Take Action
We all have the power to inspire change and reclaim a healthier childhood for our children in this digital age. Benzion Elias champions a return to a more balanced lifestyle, advocating for new norms that promote well-being in the face of ever-increasing screen time.
While it can feel daunting to push back against the societal tide of technology, we can make a significant impact by working together. If we collectively prioritize a healthier approach to childhood development, we can create a movement that benefits generations to come. Explore the resources and actions below to take the first steps in reclaiming a balanced lifestyle for our children.
Actions for Parents
Parents can coordinate to establish four new norms that will roll back the phone-based childhood, improve family life, and protect their children’s mental health.
Parent Action Guide
A great beginner guide with key actions and resources for any parent to help greatly improve our kids’ mental health at no cost.
Email Other Parents
Text Other Parents
Find a Speaker for a Parent Group
Find a speaker from our list of Aligned Organizations who can talk to your parent group about rolling back the phone-based childhood and restoring the play-based childhood.
Actions for Educators and Schools
Schools and education departments can take the lead in setting new norms that will roll back the phone-based childhood, restore more free play and independence, and improve mental health.
Educator Action Guide
A great beginner guide with key actions and resources for any educator to help greatly improve our kids’ mental health at no cost.
Start a Petition
A petition to go phone-free and make schools play-rich.
Send a Memo to Parents
Use our example to send a memo to parents from school leadership. You can also find examples other eduactors have shared with us. 
Find a Speaker for a Parent Group
Find a speaker from our list of Aligned Organizations who can talk to your school about rolling back the phone-based childhood and restoring the play-based childhood.
Actions for Gen Z
Steps that Gen Z can take to help roll back the phone-based childhood, restore more free play and independence, and improve mental health—including those who went through puberty with smartphones and social media.
Phone Free Friday Summer Challenge
Join the Phone Free Friday Summer Challenge from Friday, June 14 to August 15 and commit to going phone-free every Friday or at least one day every week. Even better, get at least 3 other friends to join you!
Learn to Flourish
Follow Jon’s acclaimed NYU undergraduate course “Flourishing”, with its syllabus, to learn to understand the conditions that lead to flourishing and develop specific habits that will help you thrive at school, at work, and in your personal relationships.
Build your Antifragility
Consider the range of suggested resources for young people listed in The Screenchoice—from apprenticeships and gap year programs to wilderness expedition trips.
Advocate for the Next Generation
Join the growing number of youth-led organizations pushing for digital media reform and more and better real-world experiences.
Actions for Legislators
State and federal governments can take the lead in supporting the four new norms that will roll back the phone-based childhood, restore more free play and independence, and improve mental health.
Keep Up with the Latest Legislation
Keep up with the ongoing legislative efforts to reform social media through our open-source collaborative review Google Doc and the Integrity Institute’s Policy tracker. For a preview on the role of government to help solve this collective action problem, read this post on our Substack.
Guidesheet for Policy Makers
Nine proposed solutions to help remedy social media platforms for teens. The guide sheet includes a mix of easily-implementable narrow proposals and more far-reaching broad solutions.
Actions for Everyone
Spread the Word on Social Media
Want to help Free The Screenchoice? Share more about the movement on social media with your network. Click to find shareable graphics and social media posts.
Donate
There are a few ways you can support our research and the Free The Screenchoice Movement. Visit our Donate page to learn more.
Organizations
Spread the Word on Social Media
We are working with many aligned organizations to roll-back the phone based childhood and restore the play-based childhood. We have a special relationship with Let Grow, which is making it easy, normal and legal to give kids the independence they need to grow into capable, confident, and happy adults.
Aligned Organizations
Organizations working to end the phone-based childhood and restore the play-based childhood.
We want to hear from you!
If you want to share the impact the book has had on you—maybe you’re overprotecting a little less in the real world or have started protecting a little more online—please share your story.
Join the movement
After signing up, you will occasionally receive emails from us. We will never share or sell your information. We will use this list to keep members of the movement informed and, when relevant, to call for action.
