Support for Bristol Schools to Delay Smartphones and Become Smartphone-Free Schools
Support for Bristol Schools to Delay Smartphones and Become Smartphone-Free Schools
The Issue
We are requesting you kindly sign this petition to lend your support on three key areas:
To support Bristol Headteachers to:
1) Advise delaying the smartphone until aged 16.
2) To work collaboratively on this issue with other Bristol schools.
3) Make their schools fully smartphone-free during school hours.
Recent research found that 77% of primary school parents want a ban of smartphones for under 16s. But we have a collective action problem. In many cases, parents give children smartphones because the overwhelming majority of other parents are doing the same. Parents don’t want to ostracise their children from their peers. But this issue is easily solved, if parents and schools all come together to stand in solidarity.
It’s now known that smartphones are heavily implicated in the catastrophic decline in young people’s mental health over the past decade (Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation). Young people are bombarded with disturbing content via their smartphones: depictions of unattainable lifestyles and bodies; graphic violence and pornography; encouragement to self-harm. Apps such as Snapchat and TikTok prey on and amplify feelings of social isolation.
The conversation around this issue has shifted dramatically in recent months. Parents are recognising the harm premature smartphone access poses to the emotional health and educational achievement of their children. Parents are now signalling in substantial numbers that they support delaying giving smartphones to children, to protect childhood for longer.
The Smartphone Free Childhood movement is the most prominent grassroots campaign advocating on this issue. Started by two mums, it now has close to 100,000 members, spread across every county of the UK. PAPAYA parents have been working in Bristol for over 6 years to help families get a healthy balance with technology.
Thank you for your support.
2,141
The Issue
We are requesting you kindly sign this petition to lend your support on three key areas:
To support Bristol Headteachers to:
1) Advise delaying the smartphone until aged 16.
2) To work collaboratively on this issue with other Bristol schools.
3) Make their schools fully smartphone-free during school hours.
Recent research found that 77% of primary school parents want a ban of smartphones for under 16s. But we have a collective action problem. In many cases, parents give children smartphones because the overwhelming majority of other parents are doing the same. Parents don’t want to ostracise their children from their peers. But this issue is easily solved, if parents and schools all come together to stand in solidarity.
It’s now known that smartphones are heavily implicated in the catastrophic decline in young people’s mental health over the past decade (Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation). Young people are bombarded with disturbing content via their smartphones: depictions of unattainable lifestyles and bodies; graphic violence and pornography; encouragement to self-harm. Apps such as Snapchat and TikTok prey on and amplify feelings of social isolation.
The conversation around this issue has shifted dramatically in recent months. Parents are recognising the harm premature smartphone access poses to the emotional health and educational achievement of their children. Parents are now signalling in substantial numbers that they support delaying giving smartphones to children, to protect childhood for longer.
The Smartphone Free Childhood movement is the most prominent grassroots campaign advocating on this issue. Started by two mums, it now has close to 100,000 members, spread across every county of the UK. PAPAYA parents have been working in Bristol for over 6 years to help families get a healthy balance with technology.
Thank you for your support.
2,141
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on 19 June 2024