Smartphone free childhood
From The Smartphone Free St Peter’s working group of parents
97% of 12-year-olds in Britain have a smartphone.
When children started getting them, there was no research about their impact. Now there is, and it’s overwhelming: smartphones expose children to harmful content, raise the likelihood of developing mental health issues and are highly addictive.
But parents and carers have been put in an impossible position: either we give our children access to something that opens the door to bullying, porn, grooming and the anxiety-machine that is social media, or we risk alienating them from their peers. (“But all my friends have phones!” – sound familiar?)
And let’s be very clear on two points:
- Everyone wants to do the best for their children, however we handle this particular challenge.
- It is ultimately the responsibility of tech companies and governments to make the internet and technology safe for our children.
But until tech companies and government make things safe, it’s up to parents and carers to do what is right for our children. Of course technology is part of the world now, and children need to learn how to use it, but young children aren’t equipped to have a healthy relationship with something so addictive.
So, we’re getting organised to take collective action. In the autumn term, we’ll launch a “Smartphone Free Pledge” at St Peter’s in which you can pledge to delay giving your child a smartphone until after primary school.
This pledge is informed by the survey we have circulated over the last few months and reflects the feelings and desires you shared there. 92% of responses were supportive of a Smartphone Free Pledge whilst our children are in primary school. (You can see the results of that survey attached.)
When parents and carers collectively sign the Smartphone Free Pledge, we create a supportive community that backs each other up. We’ll have the confidence to push back on the expectation that all of our kids’ friends are getting phones. By acting together, we can protect our children’s mental and physical health, development, safety, and overall well-being.
This isn’t a change that’s just happening in Budleigh Salterton. By joining the Smartphone Free Pledge at St. Peter’s, you’ll join a growing movement of parents, carers, and school communities across the country who all believe that childhood is too short to be spent on a smartphone. Find more information here: https://smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk/.
Perhaps the pledge isn’t quite right for you, your child, or your family. We know everyone is doing the best for their kids however you decide to handle smartphones. We hope we can still provide resources, information, and support to all of the St Peter’s community – those making the pledge or not – as our kids start to have online lives.
We will share some updates and insights on online safety via the school website and Mr Hitchcock’s newsletter before the end of term. Please join our St Peters Smartphone Free Childhood WhatsApp to chat with other parents about these issues and keep an eye out for more information regarding the pledge itself in the autumn term.
All the best,
The Smartphone Free St Peter’s working group
SEPTEMBER 2024 UPDATE
11 September 2024
The Smartphone Free St Peter’s pledge is live!
You can now sign the Smartphone Free Pledge at St. Peter’s, joining other school families who agree to delay giving our children a smartphone until after primary school.
We are using the existing Smartphone Free Childhood (SFC) Parent Pact platform, a valuable tool that helps us track pledges within our school, across Devon, and even nationally. By being part of this growing national movement, we’re working toward a culture shift around when children are given smartphones. Together, by adding our voices to this grassroots effort, we can challenge Big Tech and protect our kids from the addictive and harmful designs often found in smartphones.
You might notice that the SFC Parent Pack encourages families to delay giving smartphones to their children until at least the end of Year 9. However, based on feedback from our community, we decided that a pledge specific to delaying smartphones in primary school was the best fit for St. Peter’s. In fact, 92% of responses supported a Smartphone Free Pledge for primary school children, and 64% of respondents were also in favor of delaying until age 14.
So, please do add your name to our school pledge via the SFC Parent Pact site, but know that at St. Peter’s we’re pledging to delay during primary school. It’s also important to remember that the pledge is not legally binding, and families will have the chance each year to reconsider and re-confirm their commitment.
We also recognize that the pledge may not be the right fit for every family or child. We understand that everyone is doing what they believe is best for their children when it comes to smartphone use. Regardless of whether or not you make the pledge, we aim to provide resources, information, and support to all members of the St. Peter’s community as our children begin navigating their online lives.
Thank you,
Smartphone Free St. Peter’s Working Group