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It should be more specific, they should not be allowed a smartphone in school at all. But a phone, yes definitely. In europe it's a lot more common to send your

It should be more specific, they should not be allowed a smartphone in school at all. But a phone, yes definitely. In europe it's a lot more common to send your kids alone to school, so I definitely think they should have a simple phone. But at the same time I want them to go to school without any smartphone, I want them to feel that freedom from social media at least during the school day. Not just that school locks them up, but that they eventually learn to not even bring it.

kergonath 3y ago
> It should be more specific, they should not be allowed a smartphone in school at all. But a phone, yes definitely. In europe it's a lot more common to send your kids alone to school, so I definitely think they should have a simple phone. That’s the usual policy here in France. Smartphones are not allowed at all. Dumb phones are but they can’t be taken out of the bags in the classroom, which makes sense. I am much more comfortable giving my kid a dumb feature phone as well. It’s enough to send text messages and call in an emergency, but it makes him less of a target for mugging.
- balfirevic 3y ago
  > That’s the usual policy here in France. Smartphones are not allowed at all. Do they search the kid's bags?
  - orwin 3y ago
    No, they take it if they see them out, either during class or recess.
  - kergonath 3y ago
    Not without a reason, but suspecting you have a smartphone, or any other forbidden or dangerous item, is one. So in practice you’re fine if you don’t use it, show it, or brag about it.
  - TwistySanta 3y ago
    They searched us without knowledge in the UK. I went to school 2007-2012 so the laws might have changed since then, or this might have been illegal. In PE class one day, we all got changed and left our clothes and bags in the changing room, then while we were on the field doing sport the deputy headteacher went to the changing room and went through everyone's bags and blazers to find phones and valuables. He took them all and made everyone think they had been stolen. He revealed it after five minutes of the class noticing things were missing, and said it was supposed to be a lesson about safety. How theft happens and we shouldn't have valuable items on us at school, and if we do then they should be locked away somewhere secure when we leave our bags somewhere. I doubt that was actually the case, I think he was just trying to get an idea of how many people have smartphones, and who those people were. This was right when they were invented so it was very rare for a kid to have one when I was a first year, but every year more and more kids got them handed down from their parents.
    - oska 3y ago
      Interesting anecdote, appreciate you sharing it. As to the deputy head's given reason (a lesson about safety and guarding against theft), I'd tend to think that was his genuine reason. Theft of valuable personal items in a school is a major headache for the school. The police may get involved. The school doesn't want weaker-minded students being constantly exposed to the temptation, some succumbing to that temptation, and some getting caught and having to be expelled, etc. Better to make students aware of the risk and to have rules against students bringing valuable items to school.
- orwin 3y ago
  *until highschool (agree with everything else, just wanted to add a precision. Also, the school has the parent numbers).
  - INTPenis 3y ago
    Your use of highscool makes me think you're american, because you don't seem to understand the concept of kids going to school on their own. It doesn't matter if the school has the number to the parents if the kid is taking a 30 minute bus ride, or a 30 minute bicycle ride, to and from school themselves.
    - lazyasciiart 3y ago
      What on earth does their comment have to do with kids going to school on their own? And...using "highschool" makes them American? What, you want them to say lycée?
    - ShadowBanThis01 3y ago
      Kids going to school on their own was the norm for generations in the USA, and until recently I thought it still was. Now I see every child being DRIVEN to school in a separate vehicle by a parent, blockading entire neighborhoods around the school. It's pathetic and irritating as hell. And we're talking about L.A., where you can't blame the weather. These kids are going to be helpless dweebs.
      - technothrasher 3y ago
        > These kids are going to be helpless dweebs. Really? Why? I drove my kid to school up until the point that he got his driver's license this year and could drive himself. He's not a helpless dweeb. In fact, he just caught a plane to DC to attend a high school summer program at Georgetown University. He didn't have any trouble navigating himself there. I didn't hear a word from the time he left the house until he called me to let me know he'd checked into the dorm five states away.
        3y ago
- finikytou 3y ago
  everyone has a phone in France even inmates..
  - kergonath 3y ago
    That’s a non sequitur. Inmates have lots of things children do not have.
- Aerroon 3y ago
  That sounds dumb. Smartphones are a part of everyday life. Expecting kids to not use them is either doomed to fail, or worse, it will make sure they learn less about how to use them.
  - Mordisquitos 3y ago
    > Smartphones are a part of everyday life. They may well be a part of your everyday life, and likely of the everyday lives of everyone you know, but what makes you think that smartphones are a part of the everyday lives of French schoolchildren? And even if they were, how is it in any way harmful for smartphones to not be a part of the time they spend in school?
    - somsak2 3y ago
      If nobody can use it at school, then overall it makes it probably less likely they will be owned or used at all. Then your kids risk falling behind and becoming as adept with technology as "old people" today. Not saying that this trade-off means that everyone should use smart phones all the time, but let's not act like this isn't a potential downside when they are a part of everyday life for French adults.
      - kergonath 3y ago
        > then overall it makes it probably less likely they will be owned or used at all Sorry, but this is ridiculous. If it is useful, they will pick it up. I mean, most people alive did not have a smartphone before growing up, and yet most of us are using one without issue right now. You’re setting a child up for failure if he does not learn things like how to handle frustration or behave with other people when he grows up. Not how to operate a trivial device. > Then your kids risk falling behind and becoming as adept with technology as "old people" today. By the time they’re old, they will be as useless with the new technologies of the time as elderly are with computers now. Not because they did not learn it at school, just because you lose mental agility and adaptability as you age. Smartphones most likely will be a prehistoric anachronism by the time they get old. > but let's not act like this isn't a potential downside when they are a part of everyday life for French adults. Most French adults right now did not have a smartphone before they turned 20. They are managing just fine.
loeg 3y ago
Dumbphones were still a significant distraction when I attended school, before smartphones existed.

kergonath 3y ago

> It should be more specific, they should not be allowed a smartphone in school at all. But a phone, yes definitely. In europe it's a lot more common to send your kids alone to school, so I definitely think they should have a simple phone. That’s the usual policy here in France. Smartphones are not allowed at all. Dumb phones are but they can’t be taken out of the bags in the classroom, which makes sense. I am much more comfortable giving my kid a dumb feature phone as well. It’s enough to send text messages and call in an emergency, but it makes him less of a target for mugging.

balfirevic 3y ago
> That’s the usual policy here in France. Smartphones are not allowed at all. Do they search the kid's bags?
- orwin 3y ago
  No, they take it if they see them out, either during class or recess.
- kergonath 3y ago
  Not without a reason, but suspecting you have a smartphone, or any other forbidden or dangerous item, is one. So in practice you’re fine if you don’t use it, show it, or brag about it.
- TwistySanta 3y ago
  They searched us without knowledge in the UK. I went to school 2007-2012 so the laws might have changed since then, or this might have been illegal. In PE class one day, we all got changed and left our clothes and bags in the changing room, then while we were on the field doing sport the deputy headteacher went to the changing room and went through everyone's bags and blazers to find phones and valuables. He took them all and made everyone think they had been stolen. He revealed it after five minutes of the class noticing things were missing, and said it was supposed to be a lesson about safety. How theft happens and we shouldn't have valuable items on us at school, and if we do then they should be locked away somewhere secure when we leave our bags somewhere. I doubt that was actually the case, I think he was just trying to get an idea of how many people have smartphones, and who those people were. This was right when they were invented so it was very rare for a kid to have one when I was a first year, but every year more and more kids got them handed down from their parents.
  - oska 3y ago
    Interesting anecdote, appreciate you sharing it. As to the deputy head's given reason (a lesson about safety and guarding against theft), I'd tend to think that was his genuine reason. Theft of valuable personal items in a school is a major headache for the school. The police may get involved. The school doesn't want weaker-minded students being constantly exposed to the temptation, some succumbing to that temptation, and some getting caught and having to be expelled, etc. Better to make students aware of the risk and to have rules against students bringing valuable items to school.
orwin 3y ago
*until highschool (agree with everything else, just wanted to add a precision. Also, the school has the parent numbers).
- INTPenis 3y ago
  Your use of highscool makes me think you're american, because you don't seem to understand the concept of kids going to school on their own. It doesn't matter if the school has the number to the parents if the kid is taking a 30 minute bus ride, or a 30 minute bicycle ride, to and from school themselves.
  - lazyasciiart 3y ago
    What on earth does their comment have to do with kids going to school on their own? And...using "highschool" makes them American? What, you want them to say lycée?
  - ShadowBanThis01 3y ago
    Kids going to school on their own was the norm for generations in the USA, and until recently I thought it still was. Now I see every child being DRIVEN to school in a separate vehicle by a parent, blockading entire neighborhoods around the school. It's pathetic and irritating as hell. And we're talking about L.A., where you can't blame the weather. These kids are going to be helpless dweebs.
    - technothrasher 3y ago
      > These kids are going to be helpless dweebs. Really? Why? I drove my kid to school up until the point that he got his driver's license this year and could drive himself. He's not a helpless dweeb. In fact, he just caught a plane to DC to attend a high school summer program at Georgetown University. He didn't have any trouble navigating himself there. I didn't hear a word from the time he left the house until he called me to let me know he'd checked into the dorm five states away.
      - 3y ago
finikytou 3y ago
everyone has a phone in France even inmates..
- kergonath 3y ago
  That’s a non sequitur. Inmates have lots of things children do not have.
Aerroon 3y ago
That sounds dumb. Smartphones are a part of everyday life. Expecting kids to not use them is either doomed to fail, or worse, it will make sure they learn less about how to use them.
- Mordisquitos 3y ago
  > Smartphones are a part of everyday life. They may well be a part of your everyday life, and likely of the everyday lives of everyone you know, but what makes you think that smartphones are a part of the everyday lives of French schoolchildren? And even if they were, how is it in any way harmful for smartphones to not be a part of the time they spend in school?
  - somsak2 3y ago
    If nobody can use it at school, then overall it makes it probably less likely they will be owned or used at all. Then your kids risk falling behind and becoming as adept with technology as "old people" today. Not saying that this trade-off means that everyone should use smart phones all the time, but let's not act like this isn't a potential downside when they are a part of everyday life for French adults.
    - kergonath 3y ago
      > then overall it makes it probably less likely they will be owned or used at all Sorry, but this is ridiculous. If it is useful, they will pick it up. I mean, most people alive did not have a smartphone before growing up, and yet most of us are using one without issue right now. You’re setting a child up for failure if he does not learn things like how to handle frustration or behave with other people when he grows up. Not how to operate a trivial device. > Then your kids risk falling behind and becoming as adept with technology as "old people" today. By the time they’re old, they will be as useless with the new technologies of the time as elderly are with computers now. Not because they did not learn it at school, just because you lose mental agility and adaptability as you age. Smartphones most likely will be a prehistoric anachronism by the time they get old. > but let's not act like this isn't a potential downside when they are a part of everyday life for French adults. Most French adults right now did not have a smartphone before they turned 20. They are managing just fine.

loeg 3y ago

Dumbphones were still a significant distraction when I attended school, before smartphones existed.