What does Smarter Start ab 14 e.V. do?

The vision of Smarter Start is a childhood in which children can grow up carefree, active, and healthy – without smartphones. Yet today, this has become the exception. Children are getting their own smartphones at increasingly younger ages and spending more and more time online – at the expense of important offline experiences. At the same time, mental health problems and media addiction among children and adolescents are on the rise.

Many parents would prefer to delay their children’s first smartphone – but still go along with it because the social pressure is immense when »everyone else« already has a smartphone and access to social media. Smarter Start breaks exactly this mechanism. The initiative makes visible that many families would actually prefer to wait, if only they knew that other parents also wanted to wait. As soon as parents within a class or school coordinate with one another, »Everyone else already has one« suddenly becomes: »Everyone else doesn’t have one yet either«. This creates the possibility for a collective, voluntary solution in which no child becomes an outsider.

Smarter Start provides practical support for parents through talks and webinars that help them better understand the risks and opportunities of digital media so they can guide their children effectively. Through nationwide Smarter Start parent groups, Smarter Start parent agreements at primary schools, and Smarter Start classes in grades 5 and 6, parents are enabled to make shared voluntary agreements and postpone smartphone use together. In addition, Smarter Start advocates on the political level for effective child and youth protection in digital spaces and for greater accountability of digital platforms.

Why are we awarding a grant to Smarter Start ab 14 e.V.?

Numerous studies demonstrate the negative effects of smartphones and social media on the development of children and adolescents. At the same time, their (problematic) use is increasing rapidly, leaving many parents uncertain and overwhelmed. What is needed is connected support for parents, as well as education about the consequences of unsupervised smartphone use. In addition, the parent initiative gives young people a voice, thereby strengthening dialogue with policymakers.

What is our mutual goal?

In the digital world, there is no effective system of child and youth protection, leaving children exposed to a wide range of serious risks. Or, put differently: there is no shallow end of the pool on the internet. The status quo is unsustainable – and policymakers have now begun to recognize this as well. However, for today’s children, possible legal regulations will come too late. That is why Smarter Start aims to empower parents today to protect their children themselves and to take action locally together with like-minded families in community groups. Together, we want to raise public awareness about the risks of a screen-based childhood while also highlighting simple and practical alternatives that enable children to grow up healthy in a digitalized world. In this way, a grassroots movement is emerging – driven by parents who want to create change. Smarter Start is part of the global parent movement Smartphone Free Childhood.