[michaelfm1211]

I see the good intentions, but it's too idealistic. In many families both parents work and kids are expected to get home by themselves (such was the case for me from 3rd grade onwards). Smartphones are simply a necessity for communication and Google Maps. I can only ever see this working with upper middle class nuclear families with a stay at home parent.

[dpassens]

Why would you need Google Maps to get home from school? I have an absolutely terrible sense of direction, but even I can memorize a single route after walking it a couple of times.

[50208]

Or ... we could continue doing what worked for all of us before being tethered to phones. Communicate beforehand / afterwards / using shared phones (which still exist) and learning to navigate the world using brains.

[kawogi]

So, no flexibility, spontaneity? So far we had:

- "I'd like to stay with a friend after school - they'll drive me home after dinner", "Sure, thanks for the info, have fun"

- "Fire alert, I'm fine but bored"

- "Had to help a friend with an accident, will be home 1h later approx"

- Bus didn't turn up, uses app to improvise an alternative connection

- asking teachers about details from the lessons

- getting a news-feed from school

- looking up the schedule if things change

- manage their calendar and todo-lists

- set an alarm/reminder

So basically "everything" an adult does with their phone to make their lives easier.

After that there's enough brain left to learn that social media is something that needs special attention

[brewdad]

Almost all of that can be done offline. Pen and paper still exist. Example 1 is more difficult without a phone of your own, I was able to use a pay phone back in the day. Everything else you listed can be accomplished offline, on a computer, or by asking to use the school's phone for 1 minute. I mean, if the accident happened at school, the office may very well contact you themselves.

Yes, it can be more convenient but it absolutely isn't necessary.

[max51]

how do you think we lived before the smartphones were mainstream?! None of what you listed was a problem before smartphone. Literally none of it.

source: I'm older than 30, I was there.

[huhkerrf]

The parent comment is almost an advertisement for waiting to give kids a smartphone until they're older. If one truly can't imagine doing any of these without post-2010 technology, then it would be good giving kids a little bit more time building their independence from both parents and smartphones.

[NBJack]

Aspirational at best I'm afraid. What happens when the other partner/parent/family member isn't responsible, smashing your plans? Or if the event has a variable end time with no safe care or phone in between? How do you deal with emergencies like school closures that now require every child to line up to use available landlines (my personal favorite experience)?

Landlines are becoming scant in my particular part of my country, YMMV. I rarely even see them in my workplace anymore.

[ninalanyon]

I walked the mile home from school from the age of five. Why would anyone need a map? And I spent all day outside away from home from the age of about eight in the summer with of course no phone of any kind and no maps even though I was tramping for miles through fields and streets. What has changed in the last sixty years that makes maps and communication a necessity?

[tirant]

Google maps is completely unnecessary to go back and forth between school and home. And communication can be done easily with a dumb phone.

Our oldest at 7 goes alone to school and has no problem memorizing the path.