Momentum is building across the country to delay smartphones and social media! In the past few weeks, more than 2,000 parents have signed the Wait Until 8th pledge. The pledge is flourishing in big cities, suburbs, small towns, public schools and private schools.
One example of the pledge thriving is at a school in Indiana where more than half of the parents are delaying the smartphone for their children. In this media story, Emily Meyer, a parent of three, shares "we have made kids grow up way too fast.”
It's why her family joined the Wait until 8th movement. Meyer and her husband had already agreed to wait in their own family, but they thought the pledge was a good idea to support and help spearhead at the school where their children attend.
"Strength in numbers, right? If my kid comes home and says, 'I'm the only one without a phone,' and may feel left out, that's hard to deal with," Meyer said. "It just helps things for everybody involved."
Meyer and other families said they want to keep kids a little longer and promote creativity and imagination, while protecting the elementary and middle school years from the distractions and the dangers of a smartphone.
We are hopeful more and more parents will consider delaying the smartphone. If you are struggling with this decision or know friends who are, I highly recommend reading a new book by Jonathan Haidt.
“The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness,” is about a trend we’ve all been watching with alarm: the effects of smartphones and social media on children.
In the book, Haidt explains why adolescent mental health collapsed at the same time and in the same way across so many countries in the early 2010s, and what we can do to reverse these alarming trends. Most parents – and even most members of Gen Z – don’t like the new phone-based childhood, yet somehow, we’re all stuck with it.
This is a must-read for anyone looking to understand how these trends emerged (in short: from best intentions), what their effects are on kids, and what practical steps we can take as parents, educators, organizations, government officials, and as a society to roll back the phone-based childhood.
Get your own copy today and start change in your community! Also, check out this parent guide for more resources.
Cheers,
Brooke
Founder of Wait Until 8th
Please consider delaying the smartphone for your child with the Wait Until 8th pledge and delaying social media until 16+. There are so many reasons to wait. Currently the average age a child receives a smartphone is 10 years old despite the many distractions and dangers that comes with this technology. Join more than 50,000 parents by signing the pledge today.
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