Thousands of Parents and Schools Sign Pledge to Delay Children’s Smartphone Use

A campaign to encourage parents to abstain from smartphone use for children is gaining momentum more than a year since it started.

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A grassroots movement encouraging parents to delay giving their children smartphones is taking off, with new statistics showing more than 10,500 pledges across 1,500 Australian schools.

Kicking off in July 2024, the Wait Mate program was modelled on the U.S. “Wait Until 8th” campaign, which encourages parents to wait until children are in Year 8 before giving children smartphones.