General Discussion

LizBeth

(11,222 posts)

24. My kids did not have phone or social forums until 16. I wanted home to be a safe

Tue May 10, 2022, 11:37 AM

May 2022

place as far as social forums. But I also found out that not having a social forum until later, they did not create theirs until they went off to university.

Didn't hurt them at all. As a matter of fact, they took an odd kind of pride in it. Schools would call them on it when told to hand over phones for tests and they would say they did not have one. But I did like that I did that. Saved me money too. I am cheap.

This was about a decade ago. I do not know that it would be that easy now.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

53 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Meet the parents who refuse to give their kids smartphones [View all] brooklynite May 2022 OP

My house would be no less then 13 years old jimfields33 May 2022 #1

Ours was 16 - Ms. Toad May 2022 #14

That's even better. You did great! jimfields33 May 2022 #15

She did have access to the internet - Ms. Toad May 2022 #17

My son is 32 forthemiddle May 2022 #18

Given that we parents still have (mostly) dumb phones Ms. Toad May 2022 #22

I use mine as a GPS and to manage my ADHD...honestly, I think technology is fantastic. Demsrule86 May 2022 #45

If cell phones had been available when I was a teenager, my parents would have given one sooner csziggy May 2022 #33

Nope. I want the ability to track where my kids is at all times...too many bad people out there Demsrule86 May 2022 #43

Posted from iPhone Johnny2X2X May 2022 #2

Zombification. 2naSalit May 2022 #6

Such parents do their kids a disservice. Like it or not. This is the world they live in. Demsrule86 May 2022 #3

Children's brains are not developed enough to deal with social media Sympthsical May 2022 #9

Indeed, there are plenty of adults who are taken for a ride by social media ck4829 May 2022 #12

This might come as a shock. Act_of_Reparation May 2022 #16

That's not really an answer Sympthsical May 2022 #26

I heard the same thing about gaming...and making a kid an outcast isn't good psychologically Demsrule86 May 2022 #39

Gaming and social media are not the same things Sympthsical May 2022 #44

Gaming is done on social media. My son (grown) has friends he met playing WOW. Demsrule86 May 2022 #50

I have a degree in psychology and access to PubMed. Act_of_Reparation May 2022 #53

I know right? Demsrule86 May 2022 #41

Sorry that is just BS...I was a military brat and when got Dad got out we moved to Connecticut. Demsrule86 May 2022 #38

The world you grew up in is not the world as it exists now Sympthsical May 2022 #46

Kids picking on kids perceived to be 'weird' hasn't changed. And you are trying to hold Demsrule86 May 2022 #52

Well, not teaching your kid anything about technology can only harm them. Demsrule86 May 2022 #42

Monsters! dawg May 2022 #4

I didn't. madaboutharry May 2022 #5

I like the idea of a dumb phone for kids/teens. honest.abe May 2022 #7

Well, these days, kids need smartphones for school oregonjen May 2022 #8

My kids sorta had dumb phones... LeftInTX May 2022 #10

But the phones could save the kids lives in an emergency MagickMuffin May 2022 #11

By the time kids are old enough to be out by themselves, they need a means to make phone calls. Ms. Toad May 2022 #13

The phone on the corner costed a dime crazylikafox May 2022 #21

Looks like it probably was a dime for most of my growing up years. Ms. Toad May 2022 #23

We Must Be Around The Same Age ProfessorGAC May 2022 #40

Wow! How did I survive my childhood, teenage years, young adulthood? BlackSkimmer May 2022 #34

The world wasn't quite as dangerous back then MagickMuffin May 2022 #35

Are we talking US kids? LakeArenal May 2022 #19

Meet this week's generational warfare piece. Act_of_Reparation May 2022 #20

My kids did not have phone or social forums until 16. I wanted home to be a safe LizBeth May 2022 #24

educational events/ conferences often ask us to "take out our phones" and respond to questions Demovictory9 May 2022 #25

My kids are 24 and 27. They did not have that issue. So I did not run into that quandry. LizBeth May 2022 #27

from college kids in class to adults at conferences. Your kids would have that issue today Demovictory9 May 2022 #29

No they would not seeing that at under 16 they were not in either college, or at adult conferences. LizBeth May 2022 #30

It is about Parenting, at the end of the day. Caliman73 May 2022 #28

Psychologists wrote the same about TV in the 1970's, Computer Games JCMach1 May 2022 #31

Yep. Any new technology is seen as a threat DavidDvorkin May 2022 #36

David Leonhardt in the NY Times today had a column Tomconroy May 2022 #32

They're just using their friends devices Arazi May 2022 #37

I seriously have not idea what to say really...I mean I love technology and have used it for Demsrule86 May 2022 #47

Same shit different era. CrackityJones75 May 2022 #48

Recommended. H2O Man May 2022 #49

Every parent does their own thing. I'm not a restrictive parent Buckeyeblue May 2022 #51