This is a national pledge that empowers parents to rally together to delay giving 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. Ten years old is the average age children get their first smartphone. We can change this as a community and directly improve the mental health of our children and families.
More than 60,000 parents in all 50 states have said yes to waiting on smartphones for their children.
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.
The first step to start the pledge at our school is to take the pledge. Any parent can start or join the pledge at any time. All you have to do is sign here, and Wait Until 8th will organize your pledge by our school.
By signing the online pledge, you promise not to give your child a smartphone until at least the end of 8th grade as long as at least 10 families total from your child’s grade and school pledge.
After you sign the pledge, you will receive a welcome email from Wait Until 8th.
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 are on the fence, we 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.
Let's give our kids the childhood they deserve!