Wait Until 8th began in Austin, Texas in 2017 with the goal of providing a support network for parents. It is mostly inspired by the book The fearful generation
The idea spread across the country and has growing support here in Evanston.
Kendall first learned about it in the summer of 2024 and started a local grassroots movement to raise awareness.
“I took the first step and signed the pledge, then emailed a small group of moms and set up coffee dates to talk,” she said. “We are now up to 245 children in Evanston, with passionate stakeholders at Lincolnwood, Dewey, Kingsley, Willard and Haven schools. We are also actively working with Washington and Lincoln families and hope to engage every D65 school and class in the coming months.”
The promise helps spark a discussion about smartphone use.
“It can be a taboo topic,” said Kendall, “but when multiple families talk to each other, it creates a greater dialogue in the community.” There is ample evidence that smartphone use poses a significant challenge for parents to monitor, what their children absorb via social media, group texts, the internet and apps. The devices are supposed to be addictive.”
The “Wait Until 8th” pledge is gaining attention in Evanston. Credit: Wait until the 8th
Many Studies support the idea that smartphone use affects the physical structure of a child’s brain and has a detrimental effect on their emotional development and mental health.
Evanston mother Marianne Miller, a pediatric nurse, said smartphones are responsible for rising rates of anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide among teens.
“Smartphones are directly linked to lack of sleep, lack of social interaction and development of social skills, attention problems and exposure to age-appropriate content,” Miller said. “Children and adolescents are particularly at risk because their prefrontal cortex – the area of the brain responsible for decision-making, self-control, personality expression, reasoning and problem solving – is not fully developed until their late 20s.”
Evanston mom Annie Cacchione is a psychologist and co-owner/founder of Sage Counseling Collective in Wilmette. She said smartphones have both short- and long-term harmful effects on child development.
“Smartphones expose teenagers to constant social comparison and pressure to present idealized, curated versions of their lives and, conversely, to see other people living unrealistic lives,” she said. “This can lead to higher levels of anxiety and depression as teens feel left out or not good enough.”
The Wait Until 8th Evanston Instagram account, run by Laura Oliver and Sarah Dreier, is growing rapidly with the goal of providing parents and caregivers a platform to learn more and support each other on delaying smartphones. Credit: Miriam Kendall. “When teens are constantly exposed to online feedback and likes, they become more reliant on immediate and external validation,” Cacchione said. “In therapeutic settings, we have seen how teenagers’ identity development is negatively affected because the feedback leads them to base their self-esteem on external judgments, as opposed to internal values and personal social interactions that build deeper and more meaningful ones Relationships and overall happiness.”
Prolonged time online can also cause real-life interactions to be affected. Evanston mom Kristin Kennedy is a school psychologist and said these experiences are crucial for healthy development.
“Children need to connect with each other and communicate face to face,” she said. “You have to play in the real world, experiment and fail. They must learn to communicate their wants and needs, which includes interacting with their peers.”
Kennedy said the presence of social media raises the stakes of everyday social experiences: “In middle school, you’re supposed to make mistakes and learn from them. During real-life interactions, you are able to read other people’s facial expressions and hear their tone of voice. If you had a social faux pas or misstep, it could be an embarrassing learning situation, but it would be of a smaller magnitude and scope. But if it happens online, it can be permanent and the audience can be much larger, so the stakes are high.”
Not surprisingly, the movement has met with resistance from some parents, who primarily cite safety and comfort as their top concerns. Kennedy said not having a smartphone can actually help children develop ingenuity.
“If there is an emergency at school, I don’t want my second grader searching for a phone to text me and ask what I should do. I want her to be alert and watch and listen to the instructions of the responsible adult,” she said.
Wait Until 8th supports the community in delaying the provision of smartphones to children. Credit: Laura Oliver Being present even in difficult situations contributes to the development of independence.
“Overcoming everyday obstacles can give children confidence and agency so they know they can handle difficult things when a parent is unavailable,” Kennedy said. “This helps children develop flexible thinking and the ability to solve problems independently.”
For parents who feel the need to stay in touch with their children, there are still a number of options.
“The promise does not include watches and basic phones. “It addresses the different communication needs of different families while providing an alternative to smartphones and social media,” Cacchione said.
Parents can also model appropriate smartphone use based on their own behavior.
“Wait Until 8th fosters community and hopes parents will come together and plan screen-free meals, schedule screen-free playdates and enhance real-life experiences,” Miller said.
Cacchione said that “Wait Until 8th” is not intended to divide parents: “This just gives parents the choice to put off smartphones and social media without completely excluding and ruining their own relationships with their children.”
Contact Wait Until 8th Evanston. Instagram grams or Facebook pages.
