Feature phones: Why I've brought my daughter a ‘dumb phone’ for secondary school - and not a smartphone

• Study found four in five parents think schools should ban use of smartphones during class hours.
• It may be hard to imagine buying anything but the fancy phones with all the modern bells and whistles.
• But one mum has explained why has bought a ‘feature phone’ for her daughter instead.

A mum who “always thought” she’d send her daughter to secondary school with a smartphone has explained why she has opted to buy her a ‘dumb phone’ instead.

Nicole de Pommes, 53, decided to buy her 11-year-old Grace a so-called feature phone ahead of the new school year after ‘a bit of a battle’. 

A more basic handset these phones can make and receive calls and text, but can also have a few bells and whistles like a basic camera, torch, MP3 player and radio, depending on the model. However the big difference is that with a ‘dumb phone’, you can’t surf the internet at will, download apps or access social media. 

And Nicole is not alone, as a study found that four in five parents think schools should ban the use of smartphones during school hours. More than two thirds of UK parents (67%) would prefer their child to have a basic ‘dumbphone’ without access to apps before they own a smartphone, according to research by Vodafone. 

‘I realised I didn’t want my daughter to own a smartphone’ 

Nicole, from London, admits that she had expected to buy her daughter a smartphone when she made the move up from primary school, envisioning it as a “rite of passage”. The mum had thought there was “no way” her daughter could survive at secondary school “without one, both from a security and from a being connected with her friends perspective”. 

She explained: “Everyone else was doing it, and I presumed by the end of Year 6 I would have to give in and get her one too. But I came across a campaign at my daughter’s school, and realised there was growing resistance from parents to their kids owning a smartphone and that I didn’t want Grace to either.” 

‘She is protected from social media’ 

Part of Nicole’s concern about Grace owning a smartphone was due to apprehension over sending her daughter out with such a valuable piece of technology in her possession. She said: “They are too young, they don’t need them, and I don’t like the idea of kids walking around with something worth £500 plus at their age.” 

The appeal of buying her daughter a feature phone also came in the form of the device’s inability to access social media. Nicole added: “I see this as a new and growing resistance to peer pressure. It was a bit of a battle with Grace to start with, but she has accepted a feature phone in place of a smartphone and she’s happy. 

“Her friends have the same model, which helps. She uses her ipad at home, and a laptop at school, so she is still connected digitally, but is protected from accessing wider social media, which I really believe she is too young for.” 

‘My tips for parents considering buying a phone for children’ 

Nicole has offered a few bits of advice for other parents who, like her, are debating whether to buy a smartphone for younger children. She said: “I’m really proud of myself for having the ability to say no to her, when I know it was something she really wanted. I know it is the right decision.”

Her advice is as follows: 

• Use your school and parenting networks to work out what is the right decision for your child, collective decisions work best
• Check what the processes are at their school - perhaps there are already restrictions on having a smartphone in place? This will help you fight your corner
• Don’t promise your child a smartphone and then backtrack - this will cause friction and fights
• Having the same phone as the others in your gang is really helpful, so if you all agree to having a feature phone, and they’re all the same, they’ll be happy
• Make it clear early on that they won't be getting a smartphone until they are a given age. It’s much easier if they don’t grow up with the automatic expectation they will receive one by the end of primary, for example.

Nicole is not alone in buying ‘feature phone’ for her child 

A survey of 2,000 parents of children aged 8-14 found that four in five think schools should ban the use of smartphones during school hours. But the study also found that an overwhelming majority of parents also believe their child should have a phone so they can contact them and for emergencies (83%). 

And this is where feature phones come in, Vodafone is raising awareness of feature phones as an option for parents, who want to keep in contact with their kids, but are concerned about the online access that comes with owning a smartphone.    

More than a third of parents surveyed were unaware that basic feature phones – which can cost as little as £8 to buy from Vodafone – existed as an option.  Additionally, 94% of parents think all schools should provide lessons in creating healthy digital habits. The majority (59%) stated this was key because being online is a vital part of the world children are growing up in.  

Would you consider buying a feature phone for your child instead of a smartphone? Share your thoughts by emailing our tech writer: [email protected].