raindancer
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,095
Jun 26, 2014 20:10:29 GMT
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Post by raindancer on Jun 3, 2015 12:28:25 GMT
Even kids on free/reduced lunch/medicaid/assistance have smart phones in my school. Rare is the student without one. My children had no phone until my older one was a senior (year 12, about 17/18 years old) and my younger a sophmore (year 10). Why did I finally cave? They were left out socially. Texting is how their friends arrange activities, communicate news, etc. They rarely even talk. Just text. They do not use land phones. This. It's common here for kids to get a smart phone in 6th grade (beginning of middle school, which is usually grades 6-8 in the U.S.). They would be left out socially without one, because while texting is part of the way they communicate, a lot of it is also done through Instagram, Tumblr and Snapchat. I know it seems excessive to some, but I was a kid who went without some things because my parents thought they were a waste of money or time - never had the right clothes, wasn't allowed to go out to restaurants or movies or to the mall with friends, no phone conversations longer than ten minutes - and I remember how isolating it was. If I can avoid that for my kids, I will. My sister works in a very poor district, over 75% are on free lunch. Over 1/2 of her 6th graders had smart phones, and the rest had a phone of some type. My kids will be getting them in October because the way Verizon sets up the plan we use through my dh's work, it winds up being less for us to have a data plan on 4 phones than on 2 and not on the other 2. Plus the phones are now super cheap/free. It would be dumb to pay more for less phone. So I'm sure people will be judging the hell out of us. Since my son will be in 6th grade and is small for his age. I went without things because we didn't have the money, by 9th grade I worked as many summer jobs as I could get, and by 10th grade I had a part time job. I bought all that stuff myself. I could have and would have bought something like an Apple watch at that age too.
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sweetpeasmom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,652
Jun 27, 2014 14:04:01 GMT
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Post by sweetpeasmom on Jun 3, 2015 12:30:07 GMT
Well, my dd will be in 6th next year and is getting an iPhone 6 for her birthday. She wanted an new iPod (has a very old one) and she was going to be getting a phone this year anyways. We discussed it (dh and I) and went ahead and got her the iPhone. My son just turned 13 Sat and got one too. Not sure this will be a popular decision with many but it was what we felt worked for our family.
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Post by fruitysuet on Jun 3, 2015 12:34:54 GMT
I polled my 7th grade classes last week. I am doing a project that needs an iphone 5 or above. In a class of 30, maybe 5 didn't. I'm not surprised anymore. As a teacher, I'm glad for it. Makes projects much easier. I wouldn't be happy with that as a parent - would give yet more ammunation to a mouthy teenager wanting more than we can afford. As it happens my DD16 does have an iphone5 it was her one expensive gift for Christmas when she was 14 (against my wishes but DH paid, he also pays the monthly contract which is pretty good about £12 for unlimited data). DD14 has a standard smart phone on a £10/month contract. DS20 does not have a smart phone, he has one of my first mobiles - a flip phone - and is happy with that (on PAYG which rarely gets topped up even) - he does have a Samsung mp3 thing that does the games and music, no monthly fee. We aren't a particularly techy family though and only usually replace any electronics when they don't work any more.
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Sarah*H
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Posts: 4,015
Jun 25, 2014 20:07:06 GMT
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Post by Sarah*H on Jun 3, 2015 12:35:27 GMT
I was anti-phone until there was an attack at our school. It was one of the scariest days of my life and my son got a phone the next week. But I still had old fashioned ideas so I didn't get him the fancy iPhone that everyone else had; he never complained and he was thankful to have a phone at all. But I observed for a year and socially it DOES make a difference, particularly with texting because everyone with iPhones does the group texts and you can see who is talking to each other. That's how kids communicate now. With his cheap, simple phone, he was included in the conversations but he never had any idea who was talking and his responses were always "who is this?" "who said that?" "who is inviting us over?" So ridiculous and yet so important in the life of a teenager.
I don't know about the watches, I don't even know an adult with one yet but I'll bet it's one of those things that seems ridiculous now but will be commonplace in a couple years.
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Post by eversograceful1 on Jun 3, 2015 12:48:59 GMT
DD (7) recently tried to convince me that she needed a smart phone. I guess one of her friends has one or something. I told her that when she got a job and can pay for it herself, she could have one. ?
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 21:19:14 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2015 12:59:51 GMT
I wish I was shocked that kids that age had iWatches and 6+ phones. Daughter got her first phone @12 only because she was spending a lot of time participating in after school activities. At the time, I worked 25 miles away and my husband could be anywhere from 5 miles to 100 miles away. Sometimes, we couldn't get to her in time and would have to arrange for someone else to pick her up. Sometimes she ended early or needed to stay later. So we needed to communicate. She was responsible enough at the time that it was the right decision. She didn't get her first smart phone until she was a junior in high school and it was her "big" present for Christmas that year. Son? Lost one phone. Washed another. Then pretty much refused to have one period. He pretty much figured out it would make our reaching him (even just in his room!) too easy and he doesn't want any part of it. He has a tablet and a laptop though. I too follow the rule of "you don't get something that nice before I do!" Or at least *I* am not paying for it
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Post by anxiousmom on Jun 3, 2015 13:06:39 GMT
I was anti-phone until there was an attack at our school. It was one of the scariest days of my life and my son got a phone the next week. But I still had old fashioned ideas so I didn't get him the fancy iPhone that everyone else had; he never complained and he was thankful to have a phone at all. But I observed for a year and socially it DOES make a difference, particularly with texting because everyone with iPhones does the group texts and you can see who is talking to each other. That's how kids communicate now. With his cheap, simple phone, he was included in the conversations but he never had any idea who was talking and his responses were always "who is this?" "who said that?" "who is inviting us over?" So ridiculous and yet so important in the life of a teenager. I don't know about the watches, I don't even know an adult with one yet but I'll bet it's one of those things that seems ridiculous now but will be commonplace in a couple years. I think you are right. The use of a smart phone for kids is, at least in the way I see it, different than it was for us when we were kids and didn't have the right jeans or shoes. The smart phones are a way of inclusion in a group that is outside of the what you are wearing or what you are driving. I even think that it is different from when we had to stretch a cord around a corner in an attempt to try to find privacy. Communication styles have changed-and in a big way. Kids don't really call each other to set up meeting times, they text the group. Taking the time to call someone and try to schedule a thing just doesn't happen when all the others are a simple text away. When the kids have homework questions, a quick group text gets answers almost immediately. The examples are limitless. We hear so much about how the tech gets abused by kids for bullying and inappropriate communication, and that does happen, but the majority of what the kids do is pretty innocent. To me, I had to get over *my* ideas of what communication means in my world in order to understand what the kids were using the smart phones for. It is so different than what I grew up doing, but I remember having to sit by the phone waiting for the calls that coordinated a few people going to the same movie...it took forever, one person calling one person, then another who couldn't do it at one time but could another, then calling back the first person who go to the movie at that time but not that theater then calling the other person back to get them to the right theater...blah blah blah. All can be done now with a few minutes of text. Socially, it can be a good thing and way more inclusive than we parents realize.
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Post by myshelly on Jun 3, 2015 13:10:50 GMT
I totally agree with MergeLeft and Sarah*H.
I see it as a need necessary for a healthy social life.
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Dalai Mama
Drama Llama
La Pea Boheme
Posts: 6,985
Jun 26, 2014 0:31:31 GMT
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Post by Dalai Mama on Jun 3, 2015 13:13:55 GMT
The boys' first phones were smart phones. They came free with the package.
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Post by shannoots on Jun 3, 2015 13:25:46 GMT
This. It's common here for kids to get a smart phone in 6th grade (beginning of middle school, which is usually grades 6-8 in the U.S.). They would be left out socially without one, because while texting is part of the way they communicate, a lot of it is also done through Instagram, Tumblr and Snapchat. I know it seems excessive to some, but I was a kid who went without some things because my parents thought they were a waste of money or time - never had the right clothes, wasn't allowed to go out to restaurants or movies or to the mall with friends, no phone conversations longer than ten minutes - and I remember how isolating it was. If I can avoid that for my kids, I will. My sister works in a very poor district, over 75% are on free lunch. Over 1/2 of her 6th graders had smart phones, and the rest had a phone of some type. My kids will be getting them in October because the way Verizon sets up the plan we use through my dh's work, it winds up being less for us to have a data plan on 4 phones than on 2 and not on the other 2. Plus the phones are now super cheap/free. It would be dumb to pay more for less phone. So I'm sure people will be judging the hell out of us. Since my son will be in 6th grade and is small for his age. I went without things because we didn't have the money, by 9th grade I worked as many summer jobs as I could get, and by 10th grade I had a part time job. I bought all that stuff myself. I could have and would have bought something like an Apple watch at that age too. Yes, my MIL worked for a low income district and she would often comment that the students didn't have food to eat but they all had phones.
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The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,983
Jun 25, 2014 21:50:33 GMT
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Jun 3, 2015 13:41:45 GMT
I work in a high school (almost 40% free and reduced), and until this year, when we went 1:1 devices, I had students use their smart phones in my class. Ninth grade, I would say about 80% maybe 75% had smart phones. By tenth grade, I would say 90% of them.
I had write a grant for seven iPads, so students without smart phones could still participate.
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bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,623
Oct 11, 2014 3:17:29 GMT
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Post by bethany102399 on Jun 3, 2015 14:22:34 GMT
While I agree with you, we forced my mom to carry a dumb phone purely for safety reasons. I'm the only one who has the number, and I don't give it out. She fought back until she was in a car accident a couple of years ago and was able to call 911 immediately. It's actually dying and I'm dreading finding a replacement.
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Post by kellybelly77 on Jun 3, 2015 14:34:27 GMT
Our dd in hs used her smart phone daily in class. If someone didn't have one they would share. They had to access the lessons that the teacher posted. Yes, the lessons were posted on the internet, the kids did them and the teacher reviewed with them. The hs has wi-fi available to all students. Most of their work was done on the internet and submitted that way too. I posted something similar in the other thread. Our MS and HS do this now. Most everything is accessed on the internet through e-textbooks and all assignments are turned in through google docs. It saves money for the school on actual textbooks and computers in the lab. If you don't have a wi fi device then you have to do your assignment in the computer lab with the textbook. I don't have numbers but I bet 90% of all the MS kids have their own smart phone or at least an ipad. The teachers share assignments on their facebook group and on their instagram pages. Since I am a member of both I can easily see what dd's assignments are. It's handy!
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Jili
Pearl Clutcher
SLPea
Posts: 4,366
Jun 26, 2014 1:26:48 GMT
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Post by Jili on Jun 3, 2015 14:47:35 GMT
My older dd got her first smartphone when I did-- about 2 1/2 years ago (she's 19 now). The younger one (currently 15) got one at that time, too. We learned that it was actually cheaper to get her an iPhone 4 (the rest of us got 4s at that time) and share data amongst all of us than it would have been to get her a more basic phone.
I agree with what others have said already. I see that technology being used in ways that keep my daughter connected to both her academics and her friends. At one point I was concerned about social/friendship issues with my younger dd. I'm not anymore, but if she didn't have the ability to connect with them like she does, I feel she'd be pretty isolated.
Academically, the students use school-issued ipads and many, if not most, assignments are submitted online. She works on group projects through Google Docs. If she has a question, she can message friends or put it out on Schoology and have it answered quickly. The teachers check Schoology, too, and more often than not are very responsive to students during the evenings and on weekends. Several textbooks are online, as well, which has made the backpack much easier to carry around.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 21:19:14 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2015 14:51:46 GMT
My almost 14 year old, incoming freshman, does not have a smart phone. He does not need one. He can have one if he goes the year without missing any assignments. He has a desktop and a tablet and has access to multiple laptops so he isn't hurting for technology Same with my son who is going to be a sophomore. He was other electronic devices as well.
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Deleted
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Oct 6, 2024 21:19:14 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2015 14:53:22 GMT
Yes, I was in 8th grade before I learned what several of those words meant. Technically it is Grade 9/Freshman because most of our kids in the US go to kindergarten before first grade. We have 13 years of school. More if you send your kids to 4K before kindergarten! And to confuse you more, some parts of the country don't use the term 4K. It's just labeled as preschool.
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SweetieBsMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,741
Jun 25, 2014 19:55:12 GMT
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Post by SweetieBsMom on Jun 3, 2015 14:59:18 GMT
DS is turning 12, finishing up 6th grade. He's on the spectrum, doesn't have any friends (and not the least bit bothered by it). I may get him a plain phone for safety reasons but I'm not getting him an iPhone unless he asks. But he has a iPod Touch, no way he'll ask for a phone, he'd never even think of it.
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Post by icedcoffee14 on Jun 3, 2015 15:15:24 GMT
Our school is a BYLD (Bring Your Learning Device) school and this is how many kids have access to a textbook or materials for school. This started in the 4th grade and she is going into the 7th. They have a few textbooks but not nearly enough for 1 per child but enough for those kids that either forgot their device or have no device. It is becoming more and more common to have a smart phone or device in the classroom. My husband is a tech guy so he's usually getting a new phone yearly so she has a Samsung 5S.
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Post by katiejane on Jun 3, 2015 15:38:13 GMT
It is common here for kids to get a phone when they go to senior school (Year 6 age 11), Usually because they have long commutes walking or by public bus. My son has and hour and 15 min walk home each night, and texts me when he leaves school so I know when to expect him. This usually becomes a smart phone, but they are not allowed to use them in most schools.
The UK schooling years are similar, although there is a big debate currently at the age children start formal education and how beneficial it is in the long run.
Formal School Years start at age 4. Primary School is Reception, Year 1-Year 6 Senior School is Year 7-Year 11 6th Form/6th Form College is Year 12-Year 13
We also have a Early Years Curriculum which runs from ages 0-5. The final year is compulsory as it is the reception year at school. I teach 2-4 years old in a preschool. It is a play based system.
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,648
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Jun 3, 2015 15:53:41 GMT
I don't have a smart phone - which is something that never ceases to amaze people. I don't know how much longer I can hold out, but I still get by fine without it. My daughter (7.5 years old, just finishing second grade) got an iPod for Christmas (she wanted her own iPod Shuffle like we have and camera for pictures, so this seemed like the logical solution). However, she is not responsible with it at all. I won't be buying any further electronics or phones until she can be responsible with them. If it becomes a safety issue and I still don't think she's ready for an expensive smart phone, then she can have a regular phone. I have no problem getting her a smart phone as she gets older and it becomes more integrated into school and her social life. I understand as a parent balking at the cost and other issues (in appropriate texting, cyber bullying, accessing stuff on the internet that is not age appropriate, etc), but I think people make good points about fitting in with your peer group and the logistics of communication and planning at those ages.
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Post by Susie_Homemaker on Jun 3, 2015 16:14:27 GMT
More if you send your kids to 4K before kindergarten! And to confuse you more, some parts of the country don't use the term 4K. It's just labeled as preschool. And to add even another one, it's called Pre-K here. It starts at age 4. (US)
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Post by 950nancy on Jun 3, 2015 16:32:50 GMT
My son had a flipped classroom. He learned his lessons on-line (AP Physics) and then they did the homework in class. I would have hated learning like that. He said it made it more difficult. He wasn't a fan.
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Post by anxiousmom on Jun 3, 2015 16:36:07 GMT
My son had a flipped classroom. He learned his lessons on-line (AP Physics) and then they did the homework in class. I would have hated learning like that. He said it made it more difficult. He wasn't a fan. One of my boys was in a math class this year that experimented with the flipped classroom concept. He absolutely hated it. He is amazing in math (didn't get it from me) and he found it difficult. I think it lasted for the first grading period and then they stopped. I don't know if is the concept that is bad or the execution that stinks, but either way, I haven't heard of anyone who is a fan.
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Post by 950nancy on Jun 3, 2015 16:44:55 GMT
My son had a flipped classroom. He learned his lessons on-line (AP Physics) and then they did the homework in class. I would have hated learning like that. He said it made it more difficult. He wasn't a fan. One of my boys was in a math class this year that experimented with the flipped classroom concept. He absolutely hated it. He is amazing in math (didn't get it from me) and he found it difficult. I think it lasted for the first grading period and then they stopped. I don't know if is the concept that is bad or the execution that stinks, but either way, I haven't heard of anyone who is a fan. I totally agree. I always stayed out of his schoolwork. The teacher loved it though. I wonder if it was easier for her. He spent hours and hours watching things to get it right.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 21:19:14 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2015 16:46:16 GMT
Last year when my dd was in 6th grade she got what was the newest model iphone at the time. It wasn't much extra cost to add her on our family plan. I don't see the shock at kids having modern technology, it's just common in this age.
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grammanisi
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,741
Jun 26, 2014 1:37:37 GMT
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Post by grammanisi on Jun 3, 2015 16:54:29 GMT
My grandson, 6th grade, was just telling me about a boy in his class that has an Apple watch. He was telling me how cool it was!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 21:19:14 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2015 19:06:53 GMT
DD (7) recently tried to convince me that she needed a smart phone. I guess one of her friends has one or something. I told her that when she got a job and can pay for it herself, she could have one. ? I agree. When you can pay the monthly fee you can have a smart phone. Heck I don't even have/need a smart phone. My 16DS just got an iPhone 5S because he pays for it. He had a basic phone previously.
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Grom Pea
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Posts: 2,944
Jun 27, 2014 0:21:07 GMT
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Post by Grom Pea on Jun 3, 2015 21:11:20 GMT
My son is 3 and I jokingly say that he has his own phone. Actually my husband and I both have tracfones, the moto e. They were $100 and they came with 1200 minutes that are good for a year. You can use it on Wi-Fi for browsing but can only talk or text when out. When I use up the minutes ds will get the phone and I can a new one, why? Because 1200 minutes or $120 so it's actually cheaper to get a new phone. If you don't talk a lot, the phone is less than $10 a month, which is crazy to me! I was originally paying $60 a month on Verizon, dropped to $35 a month on virgin, but now have it super cheap. It helps that the one place I go to drop off my son has free WiFi, bit other than if I need to show my phone, eg Michaels coupon or target cartwheel, I've just taken a screen shot at home before I left. I know this wouldn't work for most, but it kind of blows my mind that my 3 year old has a use for a phone. He didn't originally want it so much until we started doing ABA sessions and the behavioral interventionalists were using it to teach him.
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Post by scrapmaven on Jun 3, 2015 21:20:49 GMT
I do think that cell phones are handy and do feel better knowing that I can get in touch w/my teenagers when I need to. When I was in high school we had a pay phone outside of the office and you could use it if you needed to call home. Otherwise, we did things the old fashioned way and WAITED UNTIL WE GOT HOME. We didn't live in the instant gratification society that we do now, probably because we didn't have the technology. Remember when we had to call a friend in order to talk to them? Socialization wasn't over a microphone at home. Instead you went over to your friend's house.
I'm surprised we don't have to do a full pat down for AP tests. The amount of stuff they carry and don't need amazes me.
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Post by ptamom on Jun 4, 2015 1:35:30 GMT
Even kids on free/reduced lunch/medicaid/assistance have smart phones in my school. Rare is the student without one. My children had no phone until my older one was a senior (year 12, about 17/18 years old) and my younger a sophmore (year 10). Why did I finally cave? They were left out socially. Texting is how their friends arrange activities, communicate news, etc. They rarely even talk. Just text. They do not use land phones. This. It's common here for kids to get a smart phone in 6th grade (beginning of middle school, which is usually grades 6-8 in the U.S.). They would be left out socially without one, because while texting is part of the way they communicate, a lot of it is also done through Instagram, Tumblr and Snapchat. I know it seems excessive to some, but I was a kid who went without some things because my parents thought they were a waste of money or time - never had the right clothes, wasn't allowed to go out to restaurants or movies or to the mall with friends, no phone conversations longer than ten minutes - and I remember how isolating it was. If I can avoid that for my kids, I will. My daughter has had a smart phone since she was 16. But not the latest smart phone. I'm just surprised to see 11 year olds with the most brand new version of the iPhone, when I walked into the Verizon store last November and upgraded to the 5C free with extension of our contract. The 6+ would have cost $400 upfront. My 15 year old son is not on any social media, and has just a few friends - one who does not have a phone at all. The keep in touch mostly through Skyping while playing Minecraft. They all have laptops, which are their primary tools for keeping in contact with the world. But the kid with the Apple Watch, wow. You need the latest iPhone in order to use the watch, so that means that somebody shelled out for the watch AND the phone. Just surprised me.
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