Thursday, August 8, 2013

Things That Annoy Me Thursday: Children With Phones

“Any questions?”

“Yes! If I get an alert during class, can I check my phone?” a blond girl asked. And she was being serious.

I almost fell over.

The man smiled and said, “Phones will have to be turned off during class or they will be confiscated.”

“Who has phones?” I whispered to no one. At that same moment, a boy pulled out a phone from his pocket and started poking at it. And it wasn’t a crappy phone either. It was an iPhone. The newest model, from the looks of it.

Why would an 11-year-old have an iPhone 5? We were at my son’s 6th grade orientation on the school tour and I was baffled.

“Can I text during lunch?” the same girl asked hopefully.

“Yes, but again, it has to be turned off before class,” the man explained.

I didn’t realize I was gaping until the girl’s mother frowned at me. Oh. Oops. Look away, Amber. Don’t be creepy.

But really.

These were 11 year olds. Why were they so concerned about phones? When I was 11, I was concerned about the newest Barbie doll and what was going on in the world of Full House and Growing Pains. I get that times have changed but honestly. Phones. For sixth graders. I couldn’t wrap my mind around it.

I mean, yes, I get it when people have them for emergency purposes. But some children seem to be addicted to them. See: blond 11 year old. That just seems all sorts of wrong to me. Who is she talking to? What is she talking about?

Maybe I don’t get it because my son is somewhat anti-social. He’s asked for a phone, but only because the kids around him have one, I’m sure. When he asked for a phone, I laughed and told him I was fine without a phone and if he any issues, he could go to the main office and ask to call me from there. It’s what I did and I don’t feel scarred.

Phones. For kids.

It’s an odd world we live in.

25 comments:

  1. I don't understand why an 11 year old needs an iphone. My son is 12 and he doesn't have a phone. We let him take our phones once in a while but only so we can get a hold of him. The rule is to only call us. I think that 11 year old girl is addicted to her phone and that is really sad.

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  2. My 9-year-old step-daughter has had a phone for the last three years.

    Needless to say, this was NOT my decision.

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  3. We've all got to adapt. And get addicted at an early age.

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  4. I have no idea when we will give Penny a phone. I didn't get one until I was 14, and ONLY because my parents divorced and I got my dad's old phone. Sad but true! lol

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  5. I don't think your kids need a phone at least until they are no longer always in the presence of an adult. Until they're in middle school (in our system anyway) they are always under the watchful eye of some adult no matter where they are. When my son went to middle school, that wasn't the case anymore. If I never came to pick him up, there was no grown up to watch over him or call me. Nobody would even know. After sports practices no adult makes sure all the kids got picked up, etc. For me, that was when I finally did the phone thing (but not a smart phone). But it was for me to be able to have a way to reach him as much as anything.

    And kids don't ever call each other any more. It's only texting. I'm not sure my 13 year old has made an actual phone call to anyone but me or my husband. Kids only communicate via text nowadays. Ugh. --Lisa

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  6. My step son, who just turned ten, ha a phone.. but it isn't anything fancy and he is only allowed to use it if he really needs to get a hold of one of us or his mom and step dad. But other than that he can communicate with his friends face to face.
    What I also don't get is all of the kids from ages two and up with freaking tablets! I've seen so many young kids with iPads!! Um, wth? I can't even afford an iPad let alone buy one for my three year old..

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  7. I forgot to mention that my stepson isn't allowed to take his phone to school.

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  8. Maybe I'll be that embarrassing mom who gives her kids flip-phones (which by then will be Zack Morris comical) just for the sole purpose of calling in an emergency. Not to text or play games or do scary internet things with.

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  9. My 11 year old nephew has a cell phone but it's the most basic and the reason he has it is because he's an epeleptic and if he has a problem he is only to use the phone in emergencies. It has a limited number of minutes,he's not allowed to use it whenever he wants but when he goes somewhere he takes it with him. I know some people will say it's stupid or we're spoiling him but in his stuation we feel safer with him having the phone.

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  10. I felt to same way you do until I talked to a friend of mine who is a middle school teacher. Times have changed. Smart phones a norm for students nowadays. However, it's up to the parents to "parent" and teach their children when it is appropriate to use them. Like I said..I was like what the heck?! But I'm pretty confident that my kids will have phones sooner than later.

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  11. I don't feel children that young should be having Iphones what the heck? If they have to have a phone it will have to be sooo basic that you can't do squat on it except to call for emergencies

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  12. there has never been an instance where my kids are not with me or another trusted adult (who has a phone) so I agree with you 100%. My kids will not get phones until they are old enough to be responsible with them.

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  13. I had my first phone at 14, because I was going to a private school a few towns over. I actually got it because the bus never showed up one day, and after using my (only) quarter to call home (where no one answered - my mom wasn't home from work yet) I was stranded until my mom got home, got the message and came and got me. The main office had closed at this point.

    But I didn't have a fancy smart phone or anything like that. They didn't even exist back then...

    But most of my students (middle/high school) do have phones. In my previous school, phones were a huge issue. Students were always trying to get away with using them, and sometimes starting drama/bullying with the phones. Fortunately, at my new school, the rules are more serious, so they don't even try to use them in class!

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  14. I already decided my kids aren't getting phones until high school. It's so inappropriate for kids to be so attached to phones so young.

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  15. I'm with you all the way on this...Oh boy, I cringe when I think of what will be available in 10 years when my son is that age! Google glasses anyone?

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  16. 11?! Getting alerts during class?! From who?? The stuffed animals on her bed?! Scary times! I just hope that by the time my girls start school, the elementary kids won't have them..

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  17. I can kind of understand the phone thing but not the smartphone thing. Don't those parents realize the trouble that kids can get up to with a smartphone?

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  18. I cringe at the thought of having to give my children phones at such an early age, but this is a different time.
    I also walked home from grade school by myself without even a thought that it might be unsafe.
    When the times comes that we do get them phones they will be under strict rules. :/

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  19. Honestly my son would just play games on it. I don't think he would answer it. He is only five, but even when he's 12 I don't think he will.

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  20. My oldest daughter got a phone is 5th grade. It was a cheap pay-as-you-go Tracfone, and it was WONDERFUL! She had very strict rules, and we drilled cell phone etiquette into her. Now at 15 cell phone etiquette is second nature to her.

    Plus in 5th grade, it made her "feel grown-up," and if she acted up, just the thought of losing her cell privileges straightened her right out.

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  21. Mine don't have them. Of course, mine are in the school building WITH me, so perhaps I would feel differently if they weren't. Many of my friend get them for their children when they enter middle school. I might. Right now, if they ahve WiFI, I can text them on their iPods and that works for us. I will say, though, that LB's 9 year-old has one. His mother got it. It was supposed to be for when they fly back and forth from their parents' houses unaccompanied, which I agree with, but it's become an "all the time" thing. It drove me crazy, so LB finally took it away while he's here.

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  22. I'm conflicted. In my heart I feel like I'll be so "worried" about my child, I'll get them a phone. My husband texts me when he gets to work each day. So I can't imagine sending my CHILD into the world and not being able to talk to them if needed. I wouldn't want my child to rely on using so and so's parents phone to call me if they needed. We live in a crazy world!

    All that said, I don't think children need iphones. But I do think they need some way to call for help in the crazy world we live in. My nephew is 7 and has a prepaid phone. There have been times where he absolutely needed to call my sister and I'm thankful he was able to.

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  23. I couldn't agree with your more! Kids with phones?! My eldest will be 10 in October and he wants a phone for his Birthday. It's just not going to happen I'm afraid. He's too young. Plus, who will have to pay to keep the phone topped up in texts and minutes?! WHO is he gonna text or phone?! Arghhh!! No. Phones are not for kids. And *I* don't even have a iPhone. These kids that have phones have a better phone than I do! Geeez.
    Loved this post :)

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  24. Like I said on the Twitter - Princess has had one for a while now but its for her anxiety purposes and she knows she can't use it in class. Its a simple slide up phone with only text messaging, pictures and thats about it. The simple stuff - she better not ask for an iPhone or something similar - she ain't gettin it.

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  25. 7 years ago when Shelby was just a baby and phones were becoming really popular with kids, we had a discussion with friends about kids not needing phones. I was for Shelby having a phone. I was like, if she is on the bus and something happened, she could call. Now I'm like, no. But you are going to get a lot of guilt trip now that he's in middle school and all his friends have a phone and he doesn't lol. Be strong!

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