[mobiuscog]

It gets difficult in the teenage years, as not having a phone (or access to) effectively isolates them from their peer group and they become outcast.

Whilst this may be good to avoid brain-rot, it eliminates much of their social needs in many cases.

A balance is required, but that needs parents to actually pay attention and not just leave them to isolate themselves (with their phone) into their room.

[quailfarmer]

I’d amend that to “never buying them a smart phone”. There’s nothing particularly addictive about texting with friends, and while there’s certainly still mischief associated with that, it’s not the kind of brain-fry that’s most worrying to me.

I hear this idea that not having social media will “isolate” kids from their peers, but will it? I’m not sure how you would use TikTok to interact with your classmates, given it’s a global app.

[arresin]

Hmm so they’re the weird kid with a dumb phone as a teen?

The answer is not as easy as much as we would wish it was.

[lrvick]

This is like arguing that a kid will have more friends if they are allowed to smoke because everyone else does and it is a common social activity.

I do not have a phone and have lots of friends I see frequently, in person.

A kid will be able to form a small number of close friendships without a smartphone too.

Will they be able to have hundreds of "friends" in a parasocial relationship? No. Feature, not a bug.

I would never allow a minor to agree to the terms of service of any bytedance zuck products just as I would not give a kid cigarettes or vapes.

Knowingly exposing a kid to highly addictive harmful things is child abuse.