comment: >
  
  My kids (5 of them) all start off with a shitty Boost mobile $20 flip phone. If they can keep it alive for a year, then we upgrade to a shitty $30 smartphone. If they keep that alive for a couple of years, then they can upgrade to a newer used smartphone. 
  They usually get the first phone around 7th or 8th grade. Depends on the kid. 
  We've had that same shitty $20 flip phone for 10 years now. That thing refuses to die. 😂
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 >
  
  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. >
  
  Times have changed. I need to know where my daughters are for their own safety. >
  
  Fyi
  Most kids know how to manipulate the location tracker, so where it says they are and where they actually are may not be the same.
  Signed
  A former youth social worker >
  
  I agree OP.
  I worked with teens for 5 years. One of the biggest problems was how much they used their phones, not just for school but to get into trouble.
  Snapchat was a favorite way to arrange drug deals, send nudes for profit, arrange sexual meet ups with older people, .... Those are just the most common ones.
  They also advertised their involvement with drugs on Facebook using SpongeBob references. 
  I had several teens end up involved with trafficking and drug dealing because they had easy access on their phones and the Chromebooks the schools provided. They also learned how to spoof their location so even the parents who had location tracking didn't really know where they were. And frankly, most parents weren't around to supervise because they were working to make ends meet.
  So yes, children do not need smartphones. A simple phone, flip or regular, is sufficient to keep in touch with parents and friends between classes.
  Anyone who says otherwise is either naive or a helicopter parent who doesn't understand just how smart kids are and how easy they find it to trick the adults in their lives using their phones. >
  
  why do you care so much about something that has no effect on you? >
  
  Because they will eventually stop being kids and become adults.  I'd for one like to have socially mature adults around me in society. >
  
  it's just not a big deal >
  
  I would want her to be able to get an Uber is my only drawback with that. I think I’m team smart phone but not let them have it at night so it doesn’t interfere with sleep. Also would try to discourage social media >
  
  Not sure if I should down vote because I agree, or upvote because I agree >
  
  I need zoom and all that? Too many life required things on mobiles to agree >
  
  There are flipphones are that smart phones, like the Galaxy Z range. top of the line smartphones.
  And there's probably more non flipphones that aren't smartphones than fliphones. >
  
  Thank you very much! I feel the same way, little terrorist.
  Just waiting to see which sheep goes off the group so everyone can jump on the social media bully train ride so it doesn't happen to them because they hiding behind the phone.
  Cowardice has gone way to far yo >
  
  I bought both of my sons the Samsung Flip 4.  That counts right?