I finally got a phone last September, just as I started secondary school. I was one of the last people in my class to get one and it felt like I’d been waiting forever. Most of the others had one in year 6. My parents said I didn’t need one, as I was only walking down the road to school. But I think it would have made sense.
Negotiating a contract
We talked a lot before the phone arrived. Mostly about when and where I could use it. But I was happy I was allowed a smartphone! I know one girl who just has this old-looking one. My parents and I decided we’d come up with a kind of contract between us. This is what we agreed:
No phones after 8pm.
Phones to be charged in the kitchen.
Phones can be used anywhere except the bathroom.
Parents can access phone whenever.
Mainly use home wifi and only use data when essential.
No social media until the legal age (which varies from 13-18).
Get permission to download games.
Be sensible about how much I use it.
I was mostly OK with the rules. But not the social media one, as loads of my friends have Instagram! It was an improvement on the first version, though. That one said I was only allowed my phone downstairs!
Coping with peer pressure
The phone has changed my life. These changes are mostly good, but I do feel that some bits have not gone quite as well. You feel like you can never make a mistake in a message.
One of the better things is I feel more independent. I can plan when to see friends without asking my parents. If I walk 40 minutes to school the phone makes me feel safe. When I first started the walk, I took a wrong turning and ended up lost in the docks. All I could see was boats! Thankfully, I could call my dad. He helped me.
But I sometimes feel my parents get cross with me more often now. The other day I was on my phone messaging and my mum started getting annoyed. She told me it was unhealthy to spend so much time looking at a screen, and I should “interact more with the real world”. I got angry and shouted back.
Getting used to phone life
At first I thought it was a bit weird that my parents could look at my phone whenever. But I don’t really care or notice now. I don’t go online much. I mainly use my phone to chat or play games. I use the computer in the kitchen for the internet.
Sometimes my phone distracts me. If I’m in the middle of a conversation and I get a message, I’ll turn to my phone instead. And if I hear a notification, I’ll rush to check my phone.
But I’d never be without my phone now.
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