Understanding the “Wait Until 8th” movement and what it means for students
With 91% of students having a smartphone by age 14, a new movement has emerged in the world of technology and social media: Wait Until 8th. Started in 2017, the Wait Until 8th movement was developed by parents in Texas as a way to “empower parents to delay giving children a smartphone until at least eighth grade.” This parent-led movement encourages parents of young students to pledge not to give their students smartphones until eighth grade by signing an agreement on Wait Until 8th’s website. Once they sign, they can see who the other families are from their student’s school and grade who have also signed the pledge. Since its launch, Wait Until 8th has gained more than 50,000 pledges from across the United States.
At The Social Institute, we believe in a more proactive and positive approach, one that empowers and equips students, rather than scares and restricts them from social media and tech. By empowering students with modern life skills to make high-character decisions as they navigate their social experiences – both online and offline – we equip students to navigate social media and tech in positive ways.
The Social Institute is neither pro nor against the Wait Until 8th movement. We simply believe in a more nuanced approach that prepares students to navigate their tech-fueled and social media-filled worlds with confidence, resilience, and integrity. After all, students will be around tech even if they don’t have a phone themselves, between siblings, parents, friends, teachers, coaches, and mentors who all may have tech.
We believe in creating a game plan that the adult role models in students’ lives can adopt to ease their students into social media and tech while fostering their independence and good decision-making skills.
So what is “Wait Until 8th” all about?
The Wait Until 8th movement, founded in 2017 by parents in Austin, Texas, encourages parents to take a pledge to not give their students smartphones until at least the end of eighth grade. According to Wait Until 8th “many experts from child psychologists to internet safety leaders to even technology executives agree that it is best to wait until at least 14 before exposing children to smartphones.” The campaign started when some parents noticed the increasing number of students having smartphones within their community and became concerned about the potential consequences of device use on student development.
Wait Until 8th quickly developed from a local grassroots movement to a nationwide campaign with over 50,000 pledges across the country. For instance, a group of parents in the Aspen School District in Colorado are urging Aspen elementary and middle school parents to join the national “Wait Until 8th” campaign.
After researching the recommended age for students to receive smartphones according to child psychologists, internet safety leaders, and technology executives, Brooke Shannon, parent, Executive Director, and founder of Wait Until 8th aimed to unite school communities in reevaluating when smartphones should be introduced. When parents visit the Wait Until 8th website, they can choose to sign a pledge not to give their student a smartphone until the end of eighth grade. After they sign up, they join other families at their student’s school and grade level who also agree to wait before giving their students smartphones. The names of the parents who sign up are anonymous until at least 10 families from the same grade and school also sign up. As more families join the promise, Wait Until 8th keeps parents updated on how the movement at their school is growing.
The Wait Until 8th movement recommends delaying smartphones and social media until at least the end of eighth grade and 16 years old, respectively, despite these ages being older than many apps’ age restrictions of 13. They instead encourage parents and families to hold off on certain devices and platforms, such as smartphones, Snapchat, and YouTube, saying they can lead to a variety of problems, and consider alternatives like basic phones and two-way calling watches.
As we know, students are tech-savvy and will find a way onto their favorite devices and apps, so while Wait Until 8th advocates for delaying smartphone access, at The Social Institute, we equip students with the necessary tools and modern life skills to make informed decisions and live up to high standards as they navigate their social worlds – both online and offline. By helping students build their mental muscles for high-character decision-making, we can prepare them better for their futures.
TSI’s Take
At The Social Institute, our mission in empowering students shares some similarities with the Wait Until 8th movement, such as our ultimate goal of keeping students happy, healthy, and safe. But what we offer is a more detailed, diverse, and open-minded perspective. By emphasizing empowerment over restriction, TSI proactively equips teachers and families to huddle with their students in any class and at home on ways to build a positive relationship with technology, resilience to navigate challenges associated with tech and social media, and critical thinking skills they need to thrive in today’s world.
One way we empower students to become responsible tech users is through gradual exposure and education, following a “Rookie, Varsity, Pro” framework. In the “Rookie” stage, a student might have a Verizon GizmoWatch, which only connects them with a few approved contacts. In the “Varsity” stage, they may use a Family Device more frequently or have their own smartphone but are monitored closely and agree to various limits. “Pro” is when a student has a device with fewer restrictions, with the goal that the student is in this phase in high school, given they’ll have unlimited access when they’re on their own after graduation.
- Rookie: Introducing students to technology, devices, and social media in a controlled environment, such as through parental controls, supervision, and limited access devices like the GizmoWatch.
- Varsity: Gradually increasing access to technology, devices, and social media, while maintaining open dialogue and setting clear boundaries.
- Pro: Allowing students more autonomy while equipping them with the skills and awareness necessary to navigate the online world responsibly, especially after they graduate and have unlimited access to devices.
By adopting a proactive and tiered approach, we can prepare students to make informed decisions and develop good habits for navigating social media and tech. Our commitment at The Social Institute is to provide resources and support that empower educators and families to create a happy, healthy, and safe online environment for their students. To learn more about our positive and proactive approach, contact us today!
The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in empowering students by understanding students. Through #WinAtSocial, our gamified, peer-to-peer learning platform, we equip students, educators, and families to navigate their social world – in the classroom and beyond, online and offline – in healthy, high-character ways. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips, rather than scares and restricts. We incorporate timely topics about social media, tech use, and current events that are impacting student well-being and learning. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach life skills for the modern day, capture student voice, and provide school leaders with actionable insights. Through these insights, students play an essential role in school efforts to support their own health, happiness, and future success as we enable high-impact teaching, meaningful family conversations, and a healthy school culture.