Research by Ofcom found nearly a quarter of UK five-to-seven-year-olds now had their own smartphone, and Fitzell said “safety” was one of the main reasons parents did not wait until 14.
“It’s become incredibly normal to give your child a smartphone and say, ‘I need to get in touch with them on the way to and from school’.
“But I think there’s great solutions – an old basic phone, which has become kind of trendy, that has calls and texts only, allows you to know where they are.”
By signing the pledge, parents can see on the Smartphone Free Childhood website how many other parents at their child’s school have also signed up.
Josephine Ogle and Iwona Spencer both have children at primary school age and have signed the pact.
Ogle said “peer pressure” was a big factor for children and adults.
“It’s very reassuring that there are other parents in my child’s class that have signed up,” she said.
“Spreading the word and supporting each other is the way forward.”
Spencer added: “The pressure of having the latest, the newest and the best has to change for parents and obviously this is the way to do it.”
