Do most middle/high schoolers (in school) have smart phones now?

[DawnM]

I am just going to assume the answer is yes.

 

I work with middle schoolers at church and they have to put their phones in the buckets in each group for Wed. night church time.  ALL of the girls in my 7th grade girls group have smart phones.

 

Oldest is possibly joining a high school Robotics team.  He went last night to check it out.  All the kids (really, I mean all) had smart phones.    

 

Sometimes I am quite sure we are in a very small HS bubble when it comes to these things.

 

Dawn

[Chris in VA]

Well, mine's in school and she doesn't. She doesn't even have a "regular" cell phone.

Our rule is that she has to pay for it.

Of course, she is not in afterschool activities, nor does she have a babysitting or other job. 

 

But yes, I'd agree that most kids do--some have a "family phone" for all the kids in the family, but that is rare, too. I think she just might be the only one I know of that doesn't. 

[TeacherZee]

I work in a high school and all my students have smart phones. They use them for school work.

 

My friend told me about a smart idea the local church had for the confirmation classes. They had made a phone daycare. A piece of fabric with pockets for them to put it in.

 

But yes all of them have smart phones

[Donna]

My high school boys have "dumb phones." 

[creekland]

My high school senior (public school) uses my "dumb" phone.  Some of his friends have smart phones and some have nothing.  No one picks on anyone for what they do - or don't - have.

[Laura Corin]

Almost all the children at my boys' school have smart phones.  They have ordinary phones.

 

L

[Luckymama]

Not the seventh-ninth graders who make up dd's friend groups. A few do, but most have just regular phones. One of her FLL teammates doesn't have a phone yet (she's the oldest and rides the bus to/from school).

 

I'm the only one in our family with a smart phone. The college kids are welcome to get their own once they start paying their own phone bills.

[JudoMom]

We just got another dumb phone for the boys.  Oldest joined a high school robotics team and was taking my phone (a dumb TracFone).  But a couple of weeks ago he had my phone, I was going to pick up the younger 3 boys at their enrichment program but I got stuck in traffic because of an accident on the interstate and was a little over 30 minutes late and couldn't call them and they couldn't get in touch with me.  

However, to answer your question about smart phones specifically:  the ps students I know all have smart phones.  

[Splash]

Most do but definitely not all. My kids all have smart phones, but I don't pay for them to have internet access, I actually block it.

[teachermom2834]

I do almost all high schoolers here have smart phones. Middle schoolers seems more 50/50.

[Jen in NY]

http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2013/06/12/03bits-smartphones.h06.html

[bettyandbob]

My dd has a basic phone. We got it for her because she is in a lot of activities. I would like her to keep it charged and carry it with her. I have to remind her to find and carry the phone when she goes out. I think she must be the only 15yo who has to be told to carry her phone.She uses it to call us to pick her up or tell us she's late. She is not constantly texting, which I have noticed many of her peers do.  Among her peers I have not noticed anything except smart phones. I don't have a smart phone. I don't see the benefit as worth the extra cost. 

[marbel]

Almost all the kids we/I know have smartphones.  Most get their parents' old phone when mom or dad upgrades, which they seem to do a lot. 

 

My kids and I have dumbphones.  My husband has a smartphone from work.  When my phone dies, I will probably get a smartphone.  

[mytwomonkeys]

my daughter just got one for her 12th birthday. she wanted one & we told her to save up and buy it then. she had $150 saved through babysitting & we actually surprised her with one as our gift.  it only cost us 97 cents through Verizon to buy the 4S.  she has K9 on it and parental controls are set.  cellular is turned off because we are on a shared data plan, but she has unlimited text and talk.  she has to pay toward the monthly plan to keep it on. 

[edelweiss]

I think virtually all middle schoolers and high schoolers in this area have smart phones.  Many elementary kids do as well.  However, we do live in a very affluent area.

 

My 13 year old has an i-Phone.  My 10-year old has a "dumb" phone.

[DawnM]

No, mine does too. 

 

My dd has a basic phone. We got it for her because she is in a lot of activities. I would like her to keep it charged and carry it with her. I have to remind her to find and carry the phone when she goes out. I think she must be the only 15yo who has to be told to carry her phone.She uses it to call us to pick her up or tell us she's late. She is not constantly texting, which I have noticed many of her peers do.  Among her peers I have not noticed anything except smart phones. I don't have a smart phone. I don't see the benefit as worth the extra cost. 

 

[Matryoshka]

Just asked my high school dd, who's home sick.   She said most of the kids do have smart phones.  My kids in high school have dumb phones.  We can't afford more than one data plan for the family (I get it :D)  Dd in 7th at home has no phone at all (even though she was in ps last year for a while).

 

However, I have a feeling a lot of those smart phones are hand-me-downs that are not using the data plans.  We didn't have a smart phone to hand down.

[Matryoshka]

My dd has a basic phone. We got it for her because she is in a lot of activities. I would like her to keep it charged and carry it with her. I have to remind her to find and carry the phone when she goes out. I think she must be the only 15yo who has to be told to carry her phone.She uses it to call us to pick her up or tell us she's late. She is not constantly texting, which I have noticed many of her peers do.  Among her peers I have not noticed anything except smart phones. I don't have a smart phone. I don't see the benefit as worth the extra cost. 

 

Nope, that's my kids too (also 15yo).  Mostly they have no idea where it is, or it isn't charged.  I wonder why we're paying for them...

[Hikin' Mama]

None of my three kids did/do in their high school years. My oldest still doesn't (he is on his own and actually listened to my advice on being frugal). My middle son got one for graduation. My daughter doesn't have one. My husband and I don't have one. I know several other ps kids who don't have smart phones either.

[DawnM]

If you have a family plan with one of the major carriers, they won't let you have a smartphone activated without the data plan.

 

They could have PAYG plans.

 

Just asked my high school dd, who's home sick.   She said most of the kids do have smart phones.  My kids in high school have dumb phones.  We can't afford more than one data plan for the family (I get it :D)  Dd in 7th at home has no phone at all (even though she was in ps last year for a while).

 

However, I have a feeling a lot of those smart phones are hand-me-downs that are not using the data plans.  We didn't have a smart phone to hand down.

 

[mytwomonkeys]

If you have a family plan with one of the major carriers, they won't let you have a smartphone activated without the data plan.

 

They could have PAYG plans.

 

yes, we just switched from straight talk to verizon & the shared data plan for a family isn't optional. for us, it still was relatively the same cost as straight talk though for 3 smart phones, so we switched. my husband and i got the 5C & 5S for great prices and my daughter's phone was under a dollar.  she has to keep her cellular off & i don't use it except for hands free texting with siri.  if you go over your allotted data, they charge you automatically, so i keep a close eye on it.  my daughter has to pay $35 a month toward the plan to keep her phone.

[Dmmetler]

Most of the teens in my HS group seem to-having said that, I think part of it is co-ops and classes that have a BYOD (Bring your own Device) policy and are using things like CK12 textbooks and online resources, which pretty much requires that the kid have a phone or a tablet that can access them. I think most parents are finding that they might as well add the kid to their home plan and get a third phone on it (especially since the iPhone 4 can be added free on some plans with a 2 year contract now) rather than buy a separate device and a dumb phone.

 

Even some of the elementary level classes use devices-I really have to wonder how the teachers/parents running it keep the kids on the website they're supposed to be on, as opposed to playing Plants vs Zombies.

 

 

[MedicMom]

Okay so I will be honest...

We have considered getting my three year old an iPhone.

Before you think I'm crazy, we work a lot of hours and he loves to FaceTime with mommy and daddy, but my parents--who watch him--don't have wireless internet for an iPod. So an iPhone would allow him to FaceTime with us at work and let me read him a bedtime story and things like that. We have sprints unlimited data and another smartphone wouldn't be much.

But that would be the only reason and use.

 

My inlaws watch a little girl who has been carrying around her own iPad since she was two. That blows my mind.

[ktgrok]

I am just going to assume the answer is yes.

 

I work with middle schoolers at church and they have to put their phones in the buckets in each group for Wed. night church time.  ALL of the girls in my 7th grade girls group have smart phones.

 

Oldest is possibly joining a high school Robotics team.  He went last night to check it out.  All the kids (really, I mean all) had smart phones.    

 

Sometimes I am quite sure we are in a very small HS bubble when it comes to these things.

 

Dawn

 

 

If we are talking 6th graders, no, most probably don't have smart phones, but a lot do. 8th graders? Yes, most do. Partly because it really isn't particularly more expensvie to have a smart phone versus a regular phone. We could add our son, with unlimited data, for very little money. So it really wasn't a splurge or what not. And he's a tech geek, so it is something he really appreciates having. 

 

I always find it odd when people in articles or facebook posts pick out things like smart phones as evidence that this generation is spoiled. Yet we forget that we were the first to have maybe a phone in our bedroom. When that happened I remember older folks saying how spoiled we were to have phones in the bedroom. A few friends even had their own line, or a special ring for a shared line. And we grew up fine. Technology changes and having it doesn't make a person spoiled or what not. It's attitudes that make them spoiled, not things. 

 

I know you might not have been going that direction with this post, but it is something I wanted to point out. 

[Jennifer in MI]

 

 

I always find it odd when people in articles or facebook posts pick out things like smart phones as evidence that this generation is spoiled. Yet we forget that we were the first to have maybe a phone in our bedroom. When that happened I remember older folks saying how spoiled we were to have phones in the bedroom. A few friends even had their own line, or a special ring for a shared line. And we grew up fine. Technology changes and having it doesn't make a person spoiled or what not. It's attitudes that make them spoiled, not things. 

 

I know you might not have been going that direction with this post, but it is something I wanted to point out. 

I agree with this.  All my boys have them (17, 15, and 13).  It's the way kids communicate in my area.  And, yes.  I could just make my kids call on the regular phone or FB message friends, but they'd miss out on team texts and keeping regular contact with them.  They are isolated enough being home all day.  And, I love that my kids are in such close contact with all their cousins who don't live anywhere nearby.  

 

So, to answer the OP - yes.  Most kids in middle school do have smart phones.  And, we're actually considering a phone of some sort for the youngest.  She's at gymnastics 12 hours a week.  And, I'm getting tired of sharing mine!  She regularly texts her friends and cousins from my phone!

[Matryoshka]

If you have a family plan with one of the major carriers, they won't let you have a smartphone activated without the data plan.

 

This is true if they know you have one (which is why we couldn't get the kids smart phones without a data plan).  But I know multiple people who have given their kids their old smart phones and done some swappy thing with the sim card so that the carrier doesn't realize it's a smart phone.  Then the kids can just use it with wifi. If the carrier realized it was a smart phone, the gig would be up and they'd have to pay. 

 

[Orthodox6]

Yes, I believe.

 

"Try blue.  It's the new red!"  [Wall-E]

 

Smart phones.  They're the new athletic shoes!

[EKS]

My middle schooler doesn't have any phone and the older one still has a dumb phone.  We'll probably get the older one a smart phone sometime this year.

[J-rap]

I'm pretty clueless on this. None of my kids, even my grown-up married kids, have smart phones. I just got one about a year ago, but I question whether it's worth the expense. And I don't understand how families can afford them for every member of the family! Mine is the lowest data plan option available, and it really bumps up my cost. Right now, we have a family plan that includes one smart phone with the lowest data plan and two "dumb" phones, and it costs us $170/month. How can the average family afford more than that every month?? If we were to turn those dumb phones into smart phones, they would each require an additional data plan of $35/month (that's the lower "family" rate!).

 

Anyway, haha -- sorry to turn this into a financial thing. This isn't a complaint about whether kids have them or not, it's just wondering how people can afford them! Maybe other plans are different. We are with Verizon, and it's the only carrier that we can get in our town way out on the prairie.

[catz]

My almost 13 year old does not have a phone at all. Many of his schooled friends with 2 working parents have smart phones. Most of his homeschooled friends do not. I'm at the border if getting him a dumb phone just because he has enough drop off activities now that it might be worth it. Especially for things like theater rehearsals can release early, etc. He just got his first e-mail address, so I will allow him to have skype and FB when he turns 13. I don't think he'll use either much. I'd rather he gets a taste of social media while I still own all the passwords.

 

I don't get young kids having unlimited texting or smart phones. We are actually really comfortable financially, but that seems like a pretty extravagant expense. I don't personally have a smart phone - I have a dumb phone.

[Matryoshka]

I don't get young kids having unlimited texting or smart phones. We are actually really comfortable financially, but that seems like a pretty extravagant expense. I don't personally have a smart phone - I have a dumb phone.

 

Unlimited texting is part of most base plans now - it actually costs more not to get it.  Fortunately for me, my kids have not taken to texting at all.  (We'll see about #3 - I could see her liking texting more - she sometimes "borrows" her sisters' phones - but she doesn't have one of her own).

 

[KungFuPanda]

My child in high school has one, as do most of her classmates. My homeschooled middle schooler does not, nor do over half of his peers. I think if a parent is WITH you all day, it's unnecessary. However, kids who are away from home use them to keep contact with their parents. It's a tool that is useful for some and not others.

 

I have a Kitchenaid and my friends makes bread by hand, but we all get bread in the end and it doesn't make the gadget 'bad' or a sign of anything ominous.

[marbel]

The main reason we got our 13-year-old her own cellphone (she and her brother used to share one when they needed one only rarely) was for babysitting.  We found that as fewer people have landlines, she needed a phone in order to babysit.  The first time she babysat for a couple of people they didn't even think to ask if she had a phone and were prepared to leave her with no phone in the house and no way to contact her if something came up while they were out.  I was pretty stunned by that.  

 

We didn't fight it as that's just the way it is now, but it was a little weird for me at first. 

 

 

[Orthodox6]

I don't get young kids having unlimited texting or smart phones.

 

This is my viewpoint. 

 

Our 14-year-old dd has a "dumb phone" because she now goes places with groups of friends-and-siblings (all together) and needs to communicate with DH and me with any needed updates of their plans.

 

In my previous post, my intention was to note how a smart phone is just another material goods possession for competition among young people, much as the "right" sneakers used to be.  If a child/teen has a laptop, the Internet access already has been provided.  At the same time, I'll backtrack enough to believe that when an older teen holds a job, or takes himself to doctor appointments, a smart phone could be a good thing to have because of the mapping feature(s).  

[wapiti]

My 7th grader has a dumb phone that includes text - she just got it last spring and was among the last of her friends to have a phone. Her school is far away and involves a complicated carpool, she has some after school activities, etc. She really doesn't spend that much time texting during the school year (lots of homework) and phones cannot go to class; they stay in the locker (private school). During the summer, sometimes she texts excessively with her cousin in another state, which I don't mind as long as she stays under the monthly limit (I love that she is close with her sweet cousin :)).

 

Many of her friends have smart phones, though it seems that their family rules vary quite a bit.  One of her friends can't use it for texting friends, for example.

 

A new wrinkle this year is that all the students have an iPad 2 (under a lending program from the school), so sometimes they do face time. I am surprised but I actually really like this so far - no heavy books (after last year, we ended up getting a wheeled backpack for dd). Plus if they are doing face time, she is not using up her text limit, and I can actually see her friend and wave :). She only does face time with her closest friends.  And, it helps keep her off the computer, even though sometimes she uses both (reading the textbook or an assignment on computer, writing on the ipad).

[Jennifer in MI]

Our five phones cost $210/month.  That's unlimited text and internet.  And, dh's work pays for his part of it.  And, my kids do pay for the internet access for their phones.

[Alessandra]

Most, but not all, of the kids in our middle school have smart phones. My ds, now in 8th grade, got a dumb phone this summer, because I now do more drop offs for activities. But he does not take the phone to school.

 

We got an ATT GO Phone for under $30. Ds chose the phone and thinks it looks cool. The plan is prepaid, $25/month, ample minutes and unlimited text. The only unexpected expense was adding texting to my smartphone plan -- ds texts a LOT. Btw, ATT has prepaid plans that allow to you pay per minute or per day. 

[mytwomonkeys]

I'm pretty clueless on this. None of my kids, even my grown-up married kids, have smart phones. I just got one about a year ago, but I question whether it's worth the expense. And I don't understand how families can afford them for every member of the family! Mine is the lowest data plan option available, and it really bumps up my cost. Right now, we have a family plan that includes one smart phone with the lowest data plan and two "dumb" phones, and it costs us $170/month. How can the average family afford more than that every month?? If we were to turn those dumb phones into smart phones, they would each require an additional data plan of $35/month (that's the lower "family" rate!).

 

Anyway, haha -- sorry to turn this into a financial thing. This isn't a complaint about whether kids have them or not, it's just wondering how people can afford them! Maybe other plans are different. We are with Verizon, and it's the only carrier that we can get in our town way out on the prairie.

hmm. we have verizon. we share data for $50 a month. it is 1GB and plenty for us.  each phone is $40 a month, so our bill is $170.  my daughter pays $35 a month which basically covers her phone.  as far as i'm concerned, kids should pay for their own phones, or at least contribute. 

[Scarlett]

Most do but definitely not all. My kids all have smart phones, but I don't pay for them to have internet access, I actually block it.

What provider? Verizon tells me I have to have a data pan with a smart phone.

[J-rap]

hmm. we have verizon. we share data for $50 a month. it is 1GB and plenty for us.  each phone is $40 a month, so our bill is $170.  my daughter pays $35 a month which basically covers her phone.  as far as i'm concerned, kids should pay for their own phones, or at least contribute.

 

Well, I may have to walk down the street to our Verizon office and have a talk with them! When I first got the smart phone last year, they insisted the way I am doing it is the cheapest way to go for three phones when only one of them NEEDS to be a smart phone (and it doesn't really, of course :)), but I'm paying the same as you! I wonder if they can jack up the prices here since they have no competition. Everyone in our town has to have Verizon.

[wapiti]

Well, I may have to walk down the street to our Verizon office and have a talk with them! When I first got the smart phone last year, they insisted the way I am doing it is the cheapest way to go for three phones when only one of them NEEDS to be a smart phone (and it doesn't really, of course :)), but I'm paying the same as you! I wonder if they can jack up the prices here since they have no competition. Everyone in our town has to have Verizon.

 

I have Verizon but unfortunately I have no idea about the latest plans that are available.  It is good to note that the plans change all. the. time.  Our current plan, whatever it is, isn't even available anymore as a new plan - I found that out when I added dd's phone last spring.  If we change her to a smart phone eventually, it will end up being cheaper to change our plan, IIRC.

[Tap]

DD14 goes to a private school, and yes, she is the only one I know who does not have a smart phone.  She has a phone, just not one with data.  

 

DS19 is a pastoral ministry major....and most of his friends (mid 20yos)  do not.  In fact at least 2 choose to have no cell at all.  

 

 

My guess to the difference:  The 19 yos and his 20+yo friends grew up without smart phones.  They are the age where they are starting to pay their own bills and smart phones are not in the budget for poor college students.  

 

For dds friends...the parents pay the bill.  Most people are moving to 'family share plans' where it is cheaper to have shared data.  On my plan it would cost $30 a month for dd to have a smart phone, and that is just not happening right now.  

 

 

[mytwomonkeys]

Well, I may have to walk down the street to our Verizon office and have a talk with them! When I first got the smart phone last year, they insisted the way I am doing it is the cheapest way to go for three phones when only one of them NEEDS to be a smart phone (and it doesn't really, of course :)), but I'm paying the same as you! I wonder if they can jack up the prices here since they have no competition. Everyone in our town has to have Verizon.

 

 

Oh, I would definitely talk with them! We went to Walmart & signed with Verizon. We purchased 3 new iphones (5C for $78, 5S for $189, and the 4S for 97 cents), and we signed up for the 1GB shared family plan. The first bill did have activation fees (which made it about $300!!), but our monthly bill now is $170.  With Straight Talk, our bill was $150, so the switch is really not much and we get much better coverage now.

[Sisyphus]

My oldest says he doesn't know of anyone in his high school classes without one except one Luddite teacher who hates them, lol. The school has wifi and they are allowed to use them freely in class, and often do for assignments.

 

My youngest is totally home schooled and middle school age, but almost all of his friends at activities have them. There are maybe 1-2 kids who have iPods instead, but the majority have smart phones. It is uncool to have something other than an iPhone apparently, I expressed interest in the galaxy and he freaked out we would have him switch his phone too. Who knew?

 

We live in a very affluent area, and most of the kids have the latest iPhone. Mine don't, too expensive, but the 4 was free with a plan so they have that.

[DawnM]

How do you figure out how much of the plan is their internet portion?

 

Just curious.

 

Our five phones cost $210/month.  That's unlimited text and internet.  And, dh's work pays for his part of it.  And, my kids do pay for the internet access for their phones.

 

[Bootsie]

My colleagues at work were complaining earlier this week.   They had been to the school orientation for their 6th and 7th graders and the parents were told that the teachers wanted the students to bring their smartphones to school so that they could use them in class.  When one of the parents said, "My child does not have a smartphone." the teacher's response was "Well, he can use his ipad instead."  (Which the parent quickly pointed out that the child did not have either.)  This was a middle-class, not overly affluent, neighborhood and the expectation of the school was that middle school students would have smart phones.  

[DawnM]

Just an FYI:

 

Republic Wireless (Sprint based with Verizon roaming) is coming out with a $10 plan with their smartphone.  It will allow unlimited text and talk but wifi only internet.  They will have two phones available.  An older Android (Motorola Defy) and a newer Android (Motorola Moto X). 

 

This may be an option for my son if he really wants a smart phone.  Right now he is content with the flip, but if he starts texting more, he may want more than what he has.

 

Another option is for him to get a SIM card with Page Plus and use my old iphone 4 when I upgrade.  

 

Dawn

[Pawz4me]

Most high school kids here have smart phones.  In fact, all the ones I know do.  We got oldest DS (a senior) a smart phone a couple of years ago.  Youngest DS still has a dumb phone, but he'll probably get a smart phone when it's time for an upgrade.

[KungFuPanda]

This is my viewpoint. 

 

Our 14-year-old dd has a "dumb phone" because she now goes places with groups of friends-and-siblings (all together) and needs to communicate with DH and me with any needed updates of their plans.

 

In my previous post, my intention was to note how a smart phone is just another material goods possession for competition among young people, much as the "right" sneakers used to be.  If a child/teen has a laptop, the Internet access already has been provided.  At the same time, I'll backtrack enough to believe that when an older teen holds a job, or takes himself to doctor appointments, a smart phone could be a good thing to have because of the mapping feature(s).

 

If it was a competition thing among kids, that was probably years ago when only a handful of them had them. I don't think the kids are thinking of them as anything special to own any more than they are impressed that their friends have computers in their homes. You can almost compare it to not having a family car. Of course, you can get by without a car, but nobody just assumes you don't have one. Cell phones, dumb or smart, are the modern equivalent to carrying around change for the phone booth. I believe the type of phone a kid has is largely a reflection of the last phone their parents owned. When mom and dad update, the kid gets trickle-down technology.

 

My own high schooler showed me some sort of flash card app on her phone just yesterday. She has a lot of work in her Junior AP English class. She and another classmate have divided the flash card-applicable labor, then their phones share the cards so each girl has a complete set. She also has an SAT Question of the Day app, a Shakespeare app, and other useful tools for school. I wish she could have used a calculator app and saved us from buying the expensive calculator, but they can't have any phones out during class without specific permission and certainly not during tests.

 

When it comes to these phones, I really don't think the kids have our baggage and they think of them in a completely different way. I enjoy being 'that old person' and telling them how 'in my day' we all shared a phone that was attached to a wall in the kitchen, but it's the modern equivalent to grandma telling us about hauling water for the 'crik.' I don't think I grew up morally corrupt because I had running water even if I don't fully appreciate the convenience or view it as a luxury like grandma does.

[DawnM]

Wow!  That is crazy.

 

We went back to our "old" church about a year ago.  We had been gone two years (worked with a church plant but decided we wanted to go back to the main church.)

 

Anyway, it is a more affluent area.  

 

My kids came home and said that over 50% of the kids used Bibles on their ipads or phones instead of carrying a Bible.  I was floored.

 

Dawn

 

 

My colleagues at work were complaining earlier this week.   They had been to the school orientation for their 6th and 7th graders and the parents were told that the teachers wanted the students to bring their smartphones to school so that they could use them in class.  When one of the parents said, "My child does not have a smartphone." the teacher's response was "Well, he can use his ipad instead."  (Which the parent quickly pointed out that the child did not have either.)  This was a middle-class, not overly affluent, neighborhood and the expectation of the school was that middle school students would have smart phones.