For Parent Groups
“Do your little bits of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
Be the mobilizer your parent community needs
Imagine all the ways your parent groups (e.g., PTA, PTSA, room parents) can support families on the journey to healthy tech use. Families don’t live in isolation — they interact with and are shaped by their local communities, especially their school communities. Start small, creating a ripple that nudges your school community towards healthy tech use. Consider the ideas below and pick any that resonate!
Could you rally families to delay smartphones and social media together?
There’s a growing global movement to remove smartphones and social media from childhood. A community-based approach is most effective, so mobilizing change as a school community is ideal. In our county in Northern CA, we are creating a local movement.
A great organizing tool for those in the US: The Wait until 8th campaign rallies and connects families by grade level who pledge to delay giving their children smartphones until (at least) 8th grade. Making a pledge to wait empowers parents to band together and decreases pressure felt by kids and parents alike over kids having a smartphone.
NOTE: Basic phones/watches and stripped down smartphones that text and call are ok — this pledge is about restricting constant pocket access to apps/games, social media, and the Internet.
A collection of parents can prompt this! Every community needs a mobilizer - could it be you? See communication templates from Wait Until 8th or adapt the email we personally crafted for our own school.
Could you create space for parents to talk about parenting tech?
It’s very impactful if a school gathers parents to share observations, air concerns, and exchange wisdom around parenting tech. Help parents come together as a school or grade-level to find common ground. Every group needs a mobilizer - maybe you could take the first step to start a conversation!
Or - contact us (info@screensense.org) if you’d like to bring ScreenSense to your school community to help facilitate a conversation and find common ground. Parents are hungry for collective action as most screen-related parenting issues are social rather than individual. Sometimes it’s easier to have an outsider get this started.
Another option is Parent Education by ScreenSense. Our talks include:
“Are you struggling with screentime at home?”
“Is my child ready for a smartphone?”
“Is my child ready for social media?”
Where to Next?
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For Educators
Ideas to guide healthy tech use in schools.
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Services
Get more support from our team here.
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Giving a Phone
Considering a phone for your child? Explore your options.