Wellbeing 

Let’s Let Kids Be Kids: Why Our School Is Talking About Wait Mate

You may have heard about a growing movement among Australian parents called 'Wait Mate.' It’s a parent-led initiative that encourages families to delay giving children smartphones until they reach secondary school. It’s not anti-technology—it’s pro-childhood.

Inspired by the “Wait Until 8th” campaign in the US, Wait Mate brings together parents who want to protect kids from the pressures and risks of early smartphone use, supporting their well-being during these critical developmental years.

Why Wait?

Research from psychology, neuroscience, and education shows that early access to smartphones can negatively affect children’s development. Here's what we know:

• Children spend an average of 4–7 hours a day on phones
• They receive up to 237 notifications daily
• Cyberbullying, poor sleep, anxiety, and disconnection are rising
• 42% of young users have seen pornography—many by accident
• Pop-ups and ads expose kids to predatory content
• Attention spans, relationships, and real-world social skills are declining

Smartphones expose children to constant social comparison, digital peer pressure, and addictive scrolling—right when they’re still learning how to manage their emotions.

Many public figures are taking a stand. Jennifer Garner and Cate Blanchett have shared that their children aren’t allowed on social media. Australian parents like David and Candice Warner have expressed similar views around tech usage and online content, and even tech leaders like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs set firm limits on their kids' screen use.

In our school community, parents often raise concerns about how screen time is affecting their children’s mental health, behaviour, sleep, and ability to engage at school actively. Some students are simply “waiting out the day” to get back to their screens, which is impacting their academic progress and social connections. As a school, we are also aware of a rise in cyberbullying- something that can be difficult to detect and manage, even with active parental monitoring.

What Is the Wait Mate Pledge?

The Wait Mate pledge is a voluntary agreement to delay smartphones until high school. It’s not about banning all devices—in fact, it supports alternatives like basic phones or shared family devices.

Once 10 families from our school sign the pledge, our school’s commitment goes live. From there, you’ll join a local network of like-minded parents making this choice together. This is an important feature of the initiative, helping to reduce peer pressure and shift the conversation. For children who worry about being the ‘only one’ without a smartphone, knowing their friends are also waiting can be a huge relief. This collective decision gives kids the confidence to stand strong, knowing they’re not alone.

The Wait Mate website offers:

• Phone-free activity ideas
• Conversation starters for home
• Advice on choosing simpler tech (e.g. phones with no internet)

Let’s Change the Story—Together 

We all want the best for our kids: confidence, creativity, connection, and calm. Let’s protect those things while we can.

🌱 Visit www.waitmate.org.au to learn more and sign the pledge. For more insights, I recommend The Anxious Generation by psychologist Jonathan Haidt.

Let’s give our children the gift of time. Let’s let kids be kids.