So I have a young teen entering 7th grade and so they’re about to receive their first phone. With that, it opens a lot of doors to all the big tech social media apps and privacy invasive services.

I’m not sure how to approach this. My parents probably want tracking features so it’ll probably be Find My or a 3rd party app like life360 depending on if we choose iphone or degoogled pixel.

Social media I’m not sure if fediverse stuff is the right path especially for lemmy, since it’s just tech nerd stuff and politics which isn’t interesting really unless they go out of their way to find smaller communities. Their friends will probably force them onto Instagram or some shit and I don’t really want them doomscolling on reels, that shit algorithm, and the malicious messaging app built in to it.

It’s just kinda hard trying to blend being a functional member of society and maintain your mental well being and privacy.

  • Undertaker@feddit.org
    91·
    5 days ago

    If privacy is your topic, iPhones are out.
    You could check /e/OS for example with Fairphone that includes parental control feature.
    Your parents do not matter in this context and it would be shameful to use such features.

    Avoid tracking apps and tracking in apps. Avoid big tech like Meta and use Signal instead. If your child is not willing to do without Tiktok, Insta and so on, you won’t prevent. You can only explain. Remember: Divice literacy is not media literacy

    • azalty@jlai.lu
      6·
      4 days ago

      iOS has a nice default set of privacy respecting apps. iOS isn’t perfect but it’s as close as you can get to having a usable phone while having some sort of privacy.

      Android always sends requests to Google. A de-googled phone with no Play Services is too limiting.

      • utopiah@lemmy.ml
        1·
        4 days ago

        Android always sends requests to Google.

        If you meant even deGoogled Androids (e.g. /e/OS as suggested here), not stock Android, then can you please send references on that?

        A de-googled phone with no Play Services is too limiting.

        Isn’t microG with alternative app stores sufficient for most people?

        • azalty@jlai.lu
          1·
          4 days ago

          I did not meant fully degoogled androids! Sorry for the confusion. But most people running custom ROMs add Google play support/emulation because most apps use it.

          As for microG, since I’m coming from GrapheneOS, I don’t know much about it. Might be a better solution

    • Auli@lemmy.caEnglish
      3·
      4 days ago

      Person is in seventh grade the fact their parents want to use parental controls isn’t that odd.

    • Delamcode@lemm.eeEnglish
      2·
      4 days ago

      Probably separating them with Shelter or similar is a good idea though? I’m not exactly sure how it works (unfortunately currently an iPhone user)