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[afc wimbledon]

My answer to both my kids was simple, you want an i phone get a job and buy one, no way in hell my mum was spending that kind of money on me, forced both my kids to get part time jobs, as I type my 17 year old is selling mini doughnuts at the game

[jayswin]

But what does making them earn it have to do with the phone itself being detrimental to their development? Seems like an unrelated "back min my day" rant, lol.

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by jayswin

But what does making them earn it have to do with the phone itself being detrimental to their development? Seems like an unrelated "back min my day" rant, lol.

I was this way before my kids actually grew up. Social media is bad but not nearly as bad as being that one weirdo kid with Hutterite hippy parents who forbid it and you get pantsed repeatedly.

There was always that one kid in the kids locker room whose parents were that parent. Someone would bring in donuts and all the kids would have one but that one whose parents forbid it and he munched out of a lame ziploc bag of granola. That kid is going to be way better off.

[WinnipegFan]

Originally Posted by fotze2

I was this way before my kids actually grew up. Social media is bad but not nearly as bad as being that one weirdo kid with Hutterite hippy parents who forbid it and you get pantsed repeatedly.

There was always that one kid in the kids locker room whose parents were that parent. Someone would bring in donuts and all the kids would have one but that one whose parents forbid it and he munched out of a lame ziploc bag of granola. That kid is going to be way better off.

I can see the comparison your making here but everyone I know who has gone through this with their child and held there ground has had their child thank them in adulthood for it.

The impact of social media is far more impactful than a donut, sugar, or clothing. It is a life long impact and as a parent I will risk the social issues fversus the long term impact.

The millionaires who create these platforms don't let their kids on them. This should be the real telling factor for us.

[Geraldsh]

Last night I listened to my 12 year old grandson try to convince his parents that he needed an iPhone; they were not persuaded, not even close. Grandma was also a resounding no and she usually gives the little buggers whatever they want.
I offered him a brand new deck of cards to play with while his friends were on their phones but he didn’t care for that idea either.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I don’t know the right age at which a kid should have a phone, and I’m sure it’s different for every one.

But yeah it would be a hard no from me if they still think that thing is coming from Santa.

"Santa's presents" are like stocking stuffers and small things. No imaginary figure is taking credit for the big stuff.

Originally Posted by WinnipegFan

This is exactly what I will do and the fight has started with my 9 year old. He has asked Santa for an iPhone 17, I told him I called Santa and said "nope." He is pretty pissed but this is a hill I will die on.

As an educator and counsellor I have seen, first hand, the impact of social media on kids. I highly recommend people read The Anxious Generation as it highlights why we need to take phones away from kids. Many, many schools are moving this way, and I will be petitioning mine to do the same.

It is not a tool we need to teach them how to use, it is a drug we need to rip out of their hands, deal with the withdrawal, and move forward. The Frankfurt International School has some great active research on this. The phones can be replaced by real life board games, and card games at breaks and lunches with massive impact.

One of the first steps that helps a lot is identifying that it's not the phone that's the issue, it's what is on the phone/what the phone is used to access.

TBH, my son wants to bring a tablet to school to watch videos and such at before and afterschool care (eye roll) and we've constantly said no. Even the BAC adults have asked why he doesn't bring one and we tell them to F off.

I told my wife that if I truly must compromise, I'm leaning more towards getting a DS lite with games like Big Brain academy for him to play with instead of a tablet where he can mindlessly consume. At least those train certain skills instead of being pure additive brain rot.