Campaign group, Smartphone Free Childhood, has launched a petition urging the UK government to raise the minimum age for social media and limit children’s access to smartphones.

The petition, ‘Tell Starmer: Protect our kids from harmful social media’, has had support from thousands of families and parents, gaining 50,000 signatures in under 24 hours.

The campaign involves a “Parent Pact” approach where parents are asked to sign a voluntary pledge to delay giving smartphones until around the age of 14.

Across South Yorkshire, a total of 222 schools have been covered under the pact and 2,795 children signed into the movement, with a strong uptake of schools in Sheffield such as Hallam Primary School and Ecclesall Primary School.

It was introduced in response to growing concerns about the harmful effects of social media and smartphones, acknowledging that childhood is increasingly shaped by algorithms rather than real-world experiences, with the average child getting a smartphone at the age of nine.

Laura Spradling, a South Yorkshire Regional leader said: “When I think about the potential of children having a bully in their pocket, it’s very heart breaking to me because they’ll no longer have a safe space.”

Sheffield advocates of the campaign, Ruth Fitzell and Constantin Court have also sent a proposal to the Sheffield City Council pushing their agenda prompting more support for parents on how to introduce smartphones and social media and encourage schools to adopt smartphone free policies.

In a letter of response, Dawn Dale, Chair for the Education, Children & Families policy Committee, said: “We need an approach that is not anti-technology but about supporting healthy childhoods and giving families clearer, more consistent backing.”

A growing wave of support for limiting smartphone use among young children is exemplified by Ecclesfield Primary School’s recent ‘S35 Unplugged’ initiative, where children voluntarily participated.

Ms Spradling added: “We want to see children go back to a play-based childhood rather than a phone-based childhood, I want this to be an option for parents.”

Following the introduction of a government imposed legal ban on mobile phone in schools, the campaign group consider this to be a step in the right direction and call for clearer guidance to support its implementation, with some schools already adopting solutions such as Yondr pouches.