Cell phones...

[sk66rc]

I just thought of something today... I saw a kid, couldn't be more than 13 - 14 years old, with an iPhone... I'm thinking to myself what possible use can a kid have with a smart phone... I can see parents wanting their kids to have a phone as they get older... I've gone through few smart phones myself for work reasons... Now that my position at work has changed, I didn't need smart phone anymore... I even got rid of my laptop when I got my iPad... I have a computer at work & when I'm home, I pretty much do everything through iPad anyway so I didn't see a need of a computer... So I never bothered to buy a new one when my old one died... Then it just dawned on me, as much of time I spend alone, why do I really need a smart phone? I don't really get on any of the social media all that much, I have an iPod for music, I have a game console at home & I don't like playing games on my phone anyway... There's nothing much on line that interests me enough for me to constantly be "linked" anyway... I have a simple slide phone that does voice calls & text messages... Everybody I interact with at work laughs at me for the phone I have... Anybody else feel the same way? That for some, or at least you, a smart phone is a waste of money and/or time? Who doesn't really have any needs for a smart phone?

 

[Triple Bogey]

I just thought of something today... I saw a kid, couldn't be more than 13 - 14 years old, with an iPhone... I'm thinking to myself what possible use can a kid have with a smart phone... I can see parents wanting their kids to have a phone as they get older... I've gone through few smart phones myself for work reasons... Now that my position at work has changed, I didn't need smart phone anymore... I even got rid of my laptop when I got my iPad... I have a computer at work & when I'm home, I pretty much do everything through iPad anyway so I didn't see a need of a computer... So I never bothered to buy a new one when my old one died... Then it just dawned on me, as much of time I spend alone, why do I really need a smart phone? I don't really get on any of the social media all that much, I have an iPod for music, I have a game console at home & I don't like playing games on my phone anyway... There's nothing much on line that interests me enough for me to constantly be "linked" anyway... I have a simple slide phone that does voice calls & text messages... Everybody I interact with at work laughs at me for the phone I have... Anybody else feel the same way? That for some, or at least you, a smart phone is a waste of money and/or time? Who doesn't really have any needs for a smart phone?

Yes they laugh at my phone as well. And they laugh when I say a £5 top up lasts me 3 months. And they also laugh when I say I don't carry my phone with me, I leave it at home. And they laugh when I say I get on average 1 text per week.

 

[sk66rc]

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Yes they laugh at my phone as well. And they laugh when I say a £5 top up lasts me 3 months. And they also laugh when I say I don't carry my phone with me, I leave it at home. And they laugh when I say I get on average 1 text per week.
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Lol... Yeah, my phone bill used to be $90/month... I changed my phone service to pre-paid & now I'm paying $28/month... When I talk to some of the co-workers, they're paying $120/month, $95/month & so on, they're not really doing anything more than what I'm doing with my cheap phone... I think I talked somebody into giving up his smart phone by an accident when we were talking about phone bills... I asked him what he does with his cell phone & his response was, "Well... I do get a lot of phone calls & I do a lot of text messages..." So I told him, "You don't need a smart phone for that... You know that, right? I have a stupid slide phone & I talk on it & text on it... What's the difference?" He had this puzzled look on his face & 3 month later, I saw him with a little flip phone... He tells me he loves it... Go figure...!!!

 

[9006]

Kids - or young people are the main target for these type of phones, loaded with all the social networking garbage and gimmicky things that people like that buy into these days. On top of that these companies understand how the materialistic social aspect of bringing another piece of hardware to the market works, again especially towards young people.

 

[Forever Misanthrope]

Smartphones are extensions of today's narcissistic society. You can sit in your bathroom and forever "selfie", "like' and "reblog" various things to your liking. I like smartphones for their utility. I don't see the point in a landline and I'm always on the move so it would make sense for me to have one. I can pull up a GPS, send an email, do whatever I have to do at that point in time. However, my phone isn't my life. Would I grab it in a fire? Sure. Would I grab it in a fire that would kill me instantly? No. Would I shrivel up and die without it? I would've hoped so last year, but no. It's all about balance.

Of course, I live "minimalistically unminimalist". In other words, I own a good deal of certain things like clothes, food, and entertainment. Things I'll use. But my house has no clutter, and even some empty rooms. I don't need a bunch of retarded pictures and silly trinkets around the house. That's retarded. I only add things to my life when they have practicality. I don't mean to derail the thread, but this is a small avenue of a bigger concept.

 

[sk66rc]

Just like anything else, smart phones are great if you actually have a need for them or use them for what they were intended for... But having it just to have it is just plain stupid... Ehhh... Guess each to their own...

 

[Goblin]

I don't approve of the obsession with things like social media, but a cell phone for a 13-14 year old is actually useful. Teenagers are not children. This is the age where they're transitioning from childhood into adulthood, forming identities and social lives separate from their parents. A degree of independence and the ability to make decisions of their own is crucial.

A phone is a quick way for a parent to contact them while still giving them the freedom to leave the house without explicitly scheduling their evening and precisely when they'll return, so long as they respect the boundaries already in place (curfew, etc).

 

[sk66rc]

I don't approve of the obsession with things like social media, but a cell phone for a 13-14 year old is actually useful. Teenagers are not children. This is the age where they're transitioning from childhood into adulthood, forming identities and social lives separate from their parents. A degree of independence and the ability to make decisions of their own is crucial.

A phone is a quick way for a parent to contact them while still giving them the freedom to leave the house without explicitly scheduling their evening and precisely when they'll return, so long as they respect the boundaries already in place (curfew, etc).

This is just my thought & I'm not trying to contradict anyone... Having said that, I was at that age once & didn't have a cell phone but turned out ok... So did my brother & my sister... Hell, my parents sure didn't & my grand-parents didn't even have a phone... I don't think giving a child a sense of "independence and the ability to make decisions of their own" requires a cell phone... Sure, time has changed & it wouldn't hurt to give them something that makes them easier to contact someone just in case... Matter in fact, cell phone tends to take away the ability to make decisions on their own to some degree... Instead of make own decisions, all they have to do is to call mom & say, "Mom... Can I........" or "Mom... I saw something happen... Should I.............." I don't know, just my thoughts...

 

[kamya]

If they made a non smart phone that could use google maps, work with podcast subscriptions, have a web browser, and play pandora/spotify then I could switch back. =P

Google maps is a god tier app. So many uses. You could be 5 years old and lost and as long as you know your address, you could find your way home. Or...call for help. But walking is more bad ass!

 

[Goblin]

I don't approve of the obsession with things like social media, but a cell phone for a 13-14 year old is actually useful. Teenagers are not children. This is the age where they're transitioning from childhood into adulthood, forming identities and social lives separate from their parents. A degree of independence and the ability to make decisions of their own is crucial.

A phone is a quick way for a parent to contact them while still giving them the freedom to leave the house without explicitly scheduling their evening and precisely when they'll return, so long as they respect the boundaries already in place (curfew, etc).

This is just my thought & I'm not trying to contradict anyone... Having said that, I was at that age once & didn't have a cell phone but turned out ok... So did my brother & my sister... Hell, my parents sure didn't & my grand-parents didn't even have a phone... I don't think giving a child a sense of "independence and the ability to make decisions of their own" requires a cell phone... Sure, time has changed & it wouldn't hurt to give them something that makes them easier to contact someone just in case... Matter in fact, cell phone tends to take away the ability to make decisions on their own to some degree... Instead of make own decisions, all they have to do is to call mom & say, "Mom... Can I........" or "Mom... I saw something happen... Should I.............." I don't know, just my thoughts...

I never said independence and decision-making requires a cell phone. I said that it was useful because of what teenagers need, which is freedom to move about and explore taking on adult responsibilities like time management, getting around town, and operating independently.

Basic parenting sense says that being able to easily contact parents is a good thing, and that a lack of parental availability isn't a healthy type of independence for them at that age. A parent can refuse to hold their child's hand or teach them skills instead of giving them answers. A cell phone is a tool, not something that makes decisions about a child's home life.

 

[Forever Misanthrope]

Rather than coddle kids forever, you should be squaring them away for a life in the real world.