Westfield Parents Fight Negative Impacts Of Smartphones, Join Nationwide Movement

WESTFIELD, NJ — Local parents are joining together to encourage others to hold off on giving their kids smartphones.

The Westfield chapter of "Wait Until 8th" added more grades and schools earlier this month as part of a nationwide movement to have parents agree to wait until after children are through with 8th grade before giving them a smart device. The group is also looking to encourage social media usage to begin at age 16.

Pledges in the individual schools around Westfield activate once at least 10 families from a grade sign up online. There are now active pledges for Roosevelt Intermediate School's 6th Grade and three grades at Washington Elementary School.

Theresa Wright, a Washington Elementary mom, started the chapter in June after being inspired by her neighbors in Summit.

"The initiative is not meant to cast judgment on parents who choose to give their kids smartphones," Theresa tells Patch, "rather, it is a supportive community for those who choose to wait."

Parents who sign up receive a list with emails for other parents of children in the grade who also are on board with the movement in order to help connect with each other.

"These devices are quickly changing childhood for children," the national organization says. "Playing outdoors, spending time with friends, reading books and hanging out with family is happening a lot less."

"There is power in numbers," says Wright on her message to parents. "The more pledges amongst peers, the less pressure your kids (and you) will feel."

Impacts Of Smartphones On Children

According to "Wait Until 8th," the average age when a child gets a smartphone is 10 years old. The group likens this to putting "slot machines in your child's pocket."

In July, a study in the Journal of the Human Development and Capabilities gathered from nearly 2 million people across 163 countries found that using smartphones before age 13 can damage kids' mental health.

While the results were self-reported, this survey focused on potential symptoms like emotional regulation and self-worth along with anxiety and depression.

According to a study on brain development by the National Institute of Health (NIH), children who spent more than two hours a day looking at a screen achieved lower scores on thinking and language assessments in school.

The NIH says heavy screen use is also physically altering kids' brains. MRI scans show that long periods of time on smartphones, tablets, and playing video games show a premature thinning of the brain's cortex.

The cortex is the area responsible for processing information from a person's five senses.

"Wait Until 8th" points to issues with sleep, disruptive behavior, and relationships with others that have also been directly linked to prolonged use of smartphones and other screen devices. Coupled with the risks of social media and the potential for cyber-bullying, about one in every four children in the United States has been harassed in some form online.

"Wait Until 8th" also offers a list of basic phones and smartwatches for kids to be able to stay in contact with their parents without all of the distractions and dangers of smartphones. Parents who use this method can also sign the pledge.

More than 125,000 parents nationwide have signed the pledge.

"Your kids only get one childhood, and there are so very many things that cause anxiety for children these days that are out of parents' control," Wright says. "Fostering real-life experiences and delaying smartphones and social media is something you can control."

The Westfield chapter is currently looking for volunteers to lead the effort at each elementary school. Those who would like to join should email waituntil8th.westfield@gmail.com for more information.

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