What do Kate Winslet, Jennifer Garner, Hugh Jackman, Penelope Cruz, Pink, Mayim Biallik, and Matt LeBlanc all have in common (besides being gorgeous and famous)? They're each ahead of their time, parenting with their intuition instead of following the crowd. Each of these celebrities chose to not allow their teen on social media platforms---a bold choice coming ahead of the United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy stating that social media could pose a risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.
Here at Pinwheel, we feel the exact same way as Vivek, Pink, and Hugh. As parents, we've felt this way for years, and so we worked with therapists to create a modern device that supports the lives of kids and teens, but leaves out the addictive and potentially harmful features that are found on a typical device. We created Pinwheel, a smartphone with no social media.
Winslet said in an interview with BBC News, "We don't know really what's going on in their friendship groups anymore because so much of it is actually built on phones, inside phones. I think because people, young children, are having phones at a much earlier age, they're able to access things that emotionally they're just not equipped or sophisticated enough to know how to process."
As for the kids, Garner said she got some pushback, but her 17-year-old daughter now says she's grateful.
To every one of you parents that suspected social media of containing dark alleyways that your child shouldn’t venture down, kudos to you for following your gut. And to every parent that's on the fence---listen to your kids, and listen to your intuition. Take the time to review Dr. Murthy's guidance, rest assured that if you make the rebellious choice to not allow your kids on social media, you’re joining a club full of very beautiful, caring parents!
See how Pinwheel can support your child's everyday life in all the right way, and feel free to reach out to our incredibly friendly customer care team with questions.