Can you take back a smartphone? Yes. It’s a course correction, not a failure.

As Dr. Becky Kennedy puts it: You are the pilot of your family. If you realize the current flight path isn't safe for your passengers, it’s your responsibility to turn the plane around—regardless of the complaints from the cabin. You made the best choice you could with the information you had at the time. Now that you have new information, you're simply prioritizing their safety.

Pro-Tips for a Smooth Transition:

• Focus on the "Gain": Reframe the conversation around what they are getting back: more time for adventure, real-world play, and true independence. Check out Let Grow for ideas.

• Read Together: Go through The Amazing Generation with your child so they understand the "why" behind the change.

• Collaborate on the "New" Tech: Pick out a new non-smartphone together. Letting them help choose their "basic" phone gives them a sense of agency.

• Empower Leadership: Talk to them about being a leader in their friend group. Many kids are secretly relieved to step away from the pressure of social media; your child can be the one to start that trend.

You can absolutely give your kid a phone or watch to stay in touch, just don’t give them a smart one! Calling and texting are great, it’s all the other stuff we want to avoid. Click here to see a list of smart alternatives

Just because something is inevitable in adulthood doesn't mean it’s safe—or helpful—in childhood.

"We don't give a 10-year-old a bottle of whiskey and say, "Well, they’re going to drink eventually, so they might as well start now to build up a tolerance." - Jonathan Haidt

History is full of 'norms' that we eventually realized were wrong. Women were once denied the vote; slavery was once legal; and smoking was once marketed as a healthy habit. These things only changed because enough people were brave enough to stand up and say 'enough is enough.' We are at that same tipping point today with kids and social media—real change starts when we stop accepting the status quo and start protecting the next generation.

Click here to see a list of smart alternatives

The two major risks with video games are their addictive design and the fact that strangers can directly message your child. Popular platforms like Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite aren't just games—they are social networks. Because they have built-in messaging features, they provide a 'digital front door' for predators to contact kids, build trust through the game, and eventually lure them onto unmoderated apps.

You can try but here are four reasons we highly discourage that strategy.

1. The "Bypass" Factor

Kids are digital natives; they often find workarounds faster than parents can find the settings menu.

• The Reality: Common bypasses include using the "guest" mode, factory resetting the device, or even using the built-in "Emergency" dialer to access a browser.

• The Headache: It turns parenting into a game of "cat and mouse." You’ll spend your Friday nights auditing their screen time and wondering why they have 4 hours of usage on a "calculator" app that was actually a hidden browser.

2. The Dopamine Loop

Even with restricted apps, the form factor of a smartphone is designed to be addictive.

• The Pull: A smartphone is a high-resolution, vibrating, tactile "dopamine machine." Even if they can only use the camera or a music app, the device itself keeps them in a "digital-first" mindset.

• The "Dumb" Advantage: A basic flip phone or a "minimalist" phone (like a Connect or Gabb) is intentionally boring. It removes the constant urge to check the screen because there’s simply nothing new to see.

3. The Social Pressure

Parental controls can actually create more social friction than a dumb phone.

• The "Nudge" Problem: On a restricted iPhone, they can see the apps they can’t use. It’s a constant reminder of what they’re missing.

• The Clean Break: Carrying a "cool" retro flip phone (which is actually a bit of a trend in 2026) is a lifestyle choice. It’s easier to tell friends "I don't have that app" than "My mom won't let me use that app."

4. Safety vs. Surveillance

Many parents choose smartphones for the GPS tracking, but you don't need a full smartphone for that anymore.

• The Middle Ground: Many "safe" phones (like Gabb or Bark Phone) offer GPS and even SOS buttons without the open internet or social media.

• The Trade-off: Standard parental controls (like Apple Screen Time or Google Family Link) are notorious for "glitching" and accidentally letting content through or locking the parent out.

A "moral panic" is usually an overreaction to a small or non-existent threat (like rock and roll in the 60s). Haidt points out that with smartphones and social media, we aren't looking at "rumors"—we are looking at a massive, global, and sudden spike in mental illness.

This isn't a few "troubled kids." Since 2010, depression among girls has soared by 145%, while self-harm has surged by 161%. This mental health crisis accelerated alongside the smartphone revolution: the birth of the 'like' button, the rise of the selfie camera, and the era of unlimited data.

Just as we teach safety before letting someone use a power tool or a kitchen knife, we believe in 'training before tech.' Using these platforms to organize and protect the next generation isn't hypocritical—it's using the right tool for the job to create a safer digital future.