You're not the only parent thinking this
Almost every parent worries about the same thing at some point: when's the right time for social media, how to hold off a bit longer, and how to do it without your child feeling like the odd one out. The honest answer is that this is much easier together than alone — and a simple phone for calls and texts in the meantime is no problem at all.
Find your school
See how many families at your child's school are already part of this, broken down by class. Log in once you've joined to see each class by code name instead of just a number.
Primary Schools
Gaelscoil Mhainistir na Corann
School UndecidedMidleton
3 children registered
| Class | Registered |
|---|---|
| Junior Infants | 0 |
| Senior Infants | 0 |
| 1st Class | 0 |
| 2nd Class | 0 |
| 3rd Class | 0 |
| Ran 4, Lúc | 0 |
| Rang 4, Aisling | 0 |
| Rang 4, Kelly | 0 |
| Rang 5, Deirdre | 0 |
| Rang 5, Iain | 0 |
| Rang 5, Ultan | 1 |
| Rang 6 Ellen | 0 |
| Rang 6 Lúsaí | 2 |
| Rang 6 Neasa | 0 |
Log in to see the children in each class by code name.
No schools match your search yet.
Why doing this together works
A lot of the pressure to get a child onto social media early comes from feeling like everyone else already is. When a group of parents in the same class or school agree to hold off together — for as long as reasonably possible, some of us aiming as late as 16 — that pressure drops for everyone, kids included. Nobody wants to be the only one left out of the group chat, but nobody minds much if half the class is in the same boat.
Building momentum from 4th class onward
The years before secondary school matter most. If enough parents in 4th, 5th and 6th class agree to delay together, that group carries its own momentum into 1st year — meaning kids start secondary school already surrounded by friends taking the same approach, rather than starting from scratch.
What joining actually involves
A couple of minutes, your email and a password.
Keeps accounts genuine and secure.
How we contact you, and whether you'd rather appear publicly under your real name or an anonymous supporter code.
Link them to their school and class so momentum can build where it matters — you can always do this later.
Connecting with other parents
Once a few families at your child's school have joined, the natural next step is usually a small class or school WhatsApp group — parent to parent, nothing formal. The site helps you see where support is building; what you do with that is up to you and the other parents.
Beyond just saying no
Holding off on social media works best alongside a real answer to "what do I do instead?" A "balance" phone covers calls, texts and safety without the social media. See Resources for that, and Reclaim Free Time for the friendships, play and get-togethers side of it.
Some of what parents are already doing together
Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation as a class or school reading group, then a chat about it.
A BBQ, disco or party for every 6th class family who stuck with it — a real thank-you.
So kids carrying it into secondary school already know they're not the only ones.
Badminton, a kickaround, a bike spin — no coach, no training session, just kids together.