comment: >
  
  They'll be texting on a flip phone anyway. 
  When I was growing up, my parents actually took an active role socializing me. They signed me up for intermural sports. Encouraged me to set up play dates. Spent years taking me to boy scout meetings and summer camps (and I wasn't even molested!)
  Simply not giving your kid a phone isn't enough, it'll probably just make them feel more like an outcast when their friends all have a smartphone and they're the only one without. 
  If you wanna encourage kids to go outside, the best way is encouraging them to go outside. Not discouraging them from staying inside.
context: I agree there needs to be more of a balance with screen time but that's the world we live in. Preventing kids from using the technology they have around them gives them a huge disadvantage and will ultimately hurt them in the long run. We live in a heavily technology dependent world, let them learn and grow with it because it's not going away. >
  
  Agreed. If every parent did this guys rule it might work out but since a large majority of parents are giving kids newer phones, a kid not getting one is a disadvantage socially for sure >
  
  I somewhat agree and get your point but it's truly a problem when you are THE kid that can't keep up. And I am not just talking about them not having the newest, most expensive model etc. What I am talking about is communication with peers. If everyone uses smartphones to stay in touch, set up hang outs but you don't...well...that sucks. 
  I remember everyone in school having msn messenger but me (I know I am old). 
  Everyone communicated and was in the loop and I was an outsider who never knew what was going on in my age group's social circle. You are on the outside looking in and at that age it's definitely hard.
  You gotta allow your children to go with the times. The world is changing, we can't keep them in the past. >
  
  Anecdotally speaking 2 students in my high school class last year did not have smart phones and they were the top achieving students. Both creative thinkers and strong essay writing. Socially, they did not struggle despite their lack of smart phone >
  
  
  Kids need to look each other in the face more
  
  You know what a flip phone can't do? 
  Facetime >
  
  pretty sure the OP point is to only have a flip phone so it encourages kids to go outside and meet people in real life. aka touch grass