INDIANAPOLIS — It's a relentless request every parent gets when their kids start school: "When can I get a phone?"
And once one child gets theirs, it usually isn't long before their friends do, too.
But there's a growing push for parents to band together and stop the pressure.
"We have made kids grow up in this society way too fast," said Emily Meyer, a parent of three from Indiana.
It's why she and her family joined the nationwide "Wait until 8th" movement, pledging to wait until at least the end of eighth grade to give her kids a phone.
Meyer and her husband had already agreed to wait in their own family, but they thought the pledge was a good idea to support and help spearhead at the school where their children attend.
"Strength in numbers, right? If my kid comes home and says, 'I'm the only one without a phone,' and may feel left out, that's hard to deal with," Meyer said. "It just helps things for everybody involved."
Meyer and other families said they want to keep kids kids a little longer and promote creativity and imagination, while protecting the elementary and middle school years from the distractions and the dangers of a smartphone, including:
- Anxiety
- Cyberbulling
- Depression
Brooke Shannon is a mom from Texas who founded the movement more than five years ago.
Today, more than 50,000 families in all 50 states have joined the viral pledge.
So far, more than half of all families at the Meyer family's school have signed it.
"Do I think they need to learn how to use these things properly in a timely manner? Yes. But my sixth-grader is not at that point where he can navigate that stuff yet," Meyer said.
Meyer and other families have also started a local group to teach families and students the best and safest ways to use technology.
"No matter when you get it, you have the right tools and resources to be able to use it wisely," Meyer said.