Hello Lincoln! It's been one year since we launched *LincolnWait.com <http://lincolnwait.com/>*, Lincoln's chapter of the national Wait Until 8th movement. Our goal is to connect parents who plan to delay giving their kids smartphones until the end of 8th grade.
So far nearly *half of the grades* at LPS have active pledges (10 or more families who have signed), and the numbers keep growing every month! If you haven't signed and are interested, join the movement by clicking here <https://waituntil8th.tfaforms.net/f/takethepledge>. Once your child's grade has an active pledge you'll be connected to other parents who have also signed. _______________ *Dialogue Shift* In the last few years we've seen a shift in the national debate around kids and smartphones, due in part to the writing of Jonathan Haidt <https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/> and Jean Twenge <https://www.amazon.com/Rules-Raising-Kids-High-Tech-World/dp/1668099993>, among others. As the *dangers surrounding smartphones in childhood become clearer* (mental health, sleep deprivation, academic distraction, etc), more parents are saying "not yet." The overwhelming reason most parents buy their elementary or middle schooler a smartphone is so theirs isn't the only one in the class without one*. As long as a critical mass of parents agree to wait, your child won't be left out. At the same time the list of *alternatives* to internet-enabled smartphones continues to grow, including Tin Can phones, Gabb phones, smartwatches, flip phones, and more. The folks at Smartphone Free Childhood <https://www.smartphonefreechildhoodus.com/> have a great resource PDF of smartphone alternatives <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_CY8iDoL87aiEnfb38vQXSL9jcnlhKQd/view>, as well as an amusing/powerful 1min video <https://www.smartphonefreechildhoodus.com/join-the-movement> ad. __________________ *MA Legislative Efforts* Massachusetts is unfortunately woefully behind when it comes to state-wide legislation surrounding phones in schools. 17 states around the country have passed bans on smartphones in schools; the MA Senate has passed a bell-to-bell phone-free school bill, but the House has yet to take it up. Consider calling / writing your representatives <https://www.distractionfreeschools.com/massachusetts-action> to encourage them to support this legislation. __________________ *Interested?* As a small, close-knit community Lincoln has a real opportunity to take collective action and create a critical mass of families saying "not yet" to smartphones in elementary and middle school. Learn more at LincolnWait.com <http://lincolnwait.com/> and click here to sign the pledge! Thanks for your support. – The LincolnWait Team PS. *(Note that for children with diabetes, smartphones have become an incredible tool for monitoring and managing their condition; we are of course fully supportive of this, and celebrate the tremendous technological advancement this represents!)
-- The LincolnTalk mailing list. To post, send mail to [email protected]. Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. Change your subscription settings at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln.
