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‘It went nuts’: Thousands join UK parents calling for smartphone-free childhood (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 9 months ago by fne8w2ah to c/technology

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[–] doublejay1999 42 points 9 months ago (3 children)

But how will they ever stop these children from just walking into a store and buying a £500 phone and signing their own service contracts ?

[–] [email protected] 14 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Who says you need a contract. You can just get and activate a prepaid SIM.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Who says you even need cellular service? It's just a different type of radio signal, VoIP has existed for years. If you even need a phone number. Every app under the sun has a calling feature now, but most people don't use phone for calling anymore. Wifi is everywhere so cell signal is not as critical these days.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

True! I used Skype on a PSP to talk to friends before I had a cell phone. They could more easily use a phone only with wifi.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Wow I had no idea Skype was on PSP.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

There even was a camera for PSP specifically.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

As a child, I was just not given home wi-fi password, and the cell plan effectively had no internet (to be fair, parents were on the same call-and-sms only plans as well). I definitely did not want internet bad enough to wander around in search of public wi-fi.

[–] Sorgan71 11 points 9 months ago (1 children)

why would a kid havy £500

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

School lunches

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

A law saying phone companies can't open a contract for a kid without a parent present?

[–] roofuskit 11 points 9 months ago (2 children)

In most US states kids under 18 can't be held to a contract so nobody would give one to them anyway.

[–] angrystego 9 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I think that's what doublejay1999 is talking about. Look out for the hidden /s.

[–] doublejay1999 1 points 9 months ago

:-o

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

Even then, they can go to a dollar store and buy a sim card for super cheap.