Kicking and screaming (sort of), among the last of the holdouts, we bought the boy a smartphone.  

Some of his friends were getting iPhones, or the Android equivalent, as early as fourth grade. When that started happening, I made a declaration that my son would not have phone until the eighth grade. Or maybe I said he had to be 13. I probably went back and forth between the two. 

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Ben Fields is the Gazette-Mail opinion editor. Reach him at ben.fields@hdmediallc.com or call 304-348-5129. Follow @benfields5.bsky.social on Bluesky.