They can be a parent or teachers' worst nightmare, so what age should kids get their first smart phone? One British city is undertaking to ban the devices for all children under 14. It's part of a global movement to get kids spending time away from screens and off social media.
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00:00Students in the British city of St Albans march to a unique beat.
00:07While their peers play games and watch videos on mobile screens,
00:12parents in this city have made a pact not to give their children a smartphone until they're at least 14.
00:19Nobody wants their child to be the odd one out.
00:21Everybody wants to fit in, of course they do, particularly at that tender age.
00:25So if everybody is holding off until 14, then the expectation has shifted.
00:30And that is sort of like a teamwork.
00:32Six months in, the campaign is gaining momentum.
00:36It's becoming a movement, not just in St Albans, but across the country actually.
00:41Some people that do have one, they might say that life isn't life without one,
00:45but then it is, like life is still life.
00:50There's so much beyond the screen.
00:53You can talk to your family members, friends, you can go on a walk,
00:57you can actually meet your friends instead of just texting them.
01:01Around a quarter of 5-7 year olds in the UK own a smartphone.
01:05That number jumps to 95% by age 12.
01:09Schools in the UK are hoping to prove it's still possible to give kids a childhood free from smartphones,
01:16and they're hoping progress made here might inspire cities around the world to take similar action.
01:22It's part of a global pushback against the prolific technology.
01:26Australia and parts of the US are exploring social media bans for children,
01:31amid growing claims its use is linked to a decline in mental health.
01:35I would say the evidence does not back up many of the stronger claims that abound
01:41that tie smartphones kind of by themselves to adverse mental health.
01:47I think it's a movement born of frustration.
01:50I think a lot of parents have wanted governments to regulate big tech for a long time
01:56and it isn't happening, and they feel now they have to take action into their own hands.
02:00Lessons learned here could help parents confronting similar challenges in other parts of the world.
02:07Michelle Rimmer, ABC News, London.
02:11For more UN videos visit www.un.org