Am I a loser if I don't have a phone?

[Nick Gillotti]

Wow, my suggestion would be to leave your school and find a new one. There is absolutely no reason why a cellphone should be used in an educational setting PERIOD! The is not a single teacher who shouldn't be able to answer every single question a student has to ask, not tell them to look it up on their phones. Plus there is textbooks, libraries. Using a phone is taking the easy way out. Sure it can be more convenient sometimes, but there is no need for convenience during school. My suggestion would be to speak to your school principal and make them aware of the fact that teacher are having students rely on cellphones during class (not to mention they are a huge distraction). This completely sickens me. You don't NEED a cellphone, no one does. As far as having a phone because your peers use them in class, I suggest you let that one go, its not worth your time, and your education and future will be better off because of it. When I was working on my Masters Degree, If a classmate were to get caught using a cellphone during lectures, they would have been immediately told to leave class, possibly missing important information.
Dealing with your parents is a different issue. In a sense they are correct, you are not quite at the age where a cellphone becomes necessary. If you really really want one, you can always save up and buy a prepaid phone. You can even buy iPhones with prepaid service now. I suggest you ask you parents when they think it is appropriate for you to have a phone, and maybe you can come to an agreement.
Lastly, don't forget what I said about talking to your principal. There is no reason whatsoever that phones should be used in class.