A quarter of British schools and over 37,000 parents support pact aiming to withhold smartphone access to kids under 14

Our smartphones are getting smarter every year, but they could also literally be making us dumb. That’s part of the growing concern behind the Smartphone Free Childhood (SFC) movement, which has gained massive support across the UK. The movement, highlighted by The Guardian, encourages parents to hold off on giving their children smartphones until they turn 14, and it’s clearly striking a chord. Over 8,100 schools—about a quarter of all British schools—and more than 37,000 parents have signed a pledge to keep smartphones out of their kids’ hands, representing more than 56,000 children.

Parents are finding solace in the pact, knowing they aren’t alone in navigating the tough decision of withholding smartphones in a world where most kids have one by age 12. According to Ofcom, a staggering 89% of 12-year-olds in the UK already own a smartphone, making the peer pressure to conform overwhelming.

Mike Lawrence, a parent at Law Primary School in North Berwick, said the pact helps during “moments of reckoning” when the inevitable smartphone debate arises at home. His school has the highest number of sign-ups in Scotland, with 194 children participating in the movement. For many, the decision is about more than just reducing screen time; it’s about tackling the bigger issues linked to early smartphone use, including mental health concerns, exposure to harmful online content, and social media addiction.

The campaign’s success can be attributed to grassroots efforts. The movement began as a simple WhatsApp group created by two friends, Daisy Greenwell and Clare Fernyhough, who wanted to support each other in delaying smartphones for their children. What started small has now ballooned into a nationwide network, uniting parents with shared concerns.

For parents like Charlotte Souter from Coleridge Primary in London, the pact has reinvigorated local WhatsApp groups and provided reassurance that their children won’t feel isolated without smartphones in school. Instead, some parents are opting for basic “brick” phones for communication, making it clear that they’re in this together. That said, this is just one of the many recent attempts being made to tackle smartphone addiction. Let us know your thoughts on this movement in the comments section below.

Featured image credits: AI-generated using Grok