The Guardian reported on this move back in June, noting that a number of parents’ associations banded together across the district’s eight primary schools as old as 13. This new rule affects not just phones at schools, but also at home and out in public.
‘Schools and parents in the County Wicklow town took the initiative last month amid concern smartphones were fueling anxiety and exposing children to adult material. It is a rare example of an entire town taking joint action on the issue,’ The Guardian wrote.
If everyone does it across the board you don’t feel like you’re the odd one out. It makes it so much easier to say no. The longer we can preserve their innocence the better.
Laura Bourne, who has a child in junior infants, said
Childhoods are getting shorter and shorter. It was creeping in younger and younger, we could see it happening.
Rachel Harper, the principal of St Patrick’s school who led the initiative. Nine-year-olds had started requesting smartphones, she said.
Parents are not obligated to follow this rule but such a strict precedent has been issued most parents will be voluntarily obeying it. “Hopefully down the line it’ll become the new norm,” Harper added.
Already the benefits of no smartphones manifested themselves. One parent of an 11-year-old said, “This code makes such a difference to my life. If I know 90% of the class are in agreement, it makes my job easier in saying no.” Another parent of a 13-year-old wishes this rule were extended into the higher grade schools, commented, “It’s been the bane of my life, I’ve lost my daughter. When technology is involved they sit there like robots engulfed in this world of TikTok or whatever.”
Even some of the children are fine with it. A 10-year-old interviewed said “I would like one, I’d like to text my friends. But I don’t want to become addicted to it.”
Another 12-year-old said,
It’s not the end of the world for me. I know some in my class won’t like this at all. But we’re kids, what can we do?
Then this past week The Sun followed-up on this Irish town’s rule, noting that there has been a noticeable improvement in the lives of the children.
Other communities are taking notice and parents throughout Ireland would like to implement some similar. One parent from a different county said, “I would be delighted if it was brought in that area now. It makes it the same for everybody, so there’s no real conversation about it. It’s just done across all levels. I think it’s a great idea.”
Fine Gael politician Mary Seery Kearney sales this move is a role model for other counties to implement:
By coming together, parents, teachers and principals devised and introduced this code, which means all children in the area who attend the same schools won’t experience the dreaded “Fear Of Missing Out” — aka FOMO — by not having a phone or tablet. None of their classmates will either.
Ireland’s health minister, Stephen Donnelly, also wrote in a piece for The Irish Times back in June that he hopes more parents voluntarily start doing this.
Ireland can be, and must be, a world leader in ensuring that children and young people are not targeted and are not harmed by their interactions with the digital world. We must make it easier for parents to limit the content their children are exposed to.
Their idea has spread. Last week all eight primary school principals in the area wrote to the parents suggesting a similar approach. As one of those parents, I commend them. As a parent and Minister for Health, I believe we should look at some form of this approach nationally in terms of safeguarding youth mental health. The strength of what is happening in schools in Wicklow lies in the fact it is community-led.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6
Good for those parents. Of course, I think having no smartphones, ever, would be exceedingly far greater, as life was a thousand times better before we had them, but this is a start. Better to have a glass half empty, half full approach here I suppose.
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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That great; they should be like guns; have to be 18yrs to get one. Then they might learn to do things like math with out a tool, calculator.
Wishful thinking I guess