Should young kids have smartphones? These parents in Europe linked arms and said no

A 11-year-old boy plays with his father's phone outside school in Barcelona, Spain, on June 17, 2024. Parents across Europe are rallying to make it normal for young kids to live smartphone-free. From Spain to Ireland and the UK, groups are ballooning on chat groups like WhatsApp and agreeing to link arms and refuse to buy children younger than 12 smartphones. — AP

BARCELONA, Spain: Try saying "no” when a child asks for a smartphone. What comes after, parents everywhere can attest, begins with some variation of: "Everyone has one. Why can’t I?”

But what if no pre-teen in sight has one – and what if having a smartphone was weird? That’s the endgame of an increasing number of parents across Europe who are concerned by evidence that smartphone use among young kids jeopardizes their safety and mental health – and share the conviction that there’s strength in numbers.