smiled at me and paid attention to their surroundings. We had an enjoyable conversation while their mom was having an eye exam. I think parents who believe setting boundaries on phone usage are naive. It creeps into their daily lives more and more and before you know it, many kids are on it all the time, Facebooking and Tweeting. There's nothing wrong with a flip phone. If they need to do research or look something up, they can use the family computer, and parents can monitor their usage much better when they are able to view a large monitor.
