We aim to empower parents to delay smartphones and social media...

About Our
Movement

Every parent wants the best for their kids, and for many of us, handing over a phone seemed like the right choice at the time. We didn’t know then what we know now, but now the research is clear: smartphones and social media are having a negative impact on our tamariki (children) and rangatahi (young people).

Parents, teachers, and health professionals are all coming together because we know something isn’t quite right with the way phones are shaping our kids' lives.

Now we see how smartphones are linked to problems like shorter attention spans, addiction, and rising levels of anxiety and depression. And here in New Zealand, we’re seeing the worst of it in our statistics.

It’s time to take action. Let’s prioritize the well-being of our tamariki and rangatahi, and give them the opportunity to grow up in a world where their mental health comes first, not their screen time.

Why?
Because New Zealand is winning the race to the bottom...

NZ Cyber Statistics

3rd Place in Cyber Bullying

NZ is the 3rd highest out of 29 countries surveyed

2nd Place in Youth Suicide Rate

NZ is the second worst in the developed world (more than twice the average among the 41 OECD countries surveyed)

1st Place in most time spent on Digital Devices

OECD data in 2018 showed that youth in NZ used digital devices 42 hours per week on average, compared to 35 hours globally.

How are smartphones affecting our youth?

Physical Health

Damaging young people’s eyes
Contributing to obesity in youth
Preventing youth playing outside
Damaging development of young people’s spines
Stopping youth getting enough sleep

Cognitive Changes

Addictive
Reducing children’s academic performance
Creating structural changes to young people’s brains

Mental and Emotional Health

Responsible for the huge increase in cyberbullying
Increasing depression and anxiety in youth
Increasing loneliness in youth
Making youth more likely to self-harm

Social and Developmental Health

Hinder development of social skills and relationships
Damaging for family relationships

R18

Sexual Content

Exposing children to sexual & offensive content
Pressuring young people into sending sexual images of themselves
Exposing children to sexual abuse & grooming

What are the experts saying

Johnathan Haidt- The Anxious Generation

The shift of childhood into the virtual world has disrupted both social and neurological development. This disruption has led to issues like social anxiety, sleep deprivation, fragmented attention, and addiction. Concerned by the rising rates of anxiety and depression among adolescents, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt wrote The Anxious Generation. In the book, he explores these troubling trends and links them to the shift from a play-based childhood to one dominated by phones and screens.

And experts from Aotearoa

Nathan Wallis

Neuroscience Educator

To delay or not to delay?- what does the latest evidence and research indicate?

This interview is pure GOLD! Nathan Wallis is a renowned neuroscience educator who regularly gives talks all over Australia and New Zealand. He's famous for his direct approach and insightful perspectives. Nathan spoke with Smartphone Phone Free Childhood (Previously under the name of Unplugged Rebels NZ) about all things smartphone and social media: the ideal age for social media, the debate between legislation and no legislation, and the latest data showing the correlation between social media and anxiety and depression among teenage girls. You don't want to miss out on this interview!

Holly Brooker

Co Founder of Parenting Place/ Makes Sense

How can we best protect our children in this digital age

The Parenting Place has been operational since 1993, offering support and encouragement to help New Zealand families thrive. Holly Jean Brooker is a presenter at the Parenting Place. She's also the co-founder of Makes Sense, the campaign that urges internet service providers to strengthen filters against all illegal online content. Holly has discussed various topics with Smart Phone Free Childhood (Previously under the name of Unplugged Rebels NZ), including the advantages of delaying children's first smartphone, strategies for protection once they have one, the risks associated with social media apps like Snapchat, and the introduction of the first kid-safe phone to the New Zealand market in the coming weeks.