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207 points ZephyrBlu | 2 comments | | HN request time: 0.417s | source
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AbrahamParangi ◴[] No.34953344[source]
Buying your child a smartphone seems increasingly unwise as time goes on.
replies(2): >>34953785 #>>34954288 #
theshrike79 ◴[] No.34954288[source]
It's a huge catch-22:

You need a smartphone to take part in modern social life. (Yes, adults can choose life without a smartphone or any social media, in reality teenagers can't without being ostracised).

On the other hand using smartphones and social media can also result in stress and comparing your ordinary life to other people's highlights.

replies(1): >>34954755 #
bmitc ◴[] No.34954755[source]
What about a smartphone that is locked down? Apps are curated by parents and certain websites blocked.

Also, there are tons of things that have ostracized teenagers in the last. Why do smartphones have such a stranglehold? It seems we are becoming more and more afraid of being different.

replies(2): >>34955072 #>>34957377 #
jacooper ◴[] No.34957377[source]
Your kid will get ridiculed for their locked down phone.
replies(3): >>34959735 #>>34960980 #>>34979147 #
bmitc ◴[] No.34959735[source]
I got ridiculed for wearing glasses, having to wear a mouth guard in sports because of braces, having long legs, crossing my legs, being "clean", the wheels on my truck, for the music I liked. Who cares?
replies(1): >>34962852 #
1. jacooper ◴[] No.34962852[source]
Actually, your kids care
replies(1): >>34963959 #
2. bmitc ◴[] No.34963959[source]
I'm not sure training to minimize ridicule or being different is all that effective in the long run. Will someone in their 20s, 30s, and 40s remark that they really wish they could have been on TikTok more when they were younger?