Why I Took the “Wait Until 8th” Pledge for My Daughter
When my daughter Grace started 1st grade, we signed something that felt a little radical in our tech-obsessed world: the Wait Until 8th pledge. It’s a commitment to delay giving your child a smartphone until at least the end of middle school.
It wasn’t just me—her best friend’s parents signed on, too, and so did several families in our Girl Scout troop. That’s the beauty of this movement: you’re not the lone holdout parent battling the “But everyone else has one!” argument. Instead, you have a built-in crew of like-minded families who are saying, Not yet. Let them be kids a little longer.
The Book That Convinced Me
I first heard about Wait Until 8th after reading Jonathan Haidt’s book The Anxious Generation. In it, Haidt lays out years of research showing how the smartphone era has reshaped childhood—and not for the better. Rates of anxiety, depression, and self-harm among teens have risen sharply since smartphones and social media became ubiquitous around 2012. He argues that kids need more unsupervised play and face-to-face connection, not hours a day on Instagram or TikTok.
One line stuck with me: “We have overprotected our children in the real world and underprotected them online.” The Wait Until 8th pledge is one way to fix that imbalance.
Why I Said Yes to the Pledge
I love technology. Most of my career has been in tech, so I know how much opportunity it can bring. I’ve also seen the dark side of having 24/7 access to a world that teens aren’t ready to live in full-time. When I got my first iPhone (as an adult, obvs) I was struck by how now I could instantly it changed the dating game. Now, no matter where I was, I could know for fact that know that a guy I was interested in had not called, texted, emailed, or messaged me back — all from one device. Innocence was lost when all that information was in the palm of my hand.
Childhood already feels shorter than ever. Waiting until 8th grade is a way to press pause, to give Grace the space to grow up without constant digital noise in her pocket. She’ll still learn how to use tech responsibly—but later, when she has the maturity to navigate it.
Strength— And Community — Numbers
The Wait Until 8th movement is thriving across the country—from the East Coast to the West Coast, in big cities and small towns, in both public and private schools. The idea is simple, Once 10 or more families in the same grade at a school take the pledge, it becomes “active.” That’s when the magic happens:
Families get a list of others in their grade who are also waiting.
Parents receive updates as more people join.
Kids realize they’re not the only ones without a smartphone—and that changes everything.
Peer pressure works both ways. When kids see their friends waiting, it makes waiting easier. And when parents see they’re part of a community, it’s easier to hold the line.
If you’re curious about the movement—or wondering how to rally more families to your side—you can learn how to start a local Wait Until 8th chapter here. Trust me: the strength is in the numbers.
Because childhood is worth protecting.