RENO, Nev. — As pressure mounts on children to get smartphones and join social media, organizations across the country are helping families and schools set digital boundaries — and making it easier for parents to say “not yet.”RELATED: Experts warn of screen time and social media’s impact on children’s mental health Smartphone and social media interest can start earlier than many parents expect. For families who want to delay that step, making the decision can feel like an uphill battle.But a growing number of organizations are working to change that — bringing parents, schools and communities together to help children navigate an increasingly digital world.“We didn’t know really until fairly recently how addictive and detrimental it could be to their future on all levels,” said Brandi Vesco, a mother, education and technology reporter, and co-founder of the Wait Until 8th chapter in Reno-Sparks.Vesco says her reporting on technology in schools, combined with her own daughter’s experience, inspired her to get involved.“She’s in third grade and half her classmates had them, so she felt left out,” Vesco said of her daughter’s request for a smartphone.Wait Until 8th is a free, nationwide program encouraging parents to delay giving their children smartphones until at least the end of eighth grade.Parents, Schools Find Support in Growing Effort to Delay Smartphones and Social Media.The idea is to build a community of families making the same choice, taking some of the pressure off both children and parents.Families can sign a free online pledge, committing to hold off on smartphones until the end of eighth grade. Parents are also encouraged to connect with other families and build support within their children’s schools. The goal is to reach at least 10 families in each grade at each school.In Reno-Sparks, the chapter has collected approximately 1,000 parent pledges across 70 schools.Vesco says families can still keep children connected through alternatives like flip phones and smartwatches, which offer communication without the same access to social media and unwanted messages.“When you hit 10 in your child’s grade and see, wow, these other families are doing it, it creates a lot of community momentum and it’ll help you stay strong,” Vesco said.Another organization working to help families establish digital boundaries is Smart Families, a Houston-based digital wellness group.The organization offers free online resources, including family pledges and age-based digital guidelines. It recommends waiting until after eighth grade for smartphones and until age 16 for social media.”I’m sure you see in the news, and realize there are countries around the world that are banning social media as a country for students and children under the age of 16,” Smart Families representative Patrice Hall said.Smart Families has partnered with 180 schools in Texas and neighboring states, providing in-person educational events for parents, teachers and students.The program visits participating schools five times a year to help build community support around healthier technology habits.“As parents, it’s easier to parent together. It’s hard to be the only parents standing alone saying, ‘No, we are not giving you a smartphone,’ or, ‘I’m sorry, you are not getting Snapchat right now,’” Hall said.Schools don’t have to be located in Texas to access those resources.Smart Families recently launched its online IMPACT program in both English and Spanish. The program offers participating schools short educational videos explaining the neuroscience behind screen use, along with webinars — all at no cost to participating schools.”We are offering short forum video content about the neuroscience and that’s something that we offer for schools to have their administrators or counselors implement at their school right now, and it’s at no cost to schools we partner with.”The goal is to give school administrators and counselors tools to educate their communities and help parents make informed decisions about when and how children are introduced to technology.For families who feel overwhelmed by the pressure to give their children smartphones, these programs offer something increasingly valuable: support, education and the reassurance that they don’t have to make those decisions alone.WATCH THE FULL PANEL WITH PARENTS AND DR. CRUM:
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