Let Kids Be Kids Pact

Reclaiming a Play-Based Childhood in the High Country

Purpose:

Together, as parents in the High Country, we commit to reversing the trends of the phone-based childhood in order to nurture a more resilient, connected, and healthy childhood for our children by embracing the following shared norms.

Our Four Shared Commitments

1. No smartphones before high school (around age 14)

   Delay giving children internet-connected smartphones to reduce exposure to digital pressures and addictive tech.

2. No social media before age 16

   Protect kids from social comparison, curated images, and algorithm-driven content until they are older and better equipped.

3. Support phone-free schools

   Advocate collectively for schools to ban smartphones during school hours, freeing students to focus on presence, learning, and in-person interaction.

4. More unsupervised play and independence in the real world

   Encourage unsupervised outdoor play, community engagement, and childhood autonomy— critical for building resilience, social skills, and confidence.

Why Commit Together as a Community?

Individual families often feel pressure to conform (e.g., giving in to smartphones because “everyone else does”). But by coordinating with other like-minded parents, we transform personal decisions into new social norms—making it easier for everyone to hold firm. Collective action empowers us to change expectations around tech use and youth independence.

Pact Agreement

We, the undersigned, agree to uphold these four shared commitments—not just for our own children, but as a united community taking collective action:

1. Delay smartphones until high school (around age 14).
2. Delay social media until at least age 16.
3. Support and advocate for phone-free schools.
4. Encourage independence through free play and real-life responsibility.

By signing this pact, we commit to supporting one another, sharing ideas and encouragement, and creating an environment where children can grow free from unnecessary screen pressures and with more real-world connection.

Feel free to share this with other parents in the High Country you think would be interested in it!

Further Reading

If you're interested in learning more before you sign, check out these resources:

• The Anxious Generation: The book that inspired us to create this pact.
• After Babel: An email newsletter by Jonathan Haidt, the author of The Anxious Generation.
• The Teen Mental Illness Epidemic: A major post on the After Babel newsletter.
• Let Grow: An organization promoting independence, free play, and real-world responsibility.

Pact Signatures