Any groups of parents delaying smartphones together?

[SamianaJones]

Has anyone tried connecting with other parents locally to delay smartphones together? The idea is to stop kids without smartphones from being left out.

We don't want our kids, 7 and 9, to have smartphones until they are older, maybe about 14. We feel its too much responsibility with too many risks like inappropriate content, cyber-bullying, social anxiety, app addiction, profiling, data rights, grooming, you name it. So, they have a basic phone with no wifi and with a calls and texts only SIM for safety if they go out. But we are worried as more of their friends get smartphones and social media they will be left out.

I'm sure we aren't alone. There must be other parents in our community whose kids will be joining ours in secondary school. If we could get connected then we could delay smartphones together and know that our children wont be the only ones without them. But how can I reach them? I asked the schools and the Parent Council/PTA if they could send an email to other parents about it but they couldn't help. This seems to have worked in America. Has anyone here tried to do this?
Any ideas for how parents can get in touch with other parents locally who want to delay smartphones together? Do you think its a good idea?

We held out until dd was in secondary school but she did feel very left out. The only benefit is that she is still not in any of the more problematic ones like TikTok, instagram, Snapchat etc but she is on YouTube and X too much for my liking and bloody BeReal.

It's hard to gauge the gains but it cannot be good for the young to be so immersed in these screens.

My ds told me the other day how many messages his tiny cousin had sent on Snapchat and I was horrified.

It is a mass experiment.

I am interested to hear more about the benefits for the schools which ban phones all day. What a great thing for a school to do.

We found that ds's school (he's 23) was completely captured by the wonders of technology and contributed to the early adoption of smart phones - I felt it was absolutely inane of then at the time but if wave at a school.....

Sorry, if you wave technology and money at a school is what I meant

@SamianaJones

"To add... You're suggesting parents have their kids inside with them without a phone, or else supervise them when outside at all times. This just isn't even possible for working parents. How can you keep your kids entertained while working. Otherwise its constant childcare which is unaffordable for many. No wonder so many kids have phones or are addicted to gaming."

What on earth are you talking about. Of course it is possible for working parents to ensure that their children are supervised. Yes you either pay for childcare, enlist the help of family and friends or I know many parents who work from home during the holidays with their children in the house with them. None of this involves their 7 and 9 year old kids leaving the house unsupervised or requires them to have a phone.
You have some very strange ideas on bringing up children. I'd stop worrying about phone usage and start concerning yourself with the safety of allowing your primary school aged children to be wondering the streets without parental supervision.

Totally disagree. Going outside and learning to be independent and teking risks in the real world is the best thing for them. You must not be aware of what is going on online. I'm far more concerned about them going online than I am about them going out. You are right though that it is possible to raise kids without either a phone or sending them out. We do it. I just think its not the easiest path and many parents opt for smartphones because they are too paranoid about the outside world and it shuts the kids up. Why else give them smartphones? They dont need them.

Children don't need a smartphone in order to "be entertained" while their parents are working!
And as PP said, if you are worried about your child needing to phone for help when out and about they really don't need a smartphone.

Although in my opinion a child who goes out without any phone is far more independent than a child with a phone .

Yes. We are in agreement but crossed wires i think. Sorry my post was a bit garbled.

I think it’s a great idea and I would join you if I was same area and age group! I’ve just read ‘The anxious generation’ and it’s shocking. Totally put me off allowing ds to have a smart phone until much older. I think 14 is reasonable ish but tbh based on what I’ve read in the book from the research, it’s still potentially very damaging even at 14.. the jist is that smartphones are damaging to all groups of children, young, tween and teen.

This is very interesting regarding smartphones for children. The author has recently written a book on the subject and there are many other of videos where he explains the connection between smartphones and anxiety in children.

Yes. We are in agreement but crossed wires i think. Sorry my post was a bit garbled.

Ok :-)