Wait Until 8th Campaign Urges Delaying Smartphones Until 8th Grade, Drawing 150,000 Signers
Updated
Updated · WAPT Jackson · Jul 8
Wait Until 8th Campaign Urges Delaying Smartphones Until 8th Grade, Drawing 150,000 Signers
1 articles · Updated · WAPT Jackson · Jul 8
Summary
More than 150,000 parents and children have signed the Wait Until 8th pledge, which asks families to hold off on smartphones until at least eighth grade.
The campaign argues delay can reduce exposure to social media harms, citing Pew data showing 95% of 13- to 17-year-olds use at least one platform and research finding about 55% of middle and high school students face cyberbullying.
Brooke Shannon, the movement's founder, and Mississippi pediatrician Megan Washington say parents often feel pressured because smartphones become a middle-school norm, so the pledge is designed to create a supportive community.
Families backing the effort are not rejecting technology entirely; many use basic phones or smartwatches for calls and texts without unrestricted internet access.
Washington said she sees excessive screen time affect sleep, attention, mental health and relationships, framing the campaign as an effort to preserve more offline childhood before full online access.