Dear friends,
I just signed the Wait Until 8th pledge to delay giving my kids smartphones. The Wait Until 8th pledge empowers parents to rally together to delay giving children a smartphone until at least the end of 8th grade. By banding together, this will decrease the pressure felt by kids and parents alike over the kids having a smartphone. There are so many reasons to wait.
Many parents say “yes” to the smartphone early because so many other families have said “yes.” What if we said “not yet” together though? What difference would it make if our kids had a few more years smartphone free?
Please note that this pledge is for smartphones only. If you would like your child to have a basic phone that just calls and texts, you still can sign the pledge! The basic phone avoids many of the distractions and potential dangers of the smartphone. There are several basic phones here.
A pledge becomes “active” once 10 or more families from a grade at a school sign. The organizers designed the pledge this way so you don’t have to fear “what if I am the only parent that signs this in my kid’s grade.” This takes the pressure off because the pledge only kicks in once at least 10 families sign from your grade.
More than 50,000 families from all 50 states have said yes to waiting for the smartphone. Plus, many parents have signed from our school. Will you join us?
To learn more and sign the pledge, please visit www.waituntil8th.org or check out Wait Until 8th’s Instagram account.
If you’re into it, join me, sign the pledge and forward this email on to other parents! If you’re not interested, no worries at all. I totally understand. If you are on the fence, I encourage you to read the recent article from the Atlantic Monthly, End the Phone-Based Childhood Now or check out the book it was based on.
Thank you for your time!
Megan Cannon (parent of Rhame (3rd) and Reynolds (K-5)
