Embedded Files
Resources
Resources
Adolescent mobile phone use Literature Review.pdf
FAQs by parents
FAQs by parents
What is a Wise Phone?
What is a Wise Phone?
The Wise Phone is a locked down, age-appropriate smartphone with all the valuable features your daughter needs but none of the distractions or harmful apps and content that are inappropriate for her developing young mind. The phone's features are managed by the College and your daughter will be given access to safe and helpful features based on her age.
Why is Pymble gifting students a Wise Phone?
Why is Pymble gifting students a Wise Phone?
We understand that mobile phones play an important role in keeping families connected with their children. However, the negative impact of social media and smartphone addiction on young people is well supported by research. As a school, we believe we are in a unique position to help our students and their families address this issue by providing a solution that promotes responsible and appropriate use of this technology and allows our students to develop positive relationships, play and socialise in real life.
Will every student in her year group really use this phone?
Will every student in her year group really use this phone?
The success of this initiative comes down to collective committment. As a College, we have committed to supplying, funding and managing a safer smartphone for students in Years 4 to 8. As a parent, you have a unique chance to choose to back this initiative and affect positive change for your daughter, her cohort and our wider community. If we all commit to the Wise Phone as the only option for Pymble students in these year groups then, yes, every student will use it and delay having access to social media on their phones until they are old enough to view and engage in the content safely and appropriately.
I'm nervous this decision will upset my daughter. What should I do?
I'm nervous this decision will upset my daughter. What should I do?
It’s natural to feel anxious, especially when it involves something as important as your daughter’s connection to her social world. Framing the Wise Phone as a tool for empowerment that everyone else will be using, rather than a restriction, could help your conversations. You can highlight that the phone will still allow her to stay connected with friends, in a healthier, more balanced, and inclusive way.
What if she is finding other ways to access social media?
What if she is finding other ways to access social media?
We realise some students may try to access social media on other devices at home. As part of our digital citizenship education, we encourage families to maintain open discussions about responsible technology use and the importance of trust. We also suggest setting clear boundaries for access to other devices, including home computers or tablets. An easy win is to ban tablets and laptops in the bedroom, and set time limits for recreational use in an open area of your home. Ultimately, fostering a relationship of trust and communication will help your daughter understand why these boundaries are important for her wellbeing.
We promised our daughter an iPhone for Christmas. How can we go back on that?
We promised our daughter an iPhone for Christmas. How can we go back on that?
Often in life, the most difficult decisions we make are the ones that reap the greatest benefit. In this case, your daughter's wellbeing is the priceless benefit. You might like to explain to her that the Wise Phone is a temporary step to help her grow into using technology wisely. This phone will still allow her to stay connected with family and friends, but in a way that protects her from some of the distractions, pressures and negative aspects of social media and other apps. Remind her that, when the time is right, she’ll have the option to use an iPhone responsibly, along with the rest of her cohort.
What can I do if my child already has a smartphone?
What can I do if my child already has a smartphone?
We understand that some students may already have a smartphone. We ask that you swap your daughter's existing phone for our new Wise Phone to create an even playing field for all students in her cohort. You can then box and keep her smartphone for a couple of years, use JB Hifi's trade in service to swap it for store credit, or find a new home for it by selling or gifting it to an appropriate older person.
When do students get access to social media on the Wise Phone?
When do students get access to social media on the Wise Phone?
We firmly believe the research that says students should not have access to social media until they are 16. You can find more thoughtful insights on this decision at sites like Wait Mate and The Better Phone Project.
Social media apps will not be available on the Wise Phone until the student is in Year 10. At this stage, she can unenrol from the Pymble Wise Phone Program and have full management of her device, including wisely installing appropriate apps of her choice.
I don't want my child to have a phone yet. Can we wait?
I don't want my child to have a phone yet. Can we wait?
Yes, you can delay giving her a Wise Phone until you think she is ready. We suggest you take and keep the Wise Phone now so you have it on hand for that time.
My daughter is not ready for a phone, but she has a smart watch. Can she wear it to school?
My daughter is not ready for a phone, but she has a smart watch. Can she wear it to school?
Smart watches will not be allowed in the Junior School from 2025. Most parents tell us they chose this solution to track their daughter and communicate with them without giving them a full smartphone, however we are aware that students can also access social media on their smart watch. We strongly recommend swapping your daughter's smart watch to a Pymble Wise Phone to achieve the same outcome but with greater safety and control.
How many families have joined the Pymble Wise Phone movement?
How many families have joined the Pymble Wise Phone movement?
When we launched the new Wise Phone movement to incoming Year 7 2025 parents in late 2024, the feedback was so overwhelmingly positive that we moved from an 'opt in' to an 'opt out' model. We also decided to offer it to all students in Years 4 to 6 (2025). We have every confidence all students and families in these year groups will unanimously join the Pymble Wise Phone Party and become trailblazers for a better online world for our girls.
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