this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2024
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[–] doublejay1999@lemmy.world 42 points 7 months ago (3 children)

But how will they ever stop these children from just walking into a store and buying a £500 phone and signing their own service contracts ?

[–] bitwolf@lemmy.one 14 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Who says you need a contract. You can just get and activate a prepaid SIM.

[–] cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca 18 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Who says you even need cellular service? It's just a different type of radio signal, VoIP has existed for years. If you even need a phone number. Every app under the sun has a calling feature now, but most people don't use phone for calling anymore. Wifi is everywhere so cell signal is not as critical these days.

[–] bitwolf@lemmy.one 10 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

True! I used Skype on a PSP to talk to friends before I had a cell phone. They could more easily use a phone only with wifi.

[–] cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca 8 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Wow I had no idea Skype was on PSP.

[–] rottingleaf@lemmy.zip 3 points 7 months ago

There even was a camera for PSP specifically.

[–] EngineerGaming@feddit.nl 2 points 7 months ago

As a child, I was just not given home wi-fi password, and the cell plan effectively had no internet (to be fair, parents were on the same call-and-sms only plans as well). I definitely did not want internet bad enough to wander around in search of public wi-fi.

[–] Sorgan71@lemmy.world 11 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] uis@lemm.ee 1 points 7 months ago

School lunches

[–] bionicjoey@lemmy.ca 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

A law saying phone companies can't open a contract for a kid without a parent present?

[–] roofuskit@lemmy.world 11 points 7 months ago (2 children)

In most US states kids under 18 can't be held to a contract so nobody would give one to them anyway.

[–] angrystego@lemmy.world 8 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I think that's what doublejay1999 is talking about. Look out for the hidden /s.

[–] TheOSINTguy@sh.itjust.works 3 points 7 months ago

Even then, they can go to a dollar store and buy a sim card for super cheap.