Picture: Online safety speaker Mick Moran addressed parents and caregivers at St Mary’s Parish Primary School on Tuesday, 20th October, as part of the East Meath & Louth Smartphone-Free Initiative.
Parents’ Associations from five primary schools across Drogheda, East Meath and Louth have joined forces to launch a voluntary agreement encouraging families to delay giving children smartphones until the end of primary school.
The East Meath & Louth Smartphone-Free Initiative follows a survey of 657 parents and caregivers representing 868 children across four of the participating schools.
According to organisers, 93% of respondents were supportive of or open to delaying smartphone ownership, while 84% said they wanted to wait until at least secondary school.
A fifth school has since joined the initiative and plans to introduce the voluntary agreement to families in the coming weeks.
The local campaign is aligned with Smartphone Free Childhood Ireland, a parent-led movement encouraging families to delay smartphones and social media access beyond primary school.
Five schools taking part
The participating schools are:
- St Mary’s Parish Primary School, Bryanstown, Drogheda
- Le Chéile Educate Together National School, Drogheda
- St Patrick’s National School, Stamullen
- Whitecross National School, Julianstown
- Marymount National School, Ballsgrove, Drogheda
Information packs and pledge forms are expected to be shared with families according to each school’s own timetable.
The agreement is voluntary and does not prevent children from having a phone for safety or communication.
Families can instead consider devices that allow calls and messages without unrestricted internet or social media access.
Individual school mobile phone policies will also continue to apply separately.
Parents say collective support matters
The survey carried out by organisers found that 82% of respondents felt collective support was needed, while 69% said delaying smartphones would be easier if other families did the same.
More than half, 53%, said their child had asked for a smartphone because their peers already had one.
Organisers said parents also raised concerns around online safety, screen use, bullying and social pressure.
Carol Flynn, St Mary’s Parish Primary School Parents’ Association representative and project lead for the initiative, said the campaign grew from conversations among local parents.
“After speaking with local parents, it became clear there was a real desire to create a community where children could enjoy their childhood free from the pressures of smartphones and social media,” she said.
“What started as conversations between parents has grown into a collaborative initiative involving five schools.”
She said organisers hope to make the campaign an annual one, welcoming new Junior Infant families each October and encouraging more schools and community groups to get involved.
“By working together, we can make it easier for families to delay smartphones and help keep childhood smartphone-free.”
Online safety focus
As part of the initiative, online safety speaker Mick Moran addressed parents and caregivers at St Mary’s Parish Primary School on Tuesday, 20th October during the school’s Parents’ Association AGM.
The invitation was also extended to families from the wider community.
Moran spoke about online safety, children’s digital lives and the decisions families face around giving children smartphones.
“The day you give your child a smartphone you have lost them forever, they are gone,” he said.
“You are stopping their child development there and then. The reality is that when you give your child a smartphone you give them access to the whole internet, the ying and the yang.”
His comments reflect his own view on the risks associated with early smartphone use.
Campaign aims to extend beyond schools
The Parents’ Associations also hope local sports clubs, GAA clubs and community organisations will support the initiative.
With Christmas approaching, organisers are encouraging families to consider whether a child needs a smartphone or whether a more basic device might meet communication needs.
Awareness posters will be displayed outside participating schools, while information will also be shared through school and community channels.
Organisers stressed that the agreement is not intended to judge individual parenting choices, but to make it easier for families who want to delay smartphones by creating a shared approach.
Smartphone Free Childhood Ireland describes itself as a volunteer parent-led initiative encouraging families to delay smartphones and social media access until after primary school and, where possible, for longer.
