Over 4,000 parents have united to prevent young children from owning smartphones due to concerns about online safety and the impact of social media on mental health.
The WhatsApp group Smartphone Free Childhood was established by Clare Fernyhough and Daisy Greenwell to address their concerns about children’s smartphone use and the trend of giving children smart devices when they start secondary school.
Fernyhough and Greenwell hope to encourage parents to delay giving their children smartphones until at least 14, with no social media access until 16.
The group quickly grew into a nationwide campaign after reaching its 1,000-person capacity within 24 hours of being promoted on Instagram by Greenwell.
Daisy Greenwell. Photograph: Alastair Bartlett/Tilt Shift Creative
The group has now grown to about 4,500 members and has been converted into a community to accommodate more people.
Smartphones expose children to inappropriate content, including pornography and self-harm and suicide-related material, which can negatively impact their mental health, according to Fernyhough.
Research by Ofcom found that 91% of children in the UK own a smartphone by the age of 11 and 44% by the age of nine.
The goal is to change the norm so that children collectively agree to delay smartphone ownership until at least the age of 14.
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