Mother gives her son an iPhone, and set 18 rules

So this is apparently news worthy these days and I've seen it on a ton of websites.
A mom gave her 13 old son an iPhone as a Christmas present and he had to agree to a contract with 18 bullet points.
Here is a link to a "news" article on abc NEWS.
Here is the list of rules he has to obey and what I think of them.

>1. It is my phone. I bought it. I pay for it. I am loaning it to you. Aren't I the greatest?

Wow what an asshole. That last part is just there to boost the mom's ego, and make sure the son looks up to her. To ask her son "aren't I the greatest" is extremely low.

>2. I will always know the password.

Fair enough. I can see why she'd want that.

>3. If it rings, answer it. It is a phone. Say hello, use your manners. Do not ever ignore a phone call if the screen reads "Mom" or "Dad." Not ever.

I understand the mom and dad part, but not the first part. What if he can't answer at that moment or simply don't want to talk to the person? Is it rude to not answer? Yes a bit, but so is forcing someone to do something against their will.

>4. Hand the phone to one of your parents promptly at 7:30 pm every school night and every weekend night at 9:00 pm It will be shut off for the night and turned on again at 7:30 am. If you would not make a call to someone's land line, wherein their parents may answer first, then do not call or text. Listen to those instincts and respect other families like we would like to be respected.

I don't really see the reason for the first part. Is it so that he does not use it to fap or something? The second part is OK I guess.

>5. It does not go to school with you. Have a conversation with the people you text in person. It's a life skill. *Half days, field trips and after school activities will require special consideration.

I don't quite get why he even "got" a phone in the first place if he is not allowed to use it when he is away from home. Isn't that what mobile phone is all about? This rule just seems stupid and defeats the purpose of a mobile phone.

>6. If it falls into the toilet, smashes on the ground, or vanishes into thin air, you are responsible for the replacement costs or repairs. Mow a lawn, babysit, stash some birthday money. It will happen, you should be prepared.

So basically, it’s not his phone? So he didn't actually get the phone as a present, he got the privilege to sometimes use your phone? Also, what’s up with the last part? She is basically saying "oh you will fuck up, and I'll make you pay when you do". It just seems mean and unnecessary.

>7. Do not use this technology to lie, fool, or deceive another human being. Do not involve yourself in conversations that are hurtful to others. Be a good friend first or stay the hell out of the crossfire.

>9. Do not text, email, or say anything to someone that you would not say out loud with their parents in the room. Censor yourself.

These two are OK and reasonable.

10. No porn. Search the web for information you would openly share with me. If you have a question about anything, ask a person -- preferably me or your father.

Ahaha good one. First of all, he can just use private browsing, or simply delete his browser history. Also, kids at that age want to look at porn and you can't really stop it. I know I did, and nothing stopped me. The second part is just strange. So he is not allowed to seek information on his own? Believe it or not, but his mom and dad do not know more than the Internet does. I am getting the vibe that if this kid asks her something he needs to know, like "mom how long does it take the light from the sun to reach the earth?" she's just going to make a number up to seem smart, even if she has no idea. Maybe I am wrong, but she seems like the type who wants to look like the best and smartest person in the world.

>11. Turn it off, silence it, put it away in public. Especially in a restaurant, at the movies, or while speaking with another human being. You are not a rude person; do not allow the iPhone to change that.

Wait, it's rude to not put it on silence when you talk to another person? I'd think it’s more rude to always take out your phone for a few seconds as soon as someone tries to talk to you. Besides, it's very unpractical. Yes turn the sound off at the movies and other places where it might annoy people, but you do not need to turn it off as soon as someone might hear you IMO.

>12. Do not send or receive pictures of your private parts or anyone else's private parts. Don't laugh. Someday you will be tempted to do this despite your high intelligence. It is risky and could ruin your teenage/college/adult life. It is always a bad idea. Cyberspace is vast and more powerful than you. And it is hard to make anything of this magnitude disappear - including a bad reputation.

Good advice. Nothing wrong with this rule.

>13. Don't take a zillion pictures and videos. There is no need to document everything. Live your experiences. They will be stored in your memory for eternity.

I agree with the first part, taking a zillion pictures is stupid. That comment at the end is false though, and she most likely only placed it there to sound like she’s philosophical and intelligent. A photo can be a much better memory than a simple memory on a lot of occasions.

>14. Leave your phone home sometimes and feel safe and secure in that decision. It is not alive or an extension of you. Learn to live without it. Be bigger and more powerful than FOMO (fear of missing out).

I kind of agree, but I don't see anything wrong with having an "extension of you". We humans already depend on a huge number of technology objects to survive. You wouldn't tell a person with glasses "leave them home once in a while. Don't let it become an extension of you", right? Yes this is kind of a strawman argument but I just wanted to point out that becoming dependent on some technology is not really bad, and we do it all the time.

>15. Download music that is new or classic or different than the millions of your peers that listen to the same exact stuff. Your generation has access to music like never before in history. Take advantage of that gift. Expand your horizons.

This one I didn't even understand at first. I think she means that he is not allowed to listen to the same music as his friends, which makes no sense to me. Why not? Are you trying to force him to listen to music he might not like, and forcing him to not listen to music that he does like? Just let the kid listen to the stuff he wants.

>16. Play a game with words or puzzles or brain teasers every now and then.

Fair enough.

> 17. Keep your eyes up. See the world happening around you. Stare out a window. Listen to the birds. Take a walk. Talk to a stranger. Wonder without googling.

Again, more "look at me being so philosophical" bullshit. Also, why "wonder without googling"? Are you telling him that if he has a question, he should just think about it instead of actually looking up the answer? Why? The Internet is such a wonderful thing for gathering information and you should encourage your child to gather information. If you got a question, find the answer for it! It is possible to find the answer to almost any question on the Internet.

>18. You will mess up. I will take away your phone. We will sit down and talk about it. We will start over again. You and I, we are always learning. I am on your team. We are in this together.

I'd just like to point out that you can't take *his* phone, because like we established before, he does not own it. It is your phone.