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

[loudpoison302]

I'm 13 and I only had a crappy phone when I was like ten but I didn't want a $10 phone so my parents got mad and never got me a phone again but it's been a while and whenever I ask they say I'm too young or something like that when really about 5 times a day I'm in desperate situation where I wish I had a cell phone to call someone, the teachers let us look up stuff on our phones, listen to music all the time, and take pics of the instructions if we didn't finish classwork and I have to put up with that everyday. I also have to put up with people always saying 'I'd die without my phone' 'I'd fail all my classes if I didn't have a phone' 'How did people live back then?' and I get teased a lot for not having a phone like 'gaaaaaayyyy' or 'haha loser' (this isn't bullying my friends tease me) and sometimes people don't believe me. I know I'm not a loser for not having a phone and I'm saving myself from being retarded like the majority of kids but it still pisses me off not the fact theres more smart phones than smart people but the fact that I desperately need and want one school is even becoming harder because the teachers just assume we all have a phone. I obviously have friends and I go out but am I a loser at ALL for not having a phone?
And this is the closest category I could find sorry if its kinda off

[Nuru]

No. You are definitely not a loser. Not having a phone does not make you a loser. Yes, phone has become one of the basic necessities but its not necessary to own a phone to prove yourself to others. Besides if you really need one and your parents aren't will to buy you new ones then you can always save some money yourself and get yourself a phone. If you do so then your parents will also realize that you have become responsible and will be more lenient next time you need something.

[Blah blah Blah]

Babe, I spent the 4 years of high school without a phone. Hell, I never felt like a loser because I knew I wasn't rich, my parents work every day to provide more *important* things and I didn't have a job. 4 years later, I graduated; I'm at college now. I have a phone now but I share with my siblings. Yeah, not all of us can get what we want and let me tell you something. What you think now is not what you'd think in the future. It's sad how kids nowadays depend too much on social media & technology. Forget about it, okay? Focus on your studies, become successful then buy your own phone with your own money. No, you're not a loser for not having 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.

[Autumn]

I dont have a phone im 13 to it does not make you a loser.

[Dina B]

What you said in your text "there's more phones than smart people" is definitely correct. I received my first decent Samsung phone when I was in Grade 12 aged 17 (I am turning 19 this year) and I am so glad my parents didn't give me a smart phone earlier. Look around you, at the train station, at school, at work, at uni, at home, at the movies, everywhere and people are just on their phone being brainwashed by social media websites like Facebook and Ask.fm, etc. Especially when you see people with their friends and the group or few of them aren't even talking and they're just texting other people off their phone. Technology really has ruined proper social interactions, which are so important for development and general well-being as well. Albert Einstein's wonderful quote “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots" and "it’s become appallingly clear that our technology has surpassed our humanity" is more relevant to today's society than ever, and it really says something about the society we live in.

Not only this, the social networking sites we use (as mentioned above) such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Ask.fm are just opportunities for cyber bullying and keyboard warriors to abuse innocent people. You are doing yourself a HUGE favour by not having a phone you really are and I'm proud to here you don't have one. My little sister is 14 and got a phone at the age of 12 got a phone, and her school results have just spiralled out of control, she's been cyber bullied, has gone through self harm, she behaves badly, and I can tell you right now that technology and the way people use it has played a HUUGGEEEE part in all of this.

If you really want one, think wisely. You sound like a smart person so I'm sure you'll make the right decision. Just be careful and watch out for these sites, use the internet wisely! And if your parents simply won't get you one, perhaps getting a job and buying one isn't too bad of an idea. That'll give you some good life lessons on saving money, something people struggle to do more than ever these days as well!

[chubbyshape955]

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

Well, to be honest, you are not loser for not having the phone, but wondering if you are a loser because you don`t have a phone, might make you a loser. However, because you are 13 and in the peer pressure, trying to fit in zone, it is understandable.

Most kids love their phones, but it is more about keeping in touch, gossiping, chatting, and feeling like a member of the group.

You seem to want a phone, so I suggest you get one. Here are my three best strategies:
1. Provide some evidence to your parents that phones are used as educational tools and that you are missing out because everyone- except this one kid that fails every test, has one. They might think you need one, but probably not.
2. Mention to everyone in your extended family that you don`t have a phone, and that you are allowed one, but just don`t have any money. If they upgrade, you would appreciate their old phone and would be happy to pay for it (if they make you pay for it, tell them they are no longer consdiered a member of your family).
3. Tell your parents you really want a phone, and that it would be useful for school, but you understand that it is not necessary, not cheap, but you really want one because it is hard to stay in touch with your friends, and you feel a bit left out because they communicate with each other but not you outside of school. Negotiate to "pay" for the phone through chores, and academic performance- also, requesting it as a birthday present helps. Find a used phone which you like, and that should reduce the price by about 50%.

So, something like this: I would really like a phone because... bla bla bla. Can I get one for my birthday? (that is your starting point). If they don`t want to pay the monthly bills then offer to do chores or a part-time job to pay/compensate them.

If all else fails, steal one from a black person. It is like in the movie, "pay it forward", but in reverse. ( That was a joke)

[Tayla]

No