Does your teenager have any issues with cell phones screens?

[beergut]

The 15 Yr Old and 17 Yr Old both seem to have a magical ability to obliterate the screen of their cell phones. 

I think it is because they are both careless, because 15 Yr Old told me she broke hers when a v-ball teammate stepped on it on the gym floor. (Why was it on the gym floor? Carelessness.)

The 17 Yr Old recently replaced her broken screen, paying for it herself. Not a week later, I see her screen cracked and smashed. I asked if she just gets frustrated and slams it to the ground? She paid for another replacement screen.

Anyone else have teens who seem to crack their cell phone screen constantly? 

[Deleted]

What kind of cases do they have them in?

[swamp]

I cracked one screen.  I fell on my phone. 

I now now have an otter box. 

[teen persuasion]

DS4 dropped his iPod on concrete, and dented the corner cracking the screen.  He could still use it, and never opted to replace the screen.  Eventually he and DH upgraded when updates to the OS made them nearly unusable.  This time they both made sure to get cases for them.

[Deleted]

The 13 year old has had either an ipod touch or iphone for the past 3 or 4 years and only cracked one screen on the touch that had to be replaced.  He had only a decorative back cover case at the time, not a protective one.  Ever since then he's either had an Otterbox or a LifeProof case and so far so good.

[swamp]

Aug 18, 2015 20:56:07 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

Not so far, but we all have droids instead of iPhones. The screens seem less prone to breakage.

I've never kept my phone in a case because I carry it in my front pocket and don't want the extra bulk. Never cracked a screen. *knocks on wood*

The one I cracked was a droid.  But I smacked it good. I slipped on water in the bathroom.  I had the phone in my hand.  Fell forward. Landed on the phone on the hardwood floor. 

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

:! Ouch!!!


Get an Otterbox AND a tempered glass screen protector.  Worth every cent. 

[milee]

Dh and I have each cracked one. The phones live a pretty rough life, so I'm surprised it's only been the one each.

Each time, our oldest son has been able to replace the screen for us - just ordered a $35 part off the internet. But that was a few iPhone versions ago and I'm not sure that will continue to be doable with the newer models because he could also do that with iPads for a while but the most recent versions seem to have a different type of attachment that makes replacing the screen more delicate and involving solvents rather than just mechanics.

[suesinfl]

Yep, DD cracked her screen because she left it on the bench in the softball locker room and "someone knocked it of the bench" and then it was damaged even more at volleyball workouts. Totally quit working. She had a total panic attack for about two hours, until someone let her borrow an older version than she had. It was hysterical to watch her not to be able to look at the damn thing every five seconds. She had to pay to get the phone fixed with no help from me. I found out that she dropped it in the gym the other day at volleyball practice, and told her I was not paying for it to be fix. It works fine, but the screen is cracked and the camera is not working....not my problem.

Son "accidently" threw his phone in someone's pool because a bee was buzzing around. He now has a cheap ($49 phone) from Walmart and is on  a pay as you go plan through Ting with strict limits. I'm not pay out the nose for them to be irresponsible with their phones.

There phones are not my problem when it comes to being responsible. They don't have access to their phones then their freedoms are limited. Although that is hard when they are soon to be 18 and 13.

ETA *Their phones... 

Although I'm sure that there are many other grammar/spelling errors.

[thyme4change]

I dropped my old droid 100 times, and in many different ways - on its side, the corner, flat up, flat down, etc.  Not a problem.  My daughter took her iPhone out of the case and dropped it from her hand onto the kitchen counter and cracked the glass.  Even with the regular case, the iPhones are more likely to stay safe.  Otter boxes - even better.  

We are on our 3rd screen on our iPad, and it is also cracked.  I hate that thing.  

[bobosensei]

I accidentally dropped DHs iphone down the side of a mountain.  We went to a concert at a castle and I didnt know the seating was open underneath.  It must have fallen 100 feet in a purse with keys and an umbrella.  I was sure it would be totally broken, but not a scratch.  DH used to drop it on concrete all the time in parking lots and no issues.  I had a friend that shattered her screen when the phone fell two feet onto carpet.

[giramomma]

We don't have teens. But, we've had an ipad and a kindle fire for two years now, with not-protective cases and haven't had any issues. My DD2 (who is three, and been using the ipad since she was 1) isn't always what we call "gentle", and we've not had any issues yet.

I had an iTouch for 4 years. The power cord broke off inside of it at the end of it's life, but the screen was fine...And again, that was also with my DS using that as well, and no protection.

[alabamagal]

My kids (young adults now) have had phones for 10 years now and maybe only 2 issues in all that time.

Once they got expensive smart phones I always had an old flip phone on hand to use if a smart phone was damaged before its upgrade. DA and DD both had to use for a while. We called it the "phone of shame". Ohh the horror for a college student to have a flip phone!

Many years ago when we all had flip phones one of DS actually went through two full cycles in the washing machine and still worked.

[beergut]

They don't use phone covers, they claim they won't fit in their back pockets if they have a cover on. 

The 17 Yr Old did buy a cover, though, once she had to pay to fix the screen. Funny how that works. 

[obelisk]

My teenager does not have a problem since it was instilled in an early age that she is responsible for "lost" and "breakage".
I have not had to deal with this nor do I care.  That is why there is savings and there is always jobs to be found when the "need" arises.

[souldoubt]

My GF's niece has broken her screen a few times.  Now that she has to pay to get it repaired herself it seems to happen less frequently.

[wvugurl26]

Aug 19, 2015 10:28:13 GMT -5 beergut said:

They don't use phone covers, they claim they won't fit in their back pockets if they have a cover on. 

The 17 Yr Old did buy a cover, though, once she had to pay to fix the screen. Funny how that works. 

Every one I know who didn't like cases, end up cracking the screen. Otterboxes work!!

[steph08]

DH cracked the screen on his Droid on the day the contract ended - funny how that works!   He dropped it onto the driveway and it must have hit a stone the wrong way because you could see where it shattered.

But since then he had a Droid Razr, no cracks, and has an S5 right now that is fine. I've had a Droid and iPhone 4s with no cracks.

[Chocolate Lover]

Aug 19, 2015 10:28:13 GMT -5 beergut said:

They don't use phone covers, they claim they won't fit in their back pockets if they have a cover on. 

The 17 Yr Old did buy a cover, though, once she had to pay to fix the screen. Funny how that works. 

  Funny. My 13 yo DD keeps her Android phone and iPod, both in cases, in the same back pocket. She's saving for an iPhone and will have it in a case.

The only people in my house who have cracked screens are DH and myself. He cracked his Kindle screen (dropped it on a step down on our old tile floor, non protective case). It still works fine. My phone has a crack that I made worse by sitting down on that same tile floor with it in my back pocket. (See what cleaning gets you??)  I'm still using the phone but it is getting harder to use. Some spots are unresponsive to touch now. 

[Deleted]

My son always wears cargo pants/shorts and they have big pockets.  He's usually lugging around a separate battery pack and cable too because OMG, how horrible would it be if his phone went dead?!

[beergut]

Aug 19, 2015 11:42:17 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

My son always wears cargo pants/shorts and they have big pockets.  He's usually lugging around a separate battery pack and cable too because OMG, how horrible would it be if his phone went dead?!

The struggle is real 

[bean29]

DD +IPhone+support plan (necessity). I think every phone she has ever had has had issues that required replacement, and she has cracked several screens b/c she also has an aversion to cases. I paid 1/2 of the last one she broke. I am a pushover. I go nuts when I can't get ahold of my kids, so I like them to have a working phone.

DH has "lost" 2 phones and cracked one or two screens too, He didn't want a support plan on his phone, but I added it based on DD's history. He did end up getting his phone replaced due to something other than a cracked screen - so he shut up about it.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Neither of DDs have done any damage to their phones severe enough to need repairs.

DD#1 (17) has had her iPhone 4s for 2.5 years.Of that 2.5 years, the phone has been confiscated for probably six months total.

 DD#2 (13) has had her iPhone 4 for two years. She has broken her "off" button, and she has had to put a widget on her screen so she can turn off the screen or turn off the phone. That's only been in the last two months. 

Both girls are required to have covers and screens. I don't pay for the expensive screens (although I do for mine), but I do pay for otterboxes. 

[debthaven]

Once my kids turn 18 they are responsible for their phones (we may still pay their phone bill but that way we I don't have to deal with the phone company for them since the phone is in their name and not mine). After losing my brand new 4S / having it stolen (not sure) and replacing it at full price, we now pay for insurance for DS3's phone too, since he's the first and last kid with an iphone (a 4S) on our dime.  

When DS3 (17 now) got his 4S last year I offered to buy him an otterbox. He said no. A few months later he broke the screen (I don't remember how). Since the phone was insured, the screen was replaced free of charge. But I was furious at having to spend time on the phone dealing with the insurance company, plus the time to send the phone off to be repaired, more time to pick it up, etc. All of which could have easily been avoided with a good case. 

After DS3's phone was repaired, I again offered him an otterbox. Again, DS3 said no (although he did replace his case with a slightly better one, but not a good one). 

Boom. Crack. Again!!! Maybe 2 months later?!

DS3 knew better than to ask me to go through that whole rigamarole again. The phone still works fine. When he turns 18, I will again take the time to go to the phone company and get the phone put in his name so I don't have to deal with it, as I always do when one of my kids turns 18.

It's weird though ... DS3 is INCREDIBLY careful and responsible, and he generally takes excellent care of his things.  

When I got my iphone, I bought an otterbox before I even left the store!!! So I really really don't get it, how these kids prefer these cute "cases" that don't protect the phones for shite. 

ETA: Thinking about it, DH and my other kids don't even use any cases!!! DS2 has cracked his a bunch of times but he has insurance and he's 27 so I don't have to deal with it, he does.  We were just on vacation with my sister, who bought a 6 before she left for the quality of the camera. She has an otterbox too ... I guess we are both our parents' daughters lol. 

[tractor]

I bought both my sons otter boxes for their I-phones. One uses it, one doesn't. Surprisingly after four years, neither has broken a screen yet, although on the older sons phone, the screen is peeling off, possibly due to being left in a hot car? Still works fine, but is due for an upgrade next month and will be replaced. I have an otter box for my work phone and have dropped it many times, no issues so far.

[bean29]

We went to an outdoor festival with friends who have a 3 year old and a 5 year old. Both of them had Craked phones. I guess they let their kids play with them.

I have a friend from HS who is having I-phone issues right now...it is not the screen, it is something else.  Amazing how dependent we have become on our "Electronic Distractions".