More than four thousand people have joined a local WhatsApp group that two worried moms created to discuss internet safety.
In response to rising worries about the effects of social media on children’s mental health and online safety, over four thousand parents have joined a movement to restrict smartphone access to children under the age of 10.
Reacting to their concerns about the “norm” of providing children with smart gadgets when they enter secondary school, Clare Fernyhough and Daisy Greenwell, who were classmates together, formed the WhatsApp group Smartphone Free Childhood.
I have two young children, ages seven and nine. It seems to be the usual today to give children cellphones at the age of eleven, and Daisy and I were both shocked and frightened about it.
Fernyhough and Greenwell were hoping that the initiative would encourage parents to wait until their children are at least 14 years old before giving them cellphones. They also wanted to discourage social media usage until youngsters were 16 years old.
What was once just a few friends getting together to help one other out has grown into a full-scale movement throughout the country. Just one day after Greenwell promoted it on Instagram, the group filled up to its 1,000-person maximum, much to everyone’s surprise.
“This took us by surprise,” Fernyhough said. “It had a total breakdown.”
In order to meet the demand, the two of them urged individuals to form local organizations. The number of local organizations quickly grew, with 30 springing up around the nation within half an hour, according to Fernyhough.
About 4,500 individuals are now part of the organization, which was transformed into a community so that more people might join.
Fernyhough warned that children’s mental health might take a hit due to the “world that they are not ready for” of pornography, self-harm, and suicide material that is accessible on smartphones. I had the impression that they really aren’t in need of one. A smartphone is unnecessary for children of that age. Their every need may be met by just using a brick phone.
According to data compiled by Ofcom, almost all British children (91%) have their very own smartphone by the age of 11, with nearly half (44%) having one by the age of nine.
“We believed we held a strong opinion and that’s why we sought unity with one another. However, now we see that we may have unintentionally shed light on something; it’s important for people to discuss this; many have been experiencing similar feelings but haven’t felt comfortable doing so,” Fernyhough explained.
Brianna Ghey’s mother, Esther, has recently demanded a total prohibition on under-16s access to social media, claiming that more individuals would suffer from mental health concerns unless internet firms do more to limit the availability of damaging information.
The murder of Brianna took place on February 11, 2023, and her mother feels her daughter was especially susceptible due to her extensive internet use.
According to Fernyhough, the objective is to alter the current routine in such a way that students “join together and say, ‘Let’s all postpone until at least 14.'”” as they near the conclusion of elementary school. As a result, there is less pressure from classmates who have similar interests when they go on to high school.
Fernyhough expressed concern that their children could be the only ones attending secondary school. Nobody would ever knowingly subject their kid to such a horrific situation. They will be in a much stronger position if parents are making that choice for 20%, 30%, or even 50% of the children.
“They won’t have to spend their lives scrolling, which is obviously bad for them. Instead, they can have a normal childhood, concentrate on their studies, and enjoy life to the fullest.”
