Privacy Recommendations for a Young Teen
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If privacy is your topic, iPhones are out.
You could check /e/OS for example with Fairphone that includes parental control feature.
Your parents do not matter in this context and it would be shameful to use such features.Avoid tracking apps and tracking in apps. Avoid big tech like Meta and use Signal instead. If your child is not willing to do without Tiktok, Insta and so on, you won't prevent. You can only explain. Remember: Divice literacy is not media literacy
iOS has a nice default set of privacy respecting apps. iOS isn’t perfect but it’s as close as you can get to having a usable phone while having some sort of privacy.
Android always sends requests to Google. A de-googled phone with no Play Services is too limiting.
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So I have a young teen entering 7th grade and so they're about to receive their first phone. With that, it opens a lot of doors to all the big tech social media apps and privacy invasive services.
I'm not sure how to approach this. My parents probably want tracking features so it'll probably be Find My or a 3rd party app like life360 depending on if we choose iphone or degoogled pixel.
Social media I'm not sure if fediverse stuff is the right path especially for lemmy, since it's just tech nerd stuff and politics which isn't interesting really unless they go out of their way to find smaller communities. Their friends will probably force them onto Instagram or some shit and I don't really want them doomscolling on reels, that shit algorithm, and the malicious messaging app built in to it.
It's just kinda hard trying to blend being a functional member of society and maintain your mental well being and privacy.
We gave our oldest a basic feature flip-phone when he started Middle School, mainly so he could text and coordinate pickups. In 7th grade, we gave him a smartphone because he was going on a class trip to DC and the kids were encouraged to take pictures and share. At home, we made it a rule that the phone had to be plugged into charger in our bedroom to avoid bedtime disruption.
That same year I created social media accounts for him on every service, mainly to reserve his username. But they were all blocked using parental controls, based on advice from school. We also had software/hardware from Circle (now Aura: https://meetcircle.com/) that blocked access on wifi and cell and capped usage.
In high school, when he turned 16, as part of his birthday gift, we gave him an envelope with his own non-school email account, and all the links and passwords for social media accounts. We also took away all the filter blocks. Figured he was mature enough without feeling left out.
It really worked out well. Later, he asked to put usage limits back on so he would be forced to put it down and go to sleep.
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So I have a young teen entering 7th grade and so they're about to receive their first phone. With that, it opens a lot of doors to all the big tech social media apps and privacy invasive services.
I'm not sure how to approach this. My parents probably want tracking features so it'll probably be Find My or a 3rd party app like life360 depending on if we choose iphone or degoogled pixel.
Social media I'm not sure if fediverse stuff is the right path especially for lemmy, since it's just tech nerd stuff and politics which isn't interesting really unless they go out of their way to find smaller communities. Their friends will probably force them onto Instagram or some shit and I don't really want them doomscolling on reels, that shit algorithm, and the malicious messaging app built in to it.
It's just kinda hard trying to blend being a functional member of society and maintain your mental well being and privacy.
If you scroll down to where this reply will end up:
Iphone is the right place to start. The parental controls are well thought out and have enough granularity for almost anyone and “find my” works great along with location sharing.
They have a bunch of built in privacy, mental health and use monitoring stuff so the person with the phone can use that themselves too.
It’s the most normal person phone there is so no chance they’ll be embarrassed or feel left out and because the platform is so common (assuming USA because “grades”) you’ll have an easy time coordinating with other parents and sharing how you’re dealing with stuff as they grow.
Good luck.
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So I have a young teen entering 7th grade and so they're about to receive their first phone. With that, it opens a lot of doors to all the big tech social media apps and privacy invasive services.
I'm not sure how to approach this. My parents probably want tracking features so it'll probably be Find My or a 3rd party app like life360 depending on if we choose iphone or degoogled pixel.
Social media I'm not sure if fediverse stuff is the right path especially for lemmy, since it's just tech nerd stuff and politics which isn't interesting really unless they go out of their way to find smaller communities. Their friends will probably force them onto Instagram or some shit and I don't really want them doomscolling on reels, that shit algorithm, and the malicious messaging app built in to it.
It's just kinda hard trying to blend being a functional member of society and maintain your mental well being and privacy.
Calyx Phone
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Calyx Phone
Also check its features https://www.hmd.com/en_int/hmd-fusion-x1
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iOS has a nice default set of privacy respecting apps. iOS isn’t perfect but it’s as close as you can get to having a usable phone while having some sort of privacy.
Android always sends requests to Google. A de-googled phone with no Play Services is too limiting.
Android always sends requests to Google.
Can you please send references on that?
A de-googled phone with no Play Services is too limiting.
Isn't microG with alternative app stores sufficient for most people?
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So I have a young teen entering 7th grade and so they're about to receive their first phone. With that, it opens a lot of doors to all the big tech social media apps and privacy invasive services.
I'm not sure how to approach this. My parents probably want tracking features so it'll probably be Find My or a 3rd party app like life360 depending on if we choose iphone or degoogled pixel.
Social media I'm not sure if fediverse stuff is the right path especially for lemmy, since it's just tech nerd stuff and politics which isn't interesting really unless they go out of their way to find smaller communities. Their friends will probably force them onto Instagram or some shit and I don't really want them doomscolling on reels, that shit algorithm, and the malicious messaging app built in to it.
It's just kinda hard trying to blend being a functional member of society and maintain your mental well being and privacy.
If you're in EU https://murena.com/smartphones/ is a good compromise IMHO.
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Android always sends requests to Google.
Can you please send references on that?
A de-googled phone with no Play Services is too limiting.
Isn't microG with alternative app stores sufficient for most people?
I did not meant fully degoogled androids! Sorry for the confusion. But most people running custom ROMs add Google play support/emulation because most apps use it.
As for microG, since I’m coming from GrapheneOS, I don’t know much about it. Might be a better solution
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If you're in EU https://murena.com/smartphones/ is a good compromise IMHO.
I also have a PinePhone and PinePhone Pro... but I wouldn't (yet) recommend them as daily drivers unless :
- you are REALLY committed to privacy
- don't care much for the camera
- don't need mobile "Apps" and fine using the Web or Linux (which are great) apps
- don't need much battery
- you are eager to tinker.
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So I have a young teen entering 7th grade and so they're about to receive their first phone. With that, it opens a lot of doors to all the big tech social media apps and privacy invasive services.
I'm not sure how to approach this. My parents probably want tracking features so it'll probably be Find My or a 3rd party app like life360 depending on if we choose iphone or degoogled pixel.
Social media I'm not sure if fediverse stuff is the right path especially for lemmy, since it's just tech nerd stuff and politics which isn't interesting really unless they go out of their way to find smaller communities. Their friends will probably force them onto Instagram or some shit and I don't really want them doomscolling on reels, that shit algorithm, and the malicious messaging app built in to it.
It's just kinda hard trying to blend being a functional member of society and maintain your mental well being and privacy.
If your maib concern is soical media / onlinr groups id just say educate them on the dangers not even people but about how the alogrithms they use are built to cause addiction and id also reccomend teaching them basic cybersec stuff like dont click random links how to find scams. etc
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System shared this topic on
