Giving up my phone for the next 2 years?

UnknownEntity

I'm nearing the end of 4th year now and in September I will begin the Leaving Cert course. My parents have suggested to me that I completely get rid of my phone over the next 2 years and focus on studying.

Generally, I get good grades and my phone doesn't distract me during study that much. I think this is really harsh and I don't agree with it to be honest but they know better than me.

What do people on here think? Is this a good idea and should I just get rid of it completely for the next 2 years or is that too far?

0byme75341jo28

Fúck that shít.

DontThankMe

It seems a bit extreme to me always good to have one in case of emergencies. I know from my own experience that it was a bit of a distraction for me i'd suggest giving it to you parents while you study as a compromise.

UnknownEntity

Yeah it is extreme, giving it to them during study is what I have been doing ever since I got my first smart phone so I don't think that matters to them.

Eathrin

Well look, after your leaving cert you're probably going to college? You'll need to be studying there too and they won't be able to keep you from having a phone forever.
Our generation has clearly developed very bad habits with devices almost ruling our lives at times but I don't think Cold Turkey is always the way to go with these things. If you can learn to set your phone aside while you work and develop good discipline that will stand far better to you in the long term, in my opinion.

UnknownEntity

Eathrin wrote:

Well look, after your leaving cert you're probably going to college? You'll need to be studying there too and they won't be able to keep you from having a phone forever. Our generation has clearly developed very bad habits with devices almost ruling our lives at times but I don't think Cold Turkey is always the way to go with these things. If you can learn to set your phone aside while you work and develop good discipline that will stand far better to you in the long term, in my opinion.

To be honest, I think I'm very good at keeping my phone away from me while studying. It's never in the same room as me and even when it is I rarely take it out in the middle of a session

thisistough

You have to learn self discipline at some point, they can't do it for you so if they do this now then by the time you get to college you'll have know idea how to self regulate

(Current college student can confirm)

Odelay

Would they be willing to do the same? Maybe not give up the phone altogether, but go back to an old push button phone??


TBH, your current system of offering up the phone while studying is an excellent system.

UnknownEntity

I consider myself to be pretty well self disciplined but my parents for some reason don't and I'm just not sure of how I can prove to them that this isn't a good idea.

KingBrian2

No bad idea. Keep your phone and study.

dollyk

are you offering to do this ?
Or are they insisting ?
You can compromise and meet them half way Im sure.
Leave the fone when you study.
And have it when are having "me time".

UnknownEntity

dollyk wrote:

are you offering to do this ? Or are they insisting ? You can compromise and meet them half way Im sure. Leave the fone when you study. And have it when are having "me time".

Sadly they're insisting.

drunkmonkey

Giving up your phone a bad idea but giving up a smartphone a very good idea.

A Nokia 5140i will get you through the next few years without loosing touch of your friends. It'll probably get you through college as well. It's bulletproof, cheap and easy fix.

Your head will be a lot clearer and life a lot happier without knowing what's happening on Facebook, snapchat, etc.

The Cycling pianist

Can I have some of whatever your parents are smoking?

claregal1

Why exactly do they want you to give up your phone for two years if you are already giving your phone to your parents whilst you study - Is there another reason ?
When my daughter was doing her LC she shut down her FB and SC accounts two months prior to the exams until she finshed her LC as she did find it distracting whilst studying .

KingBrian2

One word people one word. PROCRASTINATING.

dollyk

Im thinking that you are maybe the oldest ?
and they think they are doing what is best for you education wise.
But it would be better for you if the allow you to make choices, and
meet you half way.
Can you talk to them, and maybe have it at the weekends ?
I wish you the best of luck with your studies, and parents differ hugely
when it comes to studies, Id still have a chat and see if they will compromise.
Sooner or later it will be up to just you to make these kind of decisions .

Caoimhgh1n

Perhaps they could take your phone whilst studying, but you have it otherwise?

The Black Oil

I know there are a lot more technological distractions around now compared to when I did LC (2001), but self-discipline, all the way.

I took 3-4 months off boards for the last stretch of my Masters thesis. I scrambled my password to some sort of jibberish and never used the reset option until I was done. This was very helpful to get part of the internet out of my head. It helps that I'm not on Facebook, of course. Keep your phone, but have a routine with it and set boundaries for yourself around time...maybe not checking a certain sites until you've read a chapter or written up notes or for a few hours. I recall someone talking to me about trying to get her son off the Xbox around exam time. I suggested turning off the router at night, not bulletproof, but you have to wall things off to a certain extent (if that's what works for you).

Good luck with your studies.

UnknownEntity

claregal1 wrote:

Why exactly do they want you to give up your phone for two years if you are already giving your phone to your parents whilst you study - Is there another reason ? When my daughter was doing her LC she shut down her FB and SC accounts two months prior to the exams until she finshed her LC as she did find it distracting whilst studying .

I'm not aware of any other reason but maybe they have another one.

Ursus Horribilis

Who pays for the phone?

UnknownEntity

dollyk wrote:

Im thinking that you are maybe the oldest ? and they think they are doing what is best for you education wise. But it would be better for you if the allow you to make choices, and meet you half way. Can you talk to them, and maybe have it at the weekends ? I wish you the best of luck with your studies, and parents differ hugely when it comes to studies, Id still have a chat and see if they will compromise. Sooner or later it will be up to just you to make these kind of decisions .

Yes I'm the oldest of 3. I will try talk to them closer to September because they are pretty stubborn and I don't want to spend my summer arguing with them.

UnknownEntity

Caoimhgh1n wrote:

Perhaps they could take your phone whilst studying, but you have it otherwise?

That's what happens at the moment.

UnknownEntity

Odus fell down wrote:

Who pays for the phone?

Well I paid for half of it with summer work that I did last year and they paid the rest but they pay for credit and things like that.

Ursus Horribilis

Hmm. You're caught there. If there was any way you could start paying for the credit yourself, you'd be on better ground for hanging on to it. When you do have the phone with you, do you use it a lot? Maybe they're concerned that you've always got your nose stuck in the phone. I'm thinking that if you cut back on how much you use it - at least when they're around - it might strengthen your position. I think it's an overly harsh thing to do.

vg88

Tell them your in whatapps study groups for subject with your mates that you use for homework and essays for everything, say it's to enhance your studying.

UnknownEntity

Odus fell down wrote:

Hmm. You're caught there. If there was any way you could start paying for the credit yourself, you'd be on better ground for hanging on to it. When you do have the phone with you, do you use it a lot? Maybe they're concerned that you've always got your nose stuck in the phone. I'm thinking that if you cut back on how much you use it - at least when they're around - it might strengthen your position. I think it's an overly harsh thing to do.

I use my phone a lot when I'm not studying but around my parents I try to keep it in my pocket and be more sociable.

UnknownEntity

moloner4 wrote:

Tell them your in whatapps study groups for subject with your mates that you use for homework and essays for everything, say it's to enhance your studying.

In all honesty I do use my phone for a lot of research when I'm doing work for school and rarely use any other devices so I could try convince them with that.

PLL

Yeah it does seem harsh, however you have no idea how distracting a phone is when you're in the depths of study hell. I'm a 1.1 Student and was half way through my exams last Friday and I was worn out and it is just a relief to do something as easy as go on your phone. I actually had to get my boyfriend to take it off me, and trust me I have self discipline, you have to, to get good grades. Sometimes you just hit a wall though. It will help you to not have a phone, as drastic as it seems. If it were my child I would take it off them during study times.

UnknownEntity

PLL wrote:

Yeah it does seem harsh, however you have no idea how distracting a phone is when you're in the depths of study hell. I'm a 1.1 Student and was half way through my exams last Friday and I was worn out and it is just a relief to do something as easy as go on your phone. I actually had to get my boyfriend to take it off me, and trust me I have self discipline, you have to, to get good grades. Sometimes you just hit a wall though. It will help you to not have a phone, as drastic as it seems. If it were my child I would take it off them during study times.

You see that's the problem. They already take it off me when I'm studying at the moment but next year they want to take it permanently.

claregal1

haiyna wrote: »

I'm not aware of any other reason but maybe they have another one.

I just saw on another post that you said you were the oldest of three - which maybe why your parents think they are doing the right thing in trying to help you with your studies - As a parent of three I was alot stricter with my eldest daughter that I was with the youngest two - trial and error and unfortunately my eldest got the brunt of it . You seem like a sensible teenager especially with your attitude of leaving it until Sept to discuss it again with your parents . Best of luck - hope it all works out for the best for you .

Ursus Horribilis

Have you a summer job this year? If you could put enough money together to pay for the credit for the next year or so, it'd make it harder for them to take it off you.

Other than that, I'm not sure what else you can do. I assume that even if you got an old-fashioned Nokia with buttons on it, it'd be of little use to you. Does anyone under the age of 40 send sms messages any more?

UnknownEntity

Odus fell down wrote:

Have you a summer job this year? If you could put enough money together to pay for the credit for the next year or so, it'd make it harder for them to take it off you.

I do have a job but really paying for the phone will do little to help me because of how strict my parents are 😂.

dollyk

Its the eldest child thing again, Im sorry but I was like that too.
Hes 34 now and laughs at it, but at the time I was so sure I was doing the
right things.
Ok so the thing is, can you live without it ?
Can you get an old nokia just to keep in touch ?
Do you have a tablet or other devise for study ?
It really can be a distraction, esp facebook and the likes .
But 2 years can seem a bit drastic.
Yes speak to them nearer the time.
Im pretty sure they think they are doing the right thing.

The Black Oil

It's an unreasonable policy, imo. A black and white approach makes no sense at all. Handing over your phone for the time you're actually in front of the books, of course there's sense in that.

I think some parents overdo it partly fuelled by their own worry and hype, which often gets turned to 11 at this of year due to radio slots and newspaper columns. I recall being on a train and overhearing parents of classmate of mine saying "he should be studying". Fine, and maybe now and then he was slacking, but there's a balance. I've very vague memories of it overall, fifth year is shift in gears compared to TY and sixth year is obviously more so. There's some brouhaha now about attention spans, tablets, smartphones, etc. Keep your head down, get on with your work. Do what your teachers say.

2 years from now, when your number has probably expired, who is going to reactivate it?

rainbowtrout

I'm a teacher, I do think students spend way too much time on their phones, however I think your parents are being a little harsh. Perhaps you could suggest a compromise. You leave your phone at home (somewhere visible like the kitchen table or wherever) when you go to school each day, so they know you're not on the phone during the day, and the phone can be left there when you are studying/doing your homework in the evening. Allowing you your phone for a an hour or two each evening so you can check your messages, go on facebook or whatever you do with it isn't excessive and shouldn't be any worse than you watching tv, playing the xbox or whatever in the evening.

ryansapienza

No way, you'll go insane. Or at least just turn it off after school until the evening like 9pm, and give it up for a couple hours over the weekend. It probably would be a good idea though to completely get rid of it in the couple weeks coming up to the leaving cert, even from when the mocks finish if you could manage it (i couldnt)

drunkmonkey

Motorola are bringing back out the Razr, that's probably what you should get.

UnknownEntity

ryansapienza wrote:

No way, you'll go insane. Or at least just turn it off after school until the evening like 9pm, and give it up for a couple hours over the weekend. It probably would be a good idea though to completely get rid of it in the couple weeks coming up to the leaving cert, even from when the mocks finish if you could manage it (i couldnt)

That's exactly what I would like to do and it's what we did for the JC.