The Why

As concerned parents in St. Albert, we've been researching the negative impact that early exposure to smartphones and social media can have on children's mental health, academic success, and physical well-being. 

There are many risks that children are exposed to when given a smartphone and social media too young: a decline in mental health, sleep deprivation, social deprivation, attention fragmentation, addiction, early exposure to porn, and being cyber bullied or sexually extorted.

Governments are banning phones in classrooms (Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario) and school boards are suing the developers of Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok for their negative impact on student learning (Ontario). 

The U.S. Surgeon General has called for warning labels on social media for younger users stating, "The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency -- and social media has emerged as an important contributor."

We didn't have as much research about the negative effects on children before, but we do now. We urge parents in St. Albert (and surrounding areas)  to unite in delaying the introduction of smartphones and social media for our children until an appropriate age is reached.

This isn't about denying technology; it's about collectively deciding as a community to give our children flip/basic/dumb phones instead of smartphones before high school and not allowing social media before the age of 16.  If many of us make this decision for our kids together, the norm can shift. It will be unusual to have a smartphone and social media at a young age (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13), instead of expected. 

Please join this movement if you believe in creating a phone-free childhood and safeguarding our children from early exposure to smartphones and social media platforms.