As evidence mounts about the dangers of smartphone use, the number of parents refusing to give their children these devices is growing.
Study after study has detailed just how bad smartphones are for children. An overwhelming majority of students are distracted from their studies by gaming and social media, according to a recent study. While another recent study, reported on by The Dallas Express, found that roughly three-quarters of teens feel “peaceful” (72%) or “happy” (74%) when they do not have access to a smartphone. Last year, researchers in Turkey uncovered evidence suggesting that the blue light emitted from electronic devices can trigger early puberty. And then, there are issues such as cyberbullying and internet safety that come along with the use of such devices.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy recently urged Congress to mandate warning labels on social media platforms similar to those found on cigarette packs, while a recent JAMA study recommended severely decreasing children’s screen time.
CNBC reports on a grassroots movement keeping children smartphone-free and challenging “Big Tech’s colonization of childhood.” Here’s the start of the story:
LONDON — The evidence linking smartphone use with mental health harms in children is growing and one grassroots organization in the U.K. is supporting parents who are refraining from giving their kids the devices.
Smartphone Free Childhood, founded by Daisy Greenwell and Clare Fernyhough in February, set up various group chats for parents locally across the U.K. and grew to over 60,000 members in a few weeks, according to its website.
Interest in the movement is driven by concerns about the normalization of children with smartphones. By the age of 12, 97% of children in the U.K. have a mobile phone, according to Ofcom, a government-approved regulator for the use of communication services in the U.K.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., 42% of children had a smartphone by the age of 10, climbing to 91% by the age of 14, according to a 2021 report by Common Sense which surveyed 1,306 young people in the U.S. between the ages of eight to 18.
Parents are giving their children smartphones in an increasingly online world for various reasons including entertainment purposes, to keep track of their location, and to stay in touch with them when they leave the home. However, studies and experts highlight this is opening up the door to social media and possible mental health harms.