Fairfax County Public Schools will now recommend that families don’t give their children a smartphone before eighth grade.
At its meeting last week (April 23), the Fairfax County School Board approved a “Wait Until 8th” resolution that expresses support for “developmentally appropriate smartphone use as a community norm,” encouraging parents to hold off on giving their kids a smartphone until they finish eighth grade.
“Let’s help our kids get healthier, play more, create more, get outside more, go look for four-leaf clovers,” said Dranesville District Representative Robyn Lady.
The resolution also includes a caveat supporting necessary smartphone use for students with disabilities or others who might need one for an education-related purpose.
The measure comes as FCPS and other school divisions grapple with the impact of technology on the learning environment through discussions around cell phone use, screen time in classrooms and artificial intelligence policies.
Among other changes, the school board is planning to update its student regulations to prohibit cell phone usage during the school day at all grade levels, aligning FCPS policies with a recently signed state law, and to establish discipline procedures for the creation and sharing of “intimate images” of another person, whether they’re real or fake.
The proposed revisions were introduced as “new business” at last week’s meeting, meaning they’ll be voted on at a future meeting. If approved, they will take effect for the 2026-2027 school year.
“We do want our kids to have more of their childhood back and less of the screen time,” said Mason District representative Ricardy Anderson.
Sully District representative Seema Dixit pointed out that the “Wait Until 8th” resolution is not something that can be enforced, but is just a guiding principle for the community.
Noting that “we lived without them when we were growing up,” she said it’s up to parents to have important conversations with their children about smartphones.
“I think students also have to understand the pros and cons of having a digital device,” she said.
Providence District representative Karl Frisch said that making a pledge to wait until eighth grade “doesn’t mean the flood gates open at ninth.” There are plenty of ways to gradually introduce cell phone usage and restrict certain applications, he said.
“You can decide what type of things they have on their phone,” he said. “This resolution has no teeth unless parents help make it happen.”
In her work as a parent liaison, Franconia District representative Marcia St. John-Cunning said she has seen many parents who feel social pressure to give their kids a phone, even though they don’t know how to put guardrails on the device.
“Once you give a kid this, you’re inviting a lot of things into your home that you would not open the door to,” she said. “You do have to learn how to use the settings. You have to learn how to make sure that it’s safe.”
The resolution cites growing research about the negative effects of having a smartphone in early adolescence. A recent study from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found risks such as depression, obesity and insufficient sleep.
At-Large representative Iryong Moon said the side effects extend to adults as well. His sleep has improved since he stopped using his smartphone in bed.
“It has to start with grown-ups,” he said. “Let’s model behavior for our youngsters.”
Photo via ROBIN WORRALL on Unsplash
