We're Humanitree parents coming together to delay smartphones until at least Hive 2. The pledge opens in August — leave your email and be the first to sign.
"Let kids be kids a little longer."Humanitree parents · 2026
Strength in numbers.
Real friendships.
Joy without screens.
In August, Humanitree families will be able to officially sign the Hold for Hive 2 pledge — committing together to delay smartphones until at least the start of Hive 2. Leave your email and we'll notify you the moment it's ready.
One email only. No spam, ever.
The prefrontal cortex — responsible for self-control and decision-making — is not fully developed until the mid-20s, and is especially vulnerable during early adolescence. Introducing a smartphone before this foundation is built interferes with the very neural pathways it needs to develop.
Multiple meta-analyses — including one analyzing data from nearly 300,000 children — consistently link higher screen time to increased anxiety, depression, and lower self-esteem in children under 12.
Evening screen use suppresses melatonin and delays sleep onset. Poor sleep directly impairs emotional regulation, attention, and impulse control — the exact skills kids need most during these years.
Excessive screen time displaces face-to-face interaction, free play, and physical activity — experiences that are irreplaceable for building emotional competence and social skills.
Research shows kids feel less pressure to have a phone when their peers don't have one either. When families act together, we don't just set a rule — we change what's normal. That alone reduces kids' anxiety to belong.
Commit to no smartphone until Hive 2 — as long as at least 10 families in your child's grade make the same commitment.
Share with other Humanitree families. The more who join, the easier it is for everyone to hold the line together.
At 10 families per grade, we notify you and connect you with the other families holding together in your grade.
A basic call-and-text phone is perfectly fine. The pledge is against internet-connected smartphones and social media — not communication.
Jonathan Haidt's landmark book on how smartphones and social media rewired childhood — and what we can do about it. The research behind this movement.
Devorah Heitner's practical guide for parents on raising kids in a digital world — less fear, more strategy.
Founders of the Smartphone Free Childhood movement explain the Parent Pact, the research, and practical alternatives. A must-listen before August.
Catherine Price's clear, non-alarmist take on smartphones and kids. Great for sharing with a partner who needs more convincing.
Channel 4, 2024. A real-world experiment following a school that removed smartphones. The results are striking.
The global movement that inspired Hold for Hive 2. See how communities around the world are already doing this — and winning.