We aim to empower parents to delay smartphones and social media...
The Problem
We all want what’s best for our kids.
Giving them phones felt like the right choice — but the evidence now tells a different story.
Smartphones and social media are linked to rising anxiety, shorter attention spans, and mental health struggles in our tamariki and rangatahi.
In Aotearoa, the impact is showing up in the stats — and in our homes and classrooms.
Our Mission
At Smartphone Free Childhood New Zealand we are on a mission to create a new norm of delaying smartphones and social media
Currently-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
Social and Developmental Health
•Hinder development of social skills and relationships •Damaging for family relationships
Cognitive Changes
•Addictive •Reducing children’s academic performance •Creating structural changes to young people’s brains
Sexual Content
•Exposing children to sexual & offensive content •Pressuring young people into sending sexual images of themselves •Exposing children to sexual abuse & grooming
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
Opportunity Cost
•For the first time in human history children are spending more time on devices than playing in the physical world •OECD data from 2018 shows New Zealand youth uses digital devices for 42 hours per week, surpassing a global average of 35.
Who have we worked with & who's talking about us?
What are the parents saying
A collective problem need a collective solution.
Join us today!
You are not alone...
Join a growing community of parents, guardians, and educators dedicated to delaying the age at which children receive their first smartphone and access social media by taking the following actions...
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