this post was submitted on 13 Mar 2025
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So... kids don't need to catch an uber, check a bus schedule, see what's on at the local cinema,.etc?
The fact is that many services and information channels are now internet first and limiting access to the home seems like it would be a problem.
Edit: checking a bank balance is another one. With an increase in digital transactions and a decrease in available ATMs, having an tool to check your balance seems crucial.
14 year olds aren't allowed to take ubers by themselves in the first place. not sure how many 14 yo have banks in the UK, but in the US it's vanishingly small.
Im not in UK either but I thought Uber teens was being trialed there too. ( kids of 13 would be eligible). This would allow kids to travel with family linked uber accounts and while that sounds a little iffy it lets the parents see where and when a journey is taken in real time. Some might view that as safer than a bus.
But bank accounts? I opened a prepaid visa card for my 4yo when he started cashing in the recyclable containers we collected at our house. Checking the balance on payday or before a planned purchase has been part of his financial literacy. When he turned 8 real banks deemed him old enough for a keycard and we swapped to a proper transaction/savings combo at a proper bank.
And it wouldn't be nearly as much of a problem if parents weren't buying them for their children. Why do they need it to be a law?
To have something to point at when schools and hobbies and groups etc demand that you use WhatsApp or something on order to attend.