@Avram in MD
The physical needs of a teen are different than an adult. A teen doesn’t need to bank or shop. They don’t drive etc. For a teen it’s mostly entertainment. And so to say that a teen would say different about it being g necessity is kind of just denying the basic “metzias” of what it’s used for. It’s not a comparison between a teen and an adult.
I should say though that non smart phones but internet devices, such as a computer or iPad, while not a necessity, it’s still somewhat so the norm even for teens . And if you don’t provide a kosher outlet like 24/6 which tag banned, they will resort to you tube and goyisha videos. But that’s a different discussion than smartphones
Re your kosher phone idea, I need to be able to browse at times and I also need the convenience of going to an App Store and just downloading apps as needed. It’s so part of my life. The idea of a kosher phone with the apps that I need when I don’t know all the apps I need daily plus I he’d to browse and look up things, it’s just very Amish to me. Now you’ll say that for kedusha I should be moser nefesh and live with that inconvenience. Ok but then you are admitting that it’s a necessity and rather saying I should forgo a necessity.
A normal frum family will have at least two smartphones, a work laptop and family computer plus an iPad or some other device plus maybe a car etc . It’s just growing in size. I think a smartphone for parents is a basic necessity like a phone was when we grew up. Again I get that we should go above that but you are asking to forgo a basic standard in society that’s used for daily functions and not just for entertainment