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Hi there,

I’m not sure if you’ve heard of Team Unscreen, the grassroots organization that’s been gaining momentum around SOMA over the past year.

Team Unscreen’s goal is to get as many SOMA families as possible to take the Wait Until 8th Pledge, in hopes that there will be much less peer pressure around smartphones and social media when our kids enter middle school.

I’ve taken the pledge and I really hope you will too!

Some FAQ’s below:

Is Team Unscreen anti-tech?

No! They are just bringing the nationwide convo to SOMA about the mental health effects that smartphones & social media, specifically, have on our kids.

If I take the Wait Until 8th Pledge, what am I actually signing up for?

The pledge encourages families to wait until the end of 8th grade (just before high school) to get their kids a smartphone, specifically.

If I don’t give my kid a smartphone, what are my other options?

There are a myriad of alternative devices that do not have a negative lifestyle & mental health impact on kids. Remember, a smartphone is not just a phone, it’s a supercomputer with infinite features and access. These alternative devices give you and your kid all the essentials; calling, texting, GPS, and more.

If I’m on the fence, are there any resources you can point me to?

Of course! See below.

Check out Max’s Tools and Recommendations for Parents

Educate yourself about smartphone alternatives here and here

Learn how to better manage the settings and limitations on your child’s devices

Create opportunities for more independence, free play and responsibility in the real world.

Lobby for phone-free schools. Away For the Day has templates you can use to let the Superintendent, Principals, and BOE know that you support this policy change!
Start a reading group with your friends and read Jonathan Haidt’s new book: Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness or his article "End the Phone-Based Childhood Now" from The Atlantic.

A LOT of parents express regret over getting their kids a smartphone and/or social media too soon, but the leaders at Wait Until 8th and Team Unscreen say they haven’t met ONE family that regretted waiting, so let's do this!