The Power of Collective Action

A few weeks ago, I had the honour of speaking with over 100 families connected to Village to Raise, a community organization based in Colombia. I wasn’t sure what to expect, as I would be presenting in English while Spanish is their first language.​

Thanks to real-time translation on Zoom, parents were able to follow along in Spanish as I spoke and add comments in the Zoom chat. It was exciting and meaningful to witness how technology, when used intentionally, could help us connect, despite the language barrier and distance!​ Our conversation focused on Protecting Youth Mental Health in a Digital Age, a topic that feels increasingly urgent. Sadly, we know that not all forms of technology are safe or healthy for youth.

Across many countries, parents are grappling with similar questions about smartphones, social media, and children’s well-being. France and Canada are now moving toward legislation to restrict children’s access to social media, following Australia’s lead. The push for legislation is a powerful reflection of how widespread and serious these concerns have become.​What struck me most was this: parents everywhere are carrying remarkably similar worries.

To check out the amazing advocacy being done by Village to Raise, visit their website in the link below. Their goal is for parents within school communities to come together and pledge to delay giving their children smartphones. This is a similar model to the collective action initiatives of Wait Until 8th in the U.S. and Unplugged Canada.

Village To Raise

Valued feedback

After the presentation, Juanita, the organizer of Village to Raise, sent me feedback that touched me and fuelled my desire to keep supporting parents around this issue of digital safety and protecting youth mental health. I’m including it here because it captures how much parents value having a safe, non-judgmental space to work together:​ “Today’s conversation was incredibly meaningful for our community. Having over 118 parents join and stay engaged speaks volumes, and so many families have already reached out to share how seen, reassured, and grounded they felt. Thank you for the care, clarity, and compassion you brought to this space.” ​I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be part of conversations like this, with parents who are showing up for their children and for one another.

What Parents Are Asking For

Parents submitted around 50 questions in advance, and three clear themes emerged: ​​ 1. Exhaustion and concern around how smartphones, social media and video games affect family life.​ 2. A longing for childhoods with more play and connection, echoing the shift from a play-based to a phone-based childhood described by researcher Jonathan Haidt.​ 3. Uncertainty about setting limits, as many parents feel caught between being too strict and too permissive.​​ What parents seem to want most is support in finding a confident, compassionate middle ground—one where limits and connection can coexist.

A Question I Hear Often

One parent asked:

“How do I handle my 10-year-old feeling left out because she’s the only one without Snapchat/ Instagram/ a phone?”

This is such a common concern. While it’s understandable for children to believe that being more connected to peers online will help them feel included, phones and social media often make exclusion more visible and harder to escape. ​In my work with kids and their parents, I regularly see how access to social media can increase stress, particularly when children experience exclusion or bullying online. Seeing a group event they weren’t invited to, or having a private image shared beyond its intended audience, can be incredibly distressing.​ So when parents ask this question, my answer is honest and compassionate: giving younger children access to these platforms doesn’t guarantee inclusion, and often introduces new challenges.​ One powerful protective factor is collective action. When parents connect through schools, neighbourhoods, or community groups, they can create more opportunities for in-person connection and make shared agreements to delay smartphones and social media. When families set healthy expectations and clear limits for kids together, no child has to feel alone.

Learn More!

PS: If you’re part of a school, parent council, or community group and are curious whether one of these conversations might support your families, I’d love to connect. I’m always happy to explore what would be most helpful for your community.