Group shares concerns about impact on youngsters' social skills and mental health
A group of campaigners on the Isle of Man, urging parents to delay giving their children smartphones, says the movement is 'gaining momentum'.
Over the past year hundreds of people have joined a Facebook page called 'Delay Smartphones-IOM', whilst over 150 others have signed an online pact agreeing not to allow their child to have such a device until the end of school Year 9.
The group says: 'This isn’t about being anti-technology, it’s about protecting childhood, preserving mental health, and helping families build real-world connection in an age of distraction.
'It’s a message backed by leading researchers like Jonathan Haidt and echoed in the Department of Education’s own decision to ban smartphones in schools across the island.
'Even providers like Manx Telecom and Sure recognised the shift last summer, with both promoting brick phones as their “back to school” offer for Year 7s.'
Meghan Kennish is behind the page and says parents who feel pressured into buying their child a smartphone shouldn't feel alone:
Meanwhile, the Department of Education Sport and Culture published a new policy during the current academic year stating 'learners are permitted to bring their smart devices to school but must keep them turned off and safely stored away during lessons and whilst traveling through the school.'
Meghan's fellow campaigners Jessica Cross and John Bolton decided to join the conversation around children's smartphone use after being inspired by the efforts of Ian Russell - the father of Molly Russell who, at just 14, took her own life after suffering from depression and the negative effects of content available online on social media.
Manx Radio has invited the education minister for interview on this matter.
You can find a link to the Facebook group HERE and a link to the Smartphone-Free Childhood Parent Pact HERE.
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