Parents have been put in an impossible position.

Either we give our children access to something that opens the door to porn, bullying, grooming and the anxiety machine that is social media, or we risk alienating them from their peers.

The way to solve this is with collective action.

Regulation hasn’t caught up with the technology, so it’s parents and children that lose out.

We started Smartphone Free Childhood to give power back to parents, and to kickstart the change society needs.

We’ve learned over time to restrict alcohol and smoking to certain age groups. Smartphones have been with us for barely 15 years, and now we know their effect, we need to act.

The Four Norms

Jonathan Haidt has called for a collective swing towards four new norms, that he believes would provide a foundation upon which a healthier kind of childhood could be forged for the digital age:

1. Delay smartphones until high school.

2. Delay social media until 16.

3. Phone-free schools.

4. More independence, free play and responsibility in the real world.

Parents

Here are some ways parents can take action and spread the word:

• Talk about this with other parents. Here's a guide to help you start the conversation.

• Join the Smartphone-Free Childhood SA Whatsapp Community to explore ways to delay giving smartphones to kids until high school, delay social media until 16, get phones out of schools, and encourage more independence, play and responsibility for our kids in the real world.

• Join or set up your School SFC whatsapp group under the Smartphone-Free Childhood SA Whatsapp community. Adjust the admin and privacy settings to your needs. Please ensure you use the Group Description and SFC logo.

• Invite parents within your school community to join your School SFC Whatsapp group and share information, news and updates in a supportive and non-judgemental space.

• Talk to the head of your school about sending out a survey to parents, hosting a talk, or setting up a stand to inform other parents of the SmartPhone Free Childhood movement.

• Explore a Smartphone Free Childhood Parent Pact within your school community.

• ⁠Talk to the head of your school about ways in which the school could support a smartphone-free academic day.

• Sign the petition to the Minister of Basic Education for smartphone-free South African schools.

Schools

Here are some ways schools can take action and spread the word:

• Join the Smartphone-Free Childhood SA Whatsapp Community to explore ways to delay giving smartphones to kids until high school, delay social media until 16, get phones out of schools, and encourage more independence, play and responsibility for our kids in the real world.

• Join or set up your School SFC Whatsapp group under the Smartphone-Free Childhood SA Whatsapp Community.

• Invite parents within your school community to join your School SFC Whatsapp group and share information, news and updates in a supportive and non-judgemental space.

• Send out a survey to parents, host a talk, or set up a stand to inform parents of the SmartPhone Free Childhood movement.

• Explore the initiation of a Smartphone Free Childhood Parent Pact within your school community.

• Support the petition to the Minister of Basic Education for smartphone-free South African schools.

• Explore ways in which the school could move to a smartphone-free academic day (see this guide from the UK Phone-Free Schools Movement) and review school policy and procedures in this regard.