[TeMPOraL]

Or, you can buy a standalone alarm clock, a dead-tree book, a standalone radio receiver, etc. for a fraction of the price. Now, I love my smartphone for all the non-social features. But I kind of see how the new generation can see these things as a gateway drug to being sucked into social media and having their minds and hearts ruthlessly exploited for profit. On top of that, it's teenagers we're talking about; teenage rebellion isn't usually a paragon of restraint or rationality :).

[azangru]

> teenage rebellion isn't usually a paragon of restraint or rationality

It's just that most of the comments in this thread were about rationality :-) They were about how refusing a smartphone is a _smart_ thing to do.

[lonelappde]

How much do you think a phone costs?

[TeMPOraL]

Much more than a separare alarm clock, radio and a mp3 player together. These things are cheap now.

[rjsw]

Can you really get separate devices for less than a feature phone ? My Nokia/HMD was only $20. I agree that a smartphone isn't the cheapest solution.

[TeMPOraL]

I can get a radio and an alarm clock for something like $10 to $15 total on a local flea market. It's probably not even the cheapest option. Not sure if I could find an MP3 player for $5-10 on that market, but I can find one for below $5 with free shipping on Aliexpress.

[Kaiyou]

About $100-$200. How long do you think a phone lasts?