The San Diego Parent Pledge

When you sign, you commit to the following:

OFFICIAL • 2026

OFFICIAL FAMILY COMMITMENT

COMMITMENT 01

I will wait to give my child a smartphone until high school.

COMMITMENT 02

I will wait to allow my child on social media until age 16.

COMMITMENT 03

I will support phone-free learning at school and phone-free routines at home.

No fees. No commitments beyond what’s on this page.

Take the Parent Pledge

Add your family to the San Diego Parent Pledge in partnership with your community.

WHY FAMILIES ARE MAKING THIS PLEDGE

01
Kids do better when phones come later.

Kids who delay smartphones sleep more, build stronger in-person friendships, and report less anxiety and fewer symptoms of depression. Younger children especially benefit from time to be present, creative, and simply be kids.
02
Why it matters that we do this together.

Parents are watching their kids face pressures that didn't exist when we were growing up. Many would rather wait; the hard part is doing it alone. This pledge helps families hold the line together—not one family at a time, but a thousand at once.
03
Kids do better when phones come later.

Kids who delay smartphones sleep more, build stronger in-person friendships, and report less anxiety and fewer symptoms of depression. Younger children especially benefit from time to be present, creative, and simply be kids.

LIVE FAMILY COUNT

SAN DIEGO FAMILIES • AND COUNTING

Research suggests younger children gain the most from waiting. High school is a clear line; by then, most kids are readier to handle a phone and have had years to build face-to-face friendships.
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