Meet The Irish Town Uniting To Keep Smartphones Out Of Primary School Kids' Reach

In a united effort to protect their children from the pitfalls of smartphone addiction and exposure to adult content, parents in the Irish town of Greystones have adopted a groundbreaking voluntary code, refusing smartphones for their kids until they reach secondary school.

What Happened: Greystones, an Irish town, has witnessed an impressive show of solidarity as parents and schools have implemented a voluntary “no-smartphone code.” Children in the town will now be prohibited from owning smartphones until they reach secondary school, reported The Guardian. 

Ireland’s health minister, Stephen Donnelly, who resides near Greystones, has even recommended implementing the smartphone ban as a national policy, emphasizing the need to prioritize children’s well-being in the digital age.

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The voluntary pact agreed upon by parents’ associations across the district’s eight primary schools extends beyond the school grounds, encompassing all aspects of children’s lives.

The decision to implement this town-wide ban on smartphones for young children emerged from growing concerns among parents and educators about the detrimental effects of excessive screen time, such as anxiety and exposure to adult content. 

While there may be some initial resistance among older students, the overarching sentiment is that of acceptance, the report noted. 

Why It’s Important: As of April 2018, data from Statista, a German database company, revealed that 93% of teenagers in the U.S. from households with an income below $30,000 had access to smartphones at home, moreover, 95% of all teenagers had smartphone access in their households.

A separate survey conducted by Piper Sandler reported that as of Sept. 23, 2022, 87% of U.S. teenagers owned an iPhone made by Apple Inc. AAPL. An even higher percentage, 88%, expressed their expectation of owning an iPhone as their next smartphone. 

This trend of iPhone ownership among teenagers has consistently surpassed 80% since the spring of 2018.

While iPhones dominate the teenage smartphone market, Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG GOOGL Android operating system-powered smartphones constitute the remaining market share. This includes popular smartphone manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics Co. (OTC SSNLF) and Lenovo Group Limited LNVGY.

Google and Apple did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments on Irish parents’ stance against smartphone usage for children. 

Check out more of Benzinga’s Consumer Tech coverage by following this link. 

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