NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The Surgeon General said kids across the country are getting smartphones at such an early age, that it’s negatively impacting their health later in life.
A grassroots movement called “Wait Until 8th” allows parents to band together and pledge their names to not give their children a smartphone until the end of eighth grade. They believe while kids can be peer pressured to get a smartphone, so can their parents.
“Many studies show the sooner kids get a smartphone the worse their mental health outcomes are as adults,” said Mark SooHoo with Wait Until 8th.
The Surgeon General also said the sooner a kid gets a smartphone, the sooner they experience anxiety, depression, negative body issues and an overall addiction to the device.
Already 60,000 parents nationwide have pledged their names with the grassroots effort which encourages parents to pledge their names, so their child doesn’t get a smartphone until after the eighth grade.
SooHoo encourages parents to talk with their children about why they would like them to wait when they are young.
“We started even as soon as kindergarten or first grade because it’s shocking how early those conversations start to happen,” he said.
SooHoo said it’s important to find out why kids want a smartphone and provide a solution with simple gadgets.
“If I want to stay in touch, if I want to know where they are I can accomplish that with a smartwatch, a flip phone, even an air tag – an air tag in a backpack can tell you where your child is,” said SooHoo.
Any parent can start or join the pledge. Each school can have a pledge where parents can stay anonymous until at least 10 other families sign up. Wait Until 8th said that helps with peer pressure and stress families may deal with.
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