Welcome to Let’s Talk: Children & Smartphones! Join us for an interactive discussion on the impact of smartphones on children. We are a group of parents living in Buckinghamshire and are hosting this event for local parents and teachers on the subject of Smartphone Free Childhood, to discuss how we parents can collectively act protectively against the harms of unrestricted access to social media and the online world for children, in lieu of government action to regulate tech companies or provide clear instructions to schools. We have organised a panel of speakers made up of local paediatricians, GPs and experts in child development and mental health.
Smartphones weren't designed with kids in mind – but they’ve reshaped childhood almost overnight. In the UK, 89% of 12-year-olds now own one, and so do a quarter of children aged 5 to 7. On average, kids get their first smartphone aged nine.Instead of growing up slowly, children are being pulled into a digital world built to keep them hooked. The impact on their development, mental health and relationships runs deep – and we can’t afford to look away any longer.
The debate about children’s access to smartphones and social media is very much one about social justice and social mobility: whilst in previous decades it was those from lower income families who lacked access to technology and this was a barrier to education, this has now reversed such that only the most privileged families are restricting their children’s use of smartphones and social media (compare for example how many private schools such as Eton have banned smartphones compared with state schools), whereas those lower income families who are working long hours and lack support simply do not have the time to monitor what their children access online. Many school leaders have spoken publicly recently about the negative impact that excessive smartphone and social media use has on children’s education as well as their social skills and mental health.
Various actors, musicians and public figures have also spoken out recently about this cause, from Paloma Faith, Kate Winslet, Robbie Williams to Hugh Grant! But this event is for those from our local community to discuss and share ideas.
