Childhood First: Our Parent Smartphone/Social Media Pact

A campaign from Clarence NY

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Together, we're changing what's normal

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Recent supporters:
Parent signed 12 months ago
Parent signed over 1 year ago

Why This Matters

As our children move into late elementary and (sooner than we may be ready for), middle school, the desire and pressure for smart phones and social media is going to exponentially increase. Research and real-life experience show that social media and smart phone expose kids to a wide variety of harms including anxiety, depression, cyber bullying, low self-esteem. And that delaying smartphones and social media until kids have gained greater emotional maturity improves focus and sleep, gives kids more time for creativity, and fosters real-world friendships. It is not about being anti-technology, but more about being pro-childhood.

 
If you are in agreement of these concerns and the recognition that childhood is too short and too precious to hand over to screens too early, please consider the thoughts below to commit to working together to delay our children's use of smartphones and social media until high school. 

Our pact:

Delay smartphones until at least High School Our kids may use basic phones (talk & text only) or limited-function devices if needed.
Delay social media until at least High School We'll actively avoid platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, etc., until our children are emotionally ready.
Support each other We'll talk openly with other families and share concerns, ideas, and resources. We won't pressure or shame any family—we're all doing the best we can.
Create a healthy tech culture We'll encourage no-phone playdates, screen-free sleepovers, and real-world fun. We'll support our schools in reducing personal device use during the day.
Model balanced tech use ourselves We commit to being mindful of our own tech habits and modeling what we hope to see in our kids.
Why This Matters We're not anti-technology—we're pro-childhood. Research and real-life experience show that delaying smartphones and social media improves focus and sleep, gives kids more time for creativity, reduces anxiety & depression, and fosters real-world friendships.
Together, we are stronger. This pact is not about perfection—it's about progress and community.

Recent Supporters

  • Parent

    Signed in Clarence Center, NY

    12 months ago

  • Parent

    Signed in Clarence Center, NY

    over 1 year ago
2 supporters have signed this campaign

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