101 is the introductory class. The basics. History 101. Earth Science 101. etc.
A couple random comments.
Several years ago my son, now 15, was on a basketball team where the team members set up a group communication on some smartphone app. S was the only one who did not have a smartphone and was not on the chat. The coach was actually using this for scheduling things and I was constantly wondering why everyone else knew about things before I did. We almost missed a couple practices and I was giving S a hard time about not being responsible. Then one time after a game I was just talking to the coach and he made reference to the group and how helpful it’d been to be able to use it. The lightbulb went off and I realized what was going on. Coach was shocked to realize we weren’t on it and stopped using it. As I asked around I found that the other parents all thought everyone was on it and several were actually mad at us that the coach had to revert to email and couldn’t use the app for group communication anymore. I think this was when S was 12.
On the subject of 101 courses, my soon to be freshman D is in the process of scheduling classes for next year and I was surprised to find that the numbering system is completely different from the traditional 100 level intro courses, etc. Someone going to her school would have no idea what a 101 course is.
I have an upper elementary child (5th) and I teach upper elementary in a different district (I also have older children). There are very few kids with cell phones in the elementary school – they are not permitted to use them at/in school and they are always with adults. Our districts have parent meetings and send home notices about the dangers of an overconnected world for our young children.
As they went into the middle school (6th grade here) it is almost universal that kids in our area get phones. This is when the the teachers don’t stay with them at the completion after school sports and/or activities and they are often calling/texting that they are finishing early or late, pick up location has change to back of school instead of front, etc…
As a teacher, we are rushing our kids – they have so little social skills as is and to give them a texting device so they don’t have to talk/play is just accelerating this. We give them so little time to be kids to explore and grow and then we rush them in one more area. We all survived as kids without out constant communication and contact with our parents, our friends, and the world beyond – much evidence would point to access to online activities put our kids at more risk of harm than the “safety” features of a cell phone. Of course if your child has a specific threat or circumstance where you fear for their safety and a cell phone is the answer then you need to do whatever you can to protect your kids. If you are getting it as the latest toy or to keep up with the other kids – you could actually be opening up a whole new world of problems.
Son is going into 8th grade next year and does not have a phone yet. We will get him one for his one month long summer camp so he can contact us or friends, but is a basic one and the camp limits time to 30 minutes at end of day.
Many parents have great reasons, listed above, to give kids phones but I am constantly amazed that many parents have no idea what their kids on doing on the phones and let them take them to their rooms at night. Also, it is sad to see a group of teens all sitting around, not talking, but each one staring at their phone.
My D got her first cell phone in 3rd grade (basic flip phone). She was one of the first in her grade. But we felt that she needed it because she was traveling regularly by plane to visit her father.
Sounds like we are still the ‘mean’ parents.
We got a generic flip phone for share use (4 kids) for our convenience that was used when our pre-HS kids had activities for which we felt communication may be needed. In most cases, a responsible adult was there and they could call us (or vice-versa) as needed.
In HS (on good behavior) the kids got their ‘own’ flip phone and number. This was partially for the frequency of after-school activities to communicate with us, but also because some classes started having group activities that required coordination among students on projects.
Smart phones are for college in our house. We have only had them ourselves since S1 started college 2 years ago.
For every good story we hear about a cell phone saving the day, we know of 20-30 stories of bad decisions and poor outcomes because children are too enraptured by their phones.
It may be unrealistic to base cellphone/kid decisions on past history. The use of technology is changing so rapidly that it seems that basing the decision on social aspects is shortsighted. What applied ten years ago may not apply today. Then there’s the realization I had years ago. Neither kid cared if he/she had cell phone and didn’t, but I became aware that they were often borrowing their friends’ phones to call me for ride/permission to go somewhere, etc. I don’t think I should expect other parents to maintain cell phones so my kid can use it.
And I don’t think cell phones should be tied to good behavior as in taking away the cellphone for not doing chores or something. Maybe I’d confiscate a phone if a kid did something dangerous or ill considered with the cell phone but it never came up. But since I consider a phone a tool and not a toy I don’t see the point of using it as a reward for good behavior.
Like my parents told me when I bugged them for a phone in 4th grade: Who cares what other parents/kids are doing? What makes them right? There is no need for you to cave in to peer pressure. As the saying goes, would you jump off a bridge if everyone else does, too?
Babysitting has become such a bore for me nowadays, since kids are being treated to iPads and iPhones as young as 6-7 years old, and all they want to do is play games on them. I don’t even have to play with the kids; I just sit there and watch them watch their screens.
However, I do want to say that cell phones are important to have in middle and high school, as they are big factors for connecting with friends/for projects/checking emails/etc. I myself received my first phone (a smartphone) as a 13th birthday present before the start of my first day of middle school.
Overall, just do what YOU think would be best for your kids, but make sure they are mature and responsible enough to handle the burden that comes with a cell phone.
I will say, and I don’t know if this is because we waited on the smartphone until HS, but my oldest (20) is completely uninvolved in social media–no FB, Instagram, etc. My 15 yo is on instagram with a few friends and family. We do have a rule with him that the phone stays downstairs when he goes up to bed. I don’t think oldest had a phone or computer in his room until after he graduated HS.
Thanks to everyone who responded so far. Our decision was to wait until Middle School and no change in our decision. When it is Middle School time, we will re-evaluate the situation and proceed accordingly.
“[subject] 101” in reference to a generic introductory course in the subject is a common enough saying that even in places where it is common for college course numbering to use some other system (e.g. many schools in California), the saying is commonly understood.
One thing about giving kids a flip phone - they weren’t invested in carrying the phones with them, and often borrowed friends’ phones to call me if they had to… so I couldn’t necessarily reach them. Also D2’s APES teacher communicated with the class using group texts, which her flip phone couldn’t get. D1 got a smart phone in sophomore year of college and was instantly, annoyingly addicted.
Yes, the change from Google groups or emails to communicate with kids in college has made the use of the smartphone critical. That makes it all a little more worth it in the end.
I would actually advocate against such exclusive contact between teachers and students at middle and secondary school, considering it an unnecessary burden to place on families who cannot afford to give their kids a phone.
We got our kids cheap flip phones in middle school (or perhaps high school). We allowed them to start texting in college. We all got smart phones after they graduated college and H retired.
They were just happy to be able to coordinate about rides and social plans.
RE: classes using texts/smart phones to communicate–this is starting in middle school now. My 7th grader has at least 4 teachers who use something called Remind to communicate homework assignments, upcoming tests and quizzes, etc.
Luckily there was an option to use either text or email, so I was able to sign him up using my email (he has one, but never uses it, just like the flip phone) to keep him in the loop. Still, it seems like there is an assumption now that any kid over 10 will have a smart phone and be able to participate—all the more interesting to me as I live in a pretty rural area which is very economically diverse. While my son makes it seems like he is last kid in his grade without an iPhone, I somehow doubt very much that is the case.