Sage iPhone for children review: ‘Would it make me want to divorce my parents?'
The prospect of not having access to any apps or the internet was just 'ugh'. Part of me wanted to scream at the thought of being cut off by this Sage phone. Would it make me want to divorce my parents?
I knew I was going to miss out. The Sage phone came loaded only with Google Maps, Spotify, Monzo, Uber, a calendar and the TfL Go transport app. None of that gave me much to do. There was messaging, but no one really uses messages and I can't remember the last time I made a phone call to a friend.
Let's start with the positives. Because the phone was so boring, I didn't want to use it, [I] put it down and chatted more with my family. I spent less time in my room and was more productive – I even wrote this piece!
The people at Sage said it could take a month to get used to the limitations, but I don't have that long to test it. I can already tell you that if you are a teenager you are going to feel disconnected from all of your friends and the rest of the world and that feels unfair. Having TikTok and Instagram is the way the world is wired now. If you take them away then it's quite hard to stay in the loop.
If I stayed with this phone I would also end up feeling left out when speaking in real life to my friends as this is where so many of our sayings and jokes come from.
Social media is the way we know what everyone is up to and without it I felt I would be left out of the goings-on. We know social media is distracting, but it's important to our social world now. During GCSEs some of my friends deleted apps, but they all ended up redownloading them within two days.
I'm not as worried about the harms as many adults are. I made some of my closest friends through playing Roblox during the Covid lockdown and that's not allowed on this phone. I wasn't addicted to it. It was just fun. I have lots of friends from other schools who I might not text or talk to for weeks at a time, but through Snap I can stay in contact with them, see what they are up to and exchange things like videos that keep our relationships going in a way that wouldn't happen with just phones. It has become a social glue and without it our networks might fall apart.
It's true that there are people who are negatively affected by exposure to TikTok accounts promoting a particular image of beauty. So this limited phone could prevent that and reduce the risk of people struggling with body image.
And if your parents insist on you having a 'dumb' phone, I think this could be an effective way to eliminate the shame of having a 'brick' phone. If you were out with your friends and people were checking their phones it would be really weird to pull out a Nokia or not get a phone out.
Overall, I understand the intentions and the appeal to parents, but unless everyone switched to Sage, I would miss out on too much.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
7 hours ago
- Telegraph
Bailey thwarts Reeves in row over Revolut
Andrew Bailey blocked an attempt by Rachel Reeves to set up a meeting between Britain's most valuable fintech company and City regulators. The Governor of the Bank of England intervened owing to concerns about Revolut's summit with the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), which was set up to discuss the fintech giant becoming a fully-fledged bank. The Chancellor tried to arrange the meeting as part of her attempts to persuade the $65bn (£56bn) UK-based company to list in London instead of New York. It comes after Nikolay Storonsky, Revolut's chief executive, criticised Britain's 'extremely bureaucratic regulator'. Mr Bailey's intervention, which led to the meeting being cancelled, came amid concerns that the Bank was at risk of political meddling, according to the Financial Times. Revolut is still attempting to become a full-service bank in the UK, a year after it was finally granted a provisional banking licence after a three-year wait. The clash comes after Mr Bailey has issued a series of vocal rebukes of the Chancellor's policies in recent weeks, including her pension reforms and deregulation drive. He openly opposed Ms Reeves's proposed 'backstop' power to mandate pension schemes to invest in British assets just days after the plans were unveiled, saying: 'I do not support mandating. I don't think that's appropriate.' While Mr Bailey was not going to attend the meeting with Revolut, it is understood that officials in the PRA, which is an arm of the Bank, were. Revolut was forced to wait three years for a limited licence after regulators raised questions about its accounts. Auditors had flagged concerns in 2021 after they were unable to verify roughly two thirds of the fintech's revenues. Officials at the Bank of England had initially told Treasury staff they intended to reject the licence application. However, negotiations subsequently resumed, with the Bank insisting on a clean set of accounts and simplified shareholder structure before granting the initial licence last July. Revolut is currently in the Bank's 'mobilisation' stage, which prevents it from holding more than £50,000 in deposits. Full authorisation – which would allow it to make loans and hold protected deposits – can take several months but is meant to take no more than a year. 'Regulators killing the City' Andrew Griffith, the shadow business secretary, who as City minister in the last Tory government clashed publicly with financial regulators, said he sympathised with Ms Reeves. He said: 'Anyone in business knows that culture beats strategy. 'It is the deep-seated culture of risk aversion by regulators which is killing the City. If this Revolut story is true, the Chancellor should use this to double down on regulatory reform.' Mr Bailey was asked by MPs last week if he agreed with the Chancellor's recent claim that regulation is 'the boot on the neck' of business. 'I do not use those terms,' he said. 'There are areas where we clearly should look at [revising regulations]. But we cannot compromise on basic financial stability, that would be my overall message.' Mr Bailey specifically warned Ms Reeves against relaxing so-called ring-fencing rules, which divide retail banking from the risky world of investment banking. The Chancellor last week announced the ring-fencing regime would be 'reformed' as part of her overhaul. She has instructed Emma Reynolds, the current City minister, to review the policies. However, Mr Bailey said: 'The ring-fencing regime is an important part of the structure of the banking system.' One Bank source said: 'If [Bailey] is not reminding people that financial stability is good, then who will?'
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
Pension provider announces major investment in South Wales heat pump network
Workplace pension provider Smart Pension has announced a £330 million investment in green energy projects, including a major ground source heat pump network in South Wales. The company has partnered with Octopus Energy and Kensa to deliver long-term value for its 1.5 million pension savers by supporting the rollout of clean energy infrastructure in the UK. The initial £330 million will go towards two funds managed by Octopus Energy's renewable arm, Octopus Energy Generation, to support firms such as Kensa, which makes ground source heat pump technology. Smart Pension has committed to allocating 5% of its flagship growth fund to renewable energy companies as part of efforts to accelerate the energy transition, where the country's planet-warming carbon emissions are reduced to net zero. This finance will contribute to the UK's first investor-funded ground source heat pump network in South Wales, delivered by Kensa. The project aims to provide affordable renewable heating and hot water to 114 new homes at Parc Eirin. More widely, it is hoped the project helps to position ground source heat pump networks as an investable low-carbon utility. As part of the investment, Smart Pension said its members will have access to a range of materials, case studies and carbon reporting to help them better understand how their pensions are making a difference both financially and environmentally. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: 'Our reforms are about unlocking investment to deliver higher returns for savers, drive growth and create good jobs. 'That's why I'm so excited about Smart Pension's investment in the UK's first commercially funded ground source heat pump network in South Wales, delivering returns, growth and jobs.' Andrew Evans, group chief executive and co-founder of Smart, said: 'As a leading workplace pension provider in the UK, we're always looking for innovative ways to grow our members' pensions and support the UK economy. 'This collaboration will help deliver strong, long-term returns for UK retirement savers, and also will support efforts to lower household bills and reduce emissions for homeowners. 'It's a great example of how UK tech businesses can come together to tackle important challenges, and create a positive impact.' Zoisa North-Bond, chief executive at Octopus Energy Generation, said: 'This partnership shows how pension savings can literally power the future — turning contributions into green electrons that heat homes, replace gas boilers and drive down energy bills. 'It brings everything full circle – the very money people are saving for retirement is helping to build the smarter, carbon-free energy system they'll rely on in years to come. 'By teaming up with Smart Pension and innovators like Kensa, we're proving that smart investment doesn't just deliver long-term returns, it creates real, tangible change for communities and speeds up the UK's journey to net zero.' Tamsin Lishman, chief executive at Kensa, said: 'As pioneers in ground source heat pump technology, we are proud of our role in delivering the switch to better, more affordable heating and hot water, powered by ultra-efficient ground source heat pumps designed and made here in the UK. 'The Parc Eirin investment demonstrates the transformative role private funding will play in helping both housebuilders and homeowners transition to effective, low-carbon heat – the critical next frontier in the UK for carbon reduction, which currently contributes around 13% of national greenhouse gas emissions.'
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
What every mobile phone user should know about malware
Mobile phone users are being urged to exercise caution due to a significant increase in Android malware designed to steal personal and financial information. Malicious apps are often downloaded through deceptive methods, including unexpected updates or requests to install seemingly legitimate tools like file managers or PDF readers. Once installed, these apps can employ sophisticated techniques such as overlaying fake login screens on banking apps or displaying 'busy' messages to mask fraudulent activity. A coalition of anti-fraud, cybersecurity, and finance organisations, including The Cyber Defence Alliance, UK Finance, Cifas, and ThreatFabric, has joined forces to address this surge. Users are advised to 'stop before you tap,' be vigilant about unusual permission requests, particularly accessibility access, and only download applications from trusted sources.
