Smartphones and social media use are collective issues. If "everyone" is on them, then the social experience migrates to the digital world. The social pressures of adolescence are ever-present in a purse, a pocket, or a hand. We can improve the social environment for our children.
This website is a public listing of Oak Park and River Forest families waiting until high school to give their children smartphones.
This list exists to break the illusion that everyone is getting a smartphone before high school. Your friends and neighbors are waiting. Together, we can create an intentional norm around delaying access to this new and changing technology.
We are a “big tent” group. Flip phones and smart watches are practical choices and fully in keeping with our mission.
Your public commitment will help other Oak Park and River Forest families navigate these issues.