Take Action
The most effective ways to take action are to:
1. Sign & share the PETITION
Click here: https://my.uplift.ie/petitions/gen-free-free-to-be-kids
After signing, please copy the link and send it to your contacts via text, whatsapp, email etc, share on social media and ask your child’s school and parents association to share it
Please note that no donation is required
2. Contact your TDs and ministers demanding action
To make this as easy as possible, we have drafted a template email which you can copy, paste and send. If you live in the Wicklow constituency click HERE. For all other constituencies, click HERE.
Want to do more?
More ways for PARENTS to take action:
Ask your child’s school to share the campaign poster with all parents via their e-communications system (e.g. Aladdin etc). Poster can be downloaded HERE (jpg) or HERE (A4 pdf).
Join the Parents Association of your child’s school, and via this route, encourage other parents to come together to form collective action on the matter (e.g. collectively asking your child’s primary or secondary school to become a smartphone-free / tablet-free school until effective legislation is introduced to protect children online)
Choose to delay the age at which you allow your child to access smart devices. Sign a pledge to commit to this (e.g. at https://smartphonefree.ie/sign-the-pledge/ ). The more parents that pledge to delay, the easier it will be for everyone to implement.
Print the campaign poster (download HERE (A4 pdf)) and ask shops, businesses, community centres, GP or dental practices etc in your locality if they will put it on their noticeboards or windows for public display, or to put it up in their staff rooms etc.
More ways for SCHOOLS to take action:
Share the campaign poster with parents via your e-communications system. Poster can be downloaded HERE (jpg) or HERE (A4 pdf).
Become a smartphone-free / tablet-free school until effective legislation is introduced. You can contact principal Brian Barron school@portlawns.com to receive all the resources used by Waterford Schools in their delay smartphone and social media drive (which was launched in Sept 2023).
Ask parents to pledge to delay smartphone / smart device ownership (e.g. via https://smartphonefree.ie/sign-the-pledge/ or via a local schools charter)
Invite a speaker to come to your school to raise awareness on the issue (e.g. a speaker from GenFree, from CyberSafeKids https://www.cybersafekids.ie/our-talks/ , or another online safety expert)
Ways for CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE to create change
If you are a young person under 18 reading this, if you are struggling, if you want to see change happen, here’s what you can do:
Ask all of the adults in your life to sign the Gen Free petition & email their TDs – ask your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, youthworkers etc
Print the campaign poster (download HERE (A4 pdf)) and ask shops, businesses, community centres etc in your locality if they will put it on their noticeboards or windows for public display
Start conversations with your friends around whether anyone else would like to take a break from smartphones and tablets. Even if it starts small, in time a movement may grow among your friends, your community and school. This collective action will ease the pressure on all of you. In letting the devices go, you might be surprised at how much more freedom, connection and fun you discover in your life!
For inspiration, see here: https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/parenting/article/what-happened-when-i-made-my-sons-and-their-friends-go-without-smartphones-vpcnbj58d
Choose to switch to a non-smart phone. Making an empowered independent decision to switch will inspire others to do the same. See suggestions here https://smartphonefree.ie/starter-phones/.
Leading change means not being afraid to take a brave step forward, to take a risk, even if challenges lie ahead. As Mahatma Ghandi once said, “BE the change you wish to see in the world”.
