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Your school district is probably scoring worse than it was 10 years ago.

That’s not a hot take — it’s what new data from Stanford’s Educational Opportunity Project shows, and what The New York Times covered this week.

→ 83% of U.S. districts have lost ground in reading since 2015
→ 70% have lost ground in math
→ The decline started before COVID — and reading scores are still falling

The losses cut across income, geography, and race. Almost no community has been untouched.

One trend lines up almost perfectly with the decline: smartphones becoming a constant presence in kids’ lives and classrooms.

The average U.S. teen now spends 7+ hours a day on screens.

Sustained reading requires sustained attention. Attention is exactly what phones are designed to interrupt.

We can’t control every variable in our kids’ education. But we can give them a few more years of childhood before the phone arrives.

That’s what the pledge is for:
✅Wait until the end of 8th grade.
✅Find other families doing the same.
✅Make it the norm, not the exception.

Take the pledge with us → WaitUntil8th.org

Sources: The New York Times, May 2026 · Stanford Educational Opportunity Project (Sean Reardon) · Common Sense Media (teen screen time)

Your school district is probably scoring worse than it was 10 years ago.

That’s not a hot take — it’s what new data from Stanford’s Educational Opportunity Project shows, and what The New York Times covered this week.

→ 83% of U.S. districts have lost ground in reading since 2015
→ 70% have lost ground in math
→ The decline started before COVID — and reading scores are still falling

The losses cut across income, geography, and race. Almost no community has been untouched.

One trend lines up almost perfectly with the decline: smartphones becoming a constant presence in kids’ lives and classrooms.

The average U.S. teen now spends 7+ hours a day on screens.

Sustained reading requires sustained attention. Attention is exactly what phones are designed to interrupt.

We can’t control every variable in our kids’ education. But we can give them a few more years of childhood before the phone arrives.

That’s what the pledge is for:
✅Wait until the end of 8th grade.
✅Find other families doing the same.
✅Make it the norm, not the exception.

Take the pledge with us → WaitUntil8th.org

Sources: The New York Times, May 2026 · Stanford Educational Opportunity Project (Sean Reardon) · Common Sense Media (teen screen time)

Your school district is probably scoring worse than it was 10 years ago.

That’s not a hot take — it’s what new data from Stanford’s Educational Opportunity Project shows, and what The New York Times covered this week.

→ 83% of U.S. districts have lost ground in reading since 2015
→ 70% have lost ground in math
→ The decline started before COVID — and reading scores are still falling

The losses cut across income, geography, and race. Almost no community has been untouched.

One trend lines up almost perfectly with the decline: smartphones becoming a constant presence in kids’ lives and classrooms.

The average U.S. teen now spends 7+ hours a day on screens.

Sustained reading requires sustained attention. Attention is exactly what phones are designed to interrupt.

We can’t control every variable in our kids’ education. But we can give them a few more years of childhood before the phone arrives.

That’s what the pledge is for:
✅Wait until the end of 8th grade.
✅Find other families doing the same.
✅Make it the norm, not the exception.

Take the pledge with us → WaitUntil8th.org

Sources: The New York Times, May 2026 · Stanford Educational Opportunity Project (Sean Reardon) · Common Sense Media (teen screen time)

A California jury found Meta and Google responsible for a young woman’s depression and anxiety after years of compulsive social media use, awarding $6 million in damages.

The ruling is significant. For the first time, a jury treated platforms like Instagram and YouTube as defective products, arguing they were intentionally designed to be addictive to children and teens. Jurors agreed the companies knew about the harm and failed to act.

Instead of focusing on content, the case centered on product design, features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and constant notifications that keep young users hooked. This approach allowed the case to get around long-standing legal protections for tech companies.

While the financial penalty is small compared to the companies’ size, the impact could be far-reaching. The case is tied to thousands of similar lawsuits and could reshape how social media companies are held accountable.

At the same time, a separate jury in New Mexico ordered Meta to pay $375 million for failing to protect young users from predators and misleading the public about safety on its platforms. That case could lead to further penalties and force changes to how the apps are designed.

Both Meta and Google plan to appeal, arguing that mental health is complex and cannot be blamed on a single platform.

Still, these back-to-back verdicts point to a larger shift. For many families and advocates, this is the beginning of real accountability for Big Tech’s role in the youth mental health crisis.

Source: NPR

Parents, delay! Delay! Delay!

✅ Delay the smartphone until at least the end of 8th grade with the Wait Until 8th pledge. Do you need to get in touch before then? Start with a basic phone. We have some options on our website.

✅ When you do permit a phone, keep it simple. Make it less of a toy and more of a communication device by removing the internet browser, App Store, games and social media. We have resources on how to do this on our website.

✅ Delay social media until 16+. When you do say yes, say yes with limits!

✅ Keep all devices out of the bedroom especially at night!

You've got this 🙌

Parents, it does not have to be this way!

Let kids be kids a little longer! When you say yes too early to the smartphone, your kid's childhood will look different. Let's give kids more time playing outside, exploring, reading, creating and hanging out with friends in person.

Parents, delay! Delay! Delay!

✅ Delay the smartphone until at least the end of 8th grade with the Wait Until 8th pledge. Do you need to get in touch before then? Start with a basic phone. We have some options on our website.

✅ When you do permit a phone, keep it simple. Make it less of a toy and more of a communication device by removing the internet browser, App Store, games and social media. We have resources on how to do this on our website.

✅ Delay social media until 16+. When you do say yes, say yes with limits!

✅ Keep all devices out of the bedroom especially at night!

You've got this 🙌

Sign the pledge today on our website! We link you up with other parents delaying the smartphone from your child's school. Strength in numbers!

Spain is moving to ban social media for children under 16.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says kids are being exposed to a “digital Wild West” they were never meant to navigate alone. Under the plan, platforms would be required to verify users’ ages—and executives could be held legally accountable if harmful or illegal content isn’t removed.

Spain is following Australia, which enacted a similar under-16 ban last year. That law is now serving as a global test case, with countries like Malaysia planning similar rules and New Zealand considering them. European leaders are also weighing EU-wide age minimums.

Why the push? Leaders point to addiction, pornography, abuse, manipulation, and violence as unacceptable consequences of underage social-media use. As Sánchez put it: If we want to protect children, we have to take back control.

“If we want to protect them, there’s only one thing we can do—take back control,” Sanchez said. “I know that it won’t be easy, social-media companies are wealthier and more powerful than many nations—including mine.”

The message is getting louder worldwide: childhood is worth protecting, and some things are better waited on. 🕗

Source: Wall Street Journal

Wait Until 8th encourages families to delay smartphones until the end of 8th grade and to delay social media until 16. Join more than 140,000 families in delaying today with our pledge!

Thank you People Magazine for sharing the Wait Until 8th pledge with your readers!Story highlights include:

A group of parents has gone viral after delaying smartphones for their children with the Wait Until 8th pledge — and instead giving them landline phones to stay connected safely.

For parents Meg Kate and Kyle McAlarney, delaying smartphone use has become a deliberate choice rooted in both community and nostalgia.

In their then-7-year-old daughter’s first-grade year, the McAlarneys, along with other parents in the class, signed a “Wait Until 8th” pledge, an agreement among families to hold off on giving their children smartphones until the end of eighth grade.

“For us, it’s about delaying that step as long as we can and letting [our children] enjoy real conversations before introducing all the distractions that come with screens,” Meg, 40, tells PEOPLE exclusively.

This past Christmas, as a meaningful and nostalgic compromise, the McAlarneys and a group of other parents from their daughter's third-grade class all decided to get their children Tin Can landline phones for Christmas.

“We wanted [Maddie’s] first experience with having a phone to feel simple and intentional, not overwhelming,” Meg explains, noting that her daughter’s landline was gifted to her by her grandmother living in New York.

“The Tin Can phone felt like a great middle ground, it gives her a way to stay in touch with friends when school’s out and connect with family who live out of state, without jumping straight into a smartphone," the mom of three adds.

According to the company’s website, Tin Can is a screen-free, kid-friendly home phone that allows children to call and receive calls only from approved contacts, offering a sense of independence without internet access or smartphone risks.

Read the full story at People Magazine , including more on the parents' “Wait Until 8th” pledge for smartphones and how the girls have responded to their new landline phones.

📷: Courtesy of Meg Kate McAlarney

Thank you People Magazine for sharing the Wait Until 8th pledge with your readers!Story highlights include:

A group of parents has gone viral after delaying smartphones for their children with the Wait Until 8th pledge — and instead giving them landline phones to stay connected safely.

For parents Meg Kate and Kyle McAlarney, delaying smartphone use has become a deliberate choice rooted in both community and nostalgia.

In their then-7-year-old daughter’s first-grade year, the McAlarneys, along with other parents in the class, signed a “Wait Until 8th” pledge, an agreement among families to hold off on giving their children smartphones until the end of eighth grade.

“For us, it’s about delaying that step as long as we can and letting [our children] enjoy real conversations before introducing all the distractions that come with screens,” Meg, 40, tells PEOPLE exclusively.

This past Christmas, as a meaningful and nostalgic compromise, the McAlarneys and a group of other parents from their daughter's third-grade class all decided to get their children Tin Can landline phones for Christmas.

“We wanted [Maddie’s] first experience with having a phone to feel simple and intentional, not overwhelming,” Meg explains, noting that her daughter’s landline was gifted to her by her grandmother living in New York.

“The Tin Can phone felt like a great middle ground, it gives her a way to stay in touch with friends when school’s out and connect with family who live out of state, without jumping straight into a smartphone," the mom of three adds.

According to the company’s website, Tin Can is a screen-free, kid-friendly home phone that allows children to call and receive calls only from approved contacts, offering a sense of independence without internet access or smartphone risks.

Read the full story at People Magazine , including more on the parents' “Wait Until 8th” pledge for smartphones and how the girls have responded to their new landline phones.

📷: Courtesy of Meg Kate McAlarney

New Jersey Gov. Murphy signed a new statewide law requiring public schools to restrict the use of cellphones and other internet-connected devices by students during the entire school day starting in the 2026–2027 academic year.

The law is often described as a “bell-to-bell” ban, meaning phones won’t be permitted from the start of the school day until dismissal. The goal is to reduce distractions, improve student focus, and support mental health and engagement in classrooms.

Limiting phones will lead to more face-to-face interaction, less anxiety, and better learning environments.

In a survey last July, 74 percent of adults in the United States said they would support banning middle and high school students from using cellphones during class, according to the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan think tank.

New Jersey joins a growing number of states that have statewide limits on student phone use during school hours.

Source: New York Times

Advocate for a better smartphone policy in your community if you don't have one already!Some organizations to check out for resources:
@phonefreeschools
@screenagersmovies
@freetheanxiousgeneration@jonathanhaidt

No TikTok, no iPhones and retro landlines. These parents are raising kids like it’s 1995.

Special thanks to USA Today for sharing the pledge!

Walk into some homes in Oceanport, New Jersey, and you might think you’ve time traveled.

Landlines are tethered to playroom walls, and radios are playing music. The reading on-tap is Beverly Cleary's "Beezus and Ramona," and Friday nights are marked with TGIF TV — think "Full House" and "Family Matters" — with parents and kids sharing living room couches, watching together after dinner.

Blink, and you’ll think you’ve stepped into 1995.

But it’s about more than just nostalgia. On playgrounds in New Jersey, in living rooms in Seattle, and in text chains between moms across the country, a shift is unfolding. Some millennials parents want to raise their kids with the kind of carefree, phone-free, independent play they grew up with. And they’re doing it.

“We are in a sweet spot where we know life before, we know life after,” says millennial mom Holly Moscatiello. She’s the founder of The Balance Project, a non-profit that aims to help kids balance independence and mindful technology usage. “We had the ability to watch what happens if you go too far. Now we have the opportunity to take the step back, and we're taking it.”

It’s a shift psychologist Jonathan Haidt has been urging for years. He outlined it extensively in his book “The Anxious Generation,” where he advocates for curtailing smartphone use before 14.

These parents are listening.

In the suburbs of New Jersey, a cacophony of noises coming from a playground jungle gym leaves little doubt.

There are reasons to be hopeful, though. Policy changes are making an impact: as of November, 36 states and Washington D.C. had instituted policies on K-12 cellphone usage in schools. And more than 130,000 parents nationwide have signed the Wait Until 8th pledge, which commits to delaying giving kids smartphones until at least eight grade.

Read the full article @ USA Today.

Take the pledge 👇
✨ Wait until at least the end of 8th grade for a smartphone.
✨ Delay social media until 16+.

Small choice. Big impact. Childhood is worth protecting. 💛

Years ago I made a deal with my young daughter: no social media on your phone until you turn 18 and I will pay you $1800 on your 18th birthday! It’s called the 18@18 challenge started by @waituntil8th !

I admit it’s a little painful 😓 for me today but the reality is I’ll never be able to measure what I protected her from!

Did she miss out on some conversations with friends over the years? Yes! Did she miss out on invitations to certain parties? Yes! Did she miss out on inside jokes/gossip? Yes.

BUT, she also “missed out” on these common experiences associated with social media use:
❌ feeling the need to self harm
❌depression
❌anxiety
❌suicidal ideation
❌ d*ck pics from adult men and classmates
❌seeing the parties that you were not invited to
❌early exposure to violent hard-core, prn
❌ lethal viral challenges
❌ strangers knowing her location through snap
❌screen addiction
❌sleep deprivation
❌fragmented focus
❌pressure to send a nude
❌sextortion
❌receiving a nude
❌competition for more likes and followers
❌friend requests from strangers, etc. etc.

You did it honey! I’m so proud of you! I know it’s hard to be counter-cultural. But I believe it has shaped a lot of who you are today - and that is a very special, confident, adventurous, young woman.

So keep living life big honey! Don’t get sucked up into this little square! The world is waiting for you to come and discover it. We can’t wait to see where you will go and what you will do!
We love you!

Mom & Dad

#waituntil8th #delayistheway
#socialmedia #protectchildhood

@scrolling2death
@jonathanhaidt

Remember you are the PARENT! Just because you said yes to a smartphone, video game, social media app, devices in the bedroom, etc does not mean you can't change your mind.

Are you regretting giving your 6th grader a smartphone? You can hit the pause button or you can limit how much your kid is using the phone by removing the internet browser, disabling the App Store and removing games and social media. We have a great guide on our blog on how to do this with an iPhone.

Are you battling with your kid about gaming constantly? Take a clean break. Pack away the gaming console and talk to your kid about why he needs a reset.

Are you cringing every time you think about your kid on Snapchat, Instragram or TikTok? You can change your mind. You are not stuck with this decision. If your family is not ready to cut a social media app entirely, consider severely limiting when and where your child can use it. Limit it to no more than 30 minutes a day. You can do this in parental controls on your kid's phone.

Parents, our kids need us to be the parent! I know you don't enjoy saying

No

Not yet

We are not doing that.

We are taking a break.

Our family is different.

I know you often want to be the friend or at the very least the quasi cool mom or dad.

Our kids need heathy boundaries enforced by loving parents. So, don't be afraid to change your mind!

Some good tech parameters to consider:

✅ Delay the smartphone until at least the end of 8th grade with our @waituntil8th pledge! If you need to get in touch before, consider a basic phone. We have some featured on our website and on our Instagram Story highlight @waituntil8th .

✅ Start slowly when you do introduce a smartphone. Remove access to the internet browser and App Store.

✅ Delay social media until 16+.

✅ Keep devices out of the bedroom especially at night

You've got this parents 🙌

Smartphones in 1st grade were becoming the norm—so Meri from the Family IT Guy team helped her community take a different path.

She brought in experts, shared the data, and helped families come together around @waituntil8th and a tech-free approach that actually works.

If you want to delay smartphones but don’t know where to start, this episode breaks it down.

Full episode on YouTube and wherever you podcast. 🔗

#FamilyITGuyPodcast

Preteens who own smartphones are more likely to face depression, obesity, and poor sleep than their peers, according to a new University of Pennsylvania–led study 📱😟.

Why it matters: About half of American kids own a smartphone by age 11 📊.

Pediatric health groups have recommended appropriate screen time for youths, but there are no public health guidelines on the appropriate age for kids to first get a smartphone, the study says.

What they found: Kids with a smartphone at age 12 had:
• 31% higher odds of depression 😞
• 40% higher odds of obesity ⚠️
• 62% higher odds of insufficient sleep 😴

The study analyzed data from 10,588 youths as part of NIH-supported research, and the effects were specific to smartphone ownership — not tablets or smartwatches.

Zoom out: Another study found that just a one-week social media detox boosted mental health for young adults .

The bottom line: "Smartphone ownership offers unique challenges as it may grant youth unfettered access to a world for which they may not be ready, without the discipline to effectively manage their own use," the study says.❤️📵.

Parents, take the Wait Until 8th Pledge today!
✅ Wait until at least the end of 8th grade for a smartphone.
✅ Need something sooner? Try a basic phone or watch (see our website!).
✅ When you do say yes, start slow — remove the browser & App Store.
✅ Delay social media until 16+.

You’ve got this, parents. We’re in this together.🙌

Sources: Axios and New York Times
The findings will be published in a forthcoming issue of the journal Pediatrics.

📱💬 “Why can’t I have a phone yet?” If your child asks this, it can be tricky to explain. We’re here to help! Our full guide on our website has 20 thoughtful ways to talk to kids about why your family is choosing to wait, and we’re featuring 9 key responses here—with more coming in the days ahead.

Honest, simple, and loving conversations can help your child feel heard, understand your reasoning, and enjoy childhood—smartphone-free. ❤️✨

Take the Wait Until 8th Pledge today!
✅ Wait until at least the end of 8th grade for a smartphone.
✅ Need something sooner? Try a basic phone or watch (see our website!).
✅ When you do say yes, start slow — remove the browser & App Store.
✅ Delay social media until 16+.

You’ve got this, parents. We’re in this together.🙌

📱💬 “Why can’t I have a phone yet?” If your child asks this, it can be tricky to explain. We’re here to help! Our full guide on our website has 20 thoughtful ways to talk to kids about why your family is choosing to wait, and we’re featuring 9 key responses here—with more coming in the days ahead.

Honest, simple, and loving conversations can help your child feel heard, understand your reasoning, and enjoy childhood—smartphone-free. ❤️✨

Take the Wait Until 8th Pledge today!
✅ Wait until at least the end of 8th grade for a smartphone.
✅ Need something sooner? Try a basic phone or watch (see our website!).
✅ When you do say yes, start slow — remove the browser & App Store.
✅ Delay social media until 16+.

You’ve got this, parents. We’re in this together.🙌

📱💬 “Why can’t I have a phone yet?” If your child asks this, it can be tricky to explain. We’re here to help! Our full guide on our website has 20 thoughtful ways to talk to kids about why your family is choosing to wait, and we’re featuring 9 key responses here—with more coming in the days ahead.

Honest, simple, and loving conversations can help your child feel heard, understand your reasoning, and enjoy childhood—smartphone-free. ❤️✨

Take the Wait Until 8th Pledge today!
✅ Wait until at least the end of 8th grade for a smartphone.
✅ Need something sooner? Try a basic phone or watch (see our website!).
✅ When you do say yes, start slow — remove the browser & App Store.
✅ Delay social media until 16+.

You’ve got this, parents. We’re in this together.🙌

📱💬 “Why can’t I have a phone yet?” If your child asks this, it can be tricky to explain. We’re here to help! Our full guide on our website has 20 thoughtful ways to talk to kids about why your family is choosing to wait, and we’re featuring 9 key responses here—with more coming in the days ahead.

Honest, simple, and loving conversations can help your child feel heard, understand your reasoning, and enjoy childhood—smartphone-free. ❤️✨

Take the Wait Until 8th Pledge today!
✅ Wait until at least the end of 8th grade for a smartphone.
✅ Need something sooner? Try a basic phone or watch (see our website!).
✅ When you do say yes, start slow — remove the browser & App Store.
✅ Delay social media until 16+.

You’ve got this, parents. We’re in this together.🙌

📱💬 “Why can’t I have a phone yet?” If your child asks this, it can be tricky to explain. We’re here to help! Our full guide on our website has 20 thoughtful ways to talk to kids about why your family is choosing to wait, and we’re featuring 9 key responses here—with more coming in the days ahead.

Honest, simple, and loving conversations can help your child feel heard, understand your reasoning, and enjoy childhood—smartphone-free. ❤️✨

Take the Wait Until 8th Pledge today!
✅ Wait until at least the end of 8th grade for a smartphone.
✅ Need something sooner? Try a basic phone or watch (see our website!).
✅ When you do say yes, start slow — remove the browser & App Store.
✅ Delay social media until 16+.

You’ve got this, parents. We’re in this together.🙌

📱💬 “Why can’t I have a phone yet?” If your child asks this, it can be tricky to explain. We’re here to help! Our full guide on our website has 20 thoughtful ways to talk to kids about why your family is choosing to wait, and we’re featuring 9 key responses here—with more coming in the days ahead.

Honest, simple, and loving conversations can help your child feel heard, understand your reasoning, and enjoy childhood—smartphone-free. ❤️✨

Take the Wait Until 8th Pledge today!
✅ Wait until at least the end of 8th grade for a smartphone.
✅ Need something sooner? Try a basic phone or watch (see our website!).
✅ When you do say yes, start slow — remove the browser & App Store.
✅ Delay social media until 16+.

You’ve got this, parents. We’re in this together.🙌

📱💬 “Why can’t I have a phone yet?” If your child asks this, it can be tricky to explain. We’re here to help! Our full guide on our website has 20 thoughtful ways to talk to kids about why your family is choosing to wait, and we’re featuring 9 key responses here—with more coming in the days ahead.

Honest, simple, and loving conversations can help your child feel heard, understand your reasoning, and enjoy childhood—smartphone-free. ❤️✨

Take the Wait Until 8th Pledge today!
✅ Wait until at least the end of 8th grade for a smartphone.
✅ Need something sooner? Try a basic phone or watch (see our website!).
✅ When you do say yes, start slow — remove the browser & App Store.
✅ Delay social media until 16+.

You’ve got this, parents. We’re in this together.🙌

📱💬 “Why can’t I have a phone yet?” If your child asks this, it can be tricky to explain. We’re here to help! Our full guide on our website has 20 thoughtful ways to talk to kids about why your family is choosing to wait, and we’re featuring 9 key responses here—with more coming in the days ahead.

Honest, simple, and loving conversations can help your child feel heard, understand your reasoning, and enjoy childhood—smartphone-free. ❤️✨

Take the Wait Until 8th Pledge today!
✅ Wait until at least the end of 8th grade for a smartphone.
✅ Need something sooner? Try a basic phone or watch (see our website!).
✅ When you do say yes, start slow — remove the browser & App Store.
✅ Delay social media until 16+.

You’ve got this, parents. We’re in this together.🙌

📱💬 “Why can’t I have a phone yet?” If your child asks this, it can be tricky to explain. We’re here to help! Our full guide on our website has 20 thoughtful ways to talk to kids about why your family is choosing to wait, and we’re featuring 9 key responses here—with more coming in the days ahead.

Honest, simple, and loving conversations can help your child feel heard, understand your reasoning, and enjoy childhood—smartphone-free. ❤️✨

Take the Wait Until 8th Pledge today!
✅ Wait until at least the end of 8th grade for a smartphone.
✅ Need something sooner? Try a basic phone or watch (see our website!).
✅ When you do say yes, start slow — remove the browser & App Store.
✅ Delay social media until 16+.

You’ve got this, parents. We’re in this together.🙌

📱💬 “Why can’t I have a phone yet?” If your child asks this, it can be tricky to explain. We’re here to help! Our full guide on our website has 20 thoughtful ways to talk to kids about why your family is choosing to wait, and we’re featuring 9 key responses here—with more coming in the days ahead.

Honest, simple, and loving conversations can help your child feel heard, understand your reasoning, and enjoy childhood—smartphone-free. ❤️✨

Take the Wait Until 8th Pledge today!
✅ Wait until at least the end of 8th grade for a smartphone.
✅ Need something sooner? Try a basic phone or watch (see our website!).
✅ When you do say yes, start slow — remove the browser & App Store.
✅ Delay social media until 16+.

You’ve got this, parents. We’re in this together.🙌