Delco Unplugged is part of a rising wave of parent-led groups pressing parents to hold off on giving children phones, warning of the risks tied to screen time, social media, and mental health, write Denali Sagner and Maddie Hanna for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Delco Unplugged was founded by Rose Valley resident Alex Becker, who learned first-hand about the addictive nature of online platforms while working at a tech company, where she researched ways to keep users engaged with their products.
“They are profiting on our attention and our kids’ attention and their vulnerability,” she said. “I couldn’t stop thinking about what I had seen.”
Since leaving her job, Becker has become a vocal advocate for keeping phones out of schools. Delco Unplugged is pressing parents to hold off on giving smartphones to children until high school, joining other efforts like the “Wait Until 8th” pledge in the Lower Merion and Radnor school districts.
The group hopes that broad support will make it easier for families to resist the crushing pressure to hand over phones. These groups are also pushing for state legislation to ban cell phones and other electronic devices in schools.
Read more about Delco Unplugged’s efforts to postpone giving children phones in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
