Harrogate parents lead campaign to 'delay giving children smartphones' after concerns over impact on schools
A group of concerned parents are leading the Harrogate Smartphone Free Childhood movement as the district’s schools turn into a hotspot in a new UK-wide campaign to delay giving children a mobile.
Since the Smartphone Free Childhood (SFC) movement launched an online pledge to withhold smartphones from children until they are at least 14, a quarter of British schools have signed up to the pact.
In North Yorkshire, the total has already reached 188 – with Harrogate schools in the vanguard.
In the town, the campaign is being led by a core group of working mums, with 13 children between them studying in a range of Harrogate's local and independent primaries and secondary schools.
Their support for the movement is motivated by a list of key concerns when it comes to youngsters’ use of mobile phones:
The prevalence of harmful content online.
The addictive nature of social media.
Its distractive impact on pupils’ schoolwork.
Links between excessive smartphone use and mental illness.
A spokesperson for the Harrogate Smartphone Free Childhood movement said: "We're really delighted that Harrogate has come out as a hotspot of parents who are keen to delay giving their children a smartphone, opting instead for 'flip phones', tags and watches to keep them safe and give them the independence children and teens need.
"We're speaking to heads of local schools and it's also a really hot topic at the school gate.
"We are particularly delighted that Pannal is on the national leaderboard of parents who have signed up.
"As parents we want our children to enjoy all the independence and social opportunities they can, whilst avoiding some of the potentially harmful effects of social media and excess screen time.”
According to Smartphone Free Childhood, approximately 37,000 parents across Britain have signed up to the pact, representing more than 56,000 children.
The pact and its leaderboard features school names but does not identify parents or children.
In terms of North Yorkshire, 188 schools and 1,230 children have signed up to the anti-smartphone pact.
Among the many schools in the Harrogate district who have a significant number of parents involved are: Pannal Primary School, Oatlands Community School, Harrogate Ladies College, Harrogate Grammar School, St Aidan's Church of England High School, Ripon Grammar School, Scotton Lingerfield Community Primary School and more.
Support the campaign at: https://parentpact.smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk/