Join the Phone Pact

Hey Marin, let's keep phones and watches simple until high school. By delaying nonstop access to social media and distracting apps in our kids’ pockets (and on their wrists), we can help our kids grow up and thrive in real life.

As parents, there comes a time when we want to be able to communicate with our kids. But we also want to avoid unnecessary risks and harms so our kids are safe and healthy. 

There’s a solution! We can opt for a phone or watch that allows only calling, texting, and other basic tools…while delaying nonstop access to distracting apps and social media.

Let’s reduce pressure on both parents and kids by collectively keeping phones and watches simple until high school!

Kids want social media and gaming apps on their phones because “everyone else has them” - so let’s flip the norm to keeping phones and watches simple until high school! Together we can cultivate a childhood that’s more IRL than URL.

Next Steps:

Build community. We will connect you to the Kids IRL Ambassador at your school to join forces and build support for the Phone Pact.

Spread the word. Share this webpage, this Instagram post about Kids IRL, or this flyer (este anuncio) with the parents/caregivers of your child’s friends and classmates. The more people in your daily orbit who join the Phone Pact, the easier change will be.

Explore simple phones and watches here.

FAQ:

  • If your child has a watch or phone that’s limited to text, talk & tracking (and other basic, harmless tools), then absolutely you should join the Phone Pact!

    If your child has a smartphone with lots of apps and features on it, then you can join the Phone Pact if you agree to remove Internet access, social media, video games, and YouTube on their phone until high school. It’s NEVER too late to dial back access on our kids’ phones. Learn more about how to reel in features on an iPhone.

    By joining the Phone Pact, you become part of the Kids IRL community in Marin and we’ll provide you with support and camaraderie to keep tech in check.

  • Yes! The Phone Pact is specifically about keeping mobile phones and watches simple. It's not about what you do at home on other devices. Phones and watches - that are constantly with kids wherever they go - are what we're tackling with the Phone Pact. That said, if you’re seeking support to set limits at home, visit this webpage.

  • No problem! Sign up via the Phone Pact form but indicate "Unsure" in your response to the Phone Pact agreement, and we'll loop you in to Kids IRL communications and support. We're all on this parenting journey together, and a key goal of Kids IRL is to foster local community in Marin around the topic of rolling out tech slowly and intentionally to our kids. 

  • Most importantly, you get to be part of a hyper-local community solution to a shared problem! When you join the Phone Pact, you receive:

    • A welcome email from Kids IRL HQ within a week

    • On-the-ground support and community-building at your school or grade level to help sustain the phone pact (and other tech decisions) - facilitated by school ambassadors

    • “One Step” towards healthy tech use - a monthly action step via email from ScreenSense (Kids IRL HQ)

    • Quarterly updates on Kids IRL action and progress in Marin

    • Invitations to occasional Kids IRL events

  • Wonderful! We are working towards the same goal - protecting childhood from the overreach of tech. If you have a strong WU8 community at your school, keep it! You can ALSO join Kids IRL to be part of the hyper-local community and communications we’re supporting specifically in Marin - e.g., local events, Parent Ed, and other resources to help us all stick with simple phones through the tricky transitions. In fact, a Kids IRL School Ambassador could connect WU8th parents at your school to the Kids IRL community. If you have questions about bringing Kids IRL and Wait until 8th together in your school community, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at kidsirl@screensense.org!

  • Yes and no. First the no: Tablets are not as mobile as smartphones so therefore aren’t as intrusive in daily life. Using a tablet is often done at home or in a stationery location since it doesn’t fit in your pocket or on your wrist. Nonstop access to smartphones full of sticky content is more problematic.

    Second the yes: Technologically, tablets are essentially big phones. They have all the capabilities of a desktop computer or a smartphone, and for that reason they should be used cautiously with children - with limits and guardrails. Tablets also enable texting, so parents should teach their kids how to text when that door is opened. Just as an iPhone can be stripped down, tablets should always be set up simply and intentionally for a child’s use.

  • We do not recommend giving any kind of phone or watch to kids younger than 4th grade. Yet we understand that there are multiple reasons why parents want a form of mobile communication with their kids.

    In this case we recommend starting with a watch and making sure it is set up correctly for a child’s use. With more tech features, comes more parenting, more risk, and more distraction. For more considerations, read here.

  • We don’t recommend a specific phone but we can help you sort through the options. Saying yes to a phone doesn’t mean saying yes to a fully-loaded brand new iPhone. Check out our curated list of simple phones and watches. One tip: some parents gather with their friends to review and select the same basic phone or watch, so all their kids have the same phone or watch with limited features!

Help Marin youth thrive by supporting Kids IRL! Make a tax-deductible donation today.

We are looking for funding options and grant opportunities. If you are interested in joining our Kids IRL fundraising team, email us.

Kids IRL (in real life) is a Marin County-wide coordinated effort to keep digital tech in check and roll it out more slowly to our children - so screens don’t crowd out essential childhood activities. By changing local norms together, we reduce pressure on parents and kids, protect our children’s mental health, and improve family life.

Where to next?