If you are a parent of a pre-teen, you surely dream of seeing him no longer permanently glued to his mobile phone. In Ireland, the city has taken the plunge: at Greystones, children under 13 now have to do without!
Greystones is a quiet seaside resort of 20,000 people south of Dublin. But a decision could make waves: last month, the eight primary schools and parent-teacher associations took their courage in both hands, signing a kind of pact to ban the smartphone for children under 13 years old. In any case, to all the children who are not yet in high school.
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Zero portable, whether at school, at home or outside. Parents – volunteers – undertake not to give in to lobbying by children. The principle, rely on the strength of numbers. Not all parents have signed, but the mass effect is significant enough for the norm to change: “Si 80% of the class agree we no longer feel like a special case” says a mother in the newspaper The Guardian. “It’s much easier to say no”.
More anxious children
The idea came from a school principal, Rachel Harper. Seeing 9-year-olds asking for a laptop, also noting growing anxiety among her students, she decided to consult the parents and think with them about the best solution.
She also realized that banning cellphones on school premises was not helpful: children continued to use social networks unreasonably and above all that they were exposed to content not necessarily suitable. “The longer we can preserve their innocence the better.“, she pleaded.
A national recommendation?
The experiment caught the attention of Irish Health Minister Stephen Donnelly – a father of three, who lives near Greystones. He dreams of drawing inspiration from it to set up a recommendation at the national level. But a priori, it will not go further.
In a column published by The Irish Times, he writes : “Ireland can and must be a global leader, ensuring that children are not affected by their interactions with the digital world”. It will be necessary to take stock of the experience of course, but Greystones has already received emails from schools located in Australia interested in the initiative. For the moment, in Ireland, there are no reports of rebellion on the side of the main parties concerned. Even if some ask (in all innocence, of course) why this measure does not also apply to their parents.