🎉 Kids & Smartphones: A Parent Workshop & Alternative Phone Fair · Oct 21 · Oxford Elementary · 5:30–7pm — RSVP here →
🌳 Berkeley, CA
Life happens off the screen.
A movement is building in Berkeley and nationwide. Parents in districts from Los Angeles to New York are limiting smartphones and social media, and rethinking school technology policies — to protect children's learning skills, attention spans, and social-emotional connection and development. California has passed a law: the Phone-Free Schools Act. BUSD must follow through — and we need a united parent voice to make it happen. Strength is in numbers.
… families have joined
11
BUSD elementary schools
3
BUSD middle schools
2
BUSD high schools
10
Berkeley independent schools
Who are we and what's our mission?
We are parents and educators across Berkeley schools working together to promote healthy, research-informed approaches to screens and digital media in our schools and homes. We support delaying smartphones and social media for kids, strengthening school technology policies and providing media literacy education for children and families at every grade level.
We are not anti-technology — we believe technology should be introduced to our kids in an age-appropriate and meaningful way that supports their learning and connection to their peers.
What are kids doing on their screens at school?
While we wait for the district to change, what can we do now? We are gathering signatures for a petition to BUSD to urge them to implement meaningful changes in their technology policies across BUSD schools — starting with enforcing the Bell-to-Bell smartphone ban. Strength is in numbers. Please be counted both by joining the movement on the website and by signing the petition through the steps below.
How to get started
1
Join the Movement
Sign up, take the pledge & invite your community
Register by your child's school and grade, take the community pledge to delay smartphones until at least high school, and share your personal invite link with other parents in your class or social group. The more families who join, the stronger we become.
Sign up →Smartphone alternatives →Be a parent ambassador & spread the word →
2
Sign the Petition to BUSD
Ask BUSD to act on screen policies
Sign our petition asking Berkeley Unified to reassess its technology policies and adopt safer, healthier screen measures for our kids. Show BUSD that Berkeley parents are united on this.
With the passage of the California Phone-Free Schools Act (AB 3216), our state has recognized that smartphones have no place in the classroom. By July 2026, every school district in California is required to adopt a policy limiting or prohibiting smartphone use during the school day.
Berkeley Unified has passed a Bell-to-Bell phone policy — but implementation details are still being worked out. We are watching closely and advocating for strong, meaningful enforcement across all Berkeley schools.
🎯 What we stand for
Our shared goals
"We have overprotected our children in the real world and under-protected them online."
— Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation
📱
Delaying smartphones
Research supports delaying smartphones until at least 9th grade, and using low-tech options like Apple Watch or flip phones in the meantime. Collective problems require collective solutions — it's easier when we do this together.
💬
Delaying social media
Research recommends no social media until 16. Before this age, adolescents' brains are still developing emotional regulation and impulse control — making them especially vulnerable to social comparison and online pressures.
🏫
Strengthening technology and media literacy policies and practices in our schools
We fully support the BUSD Bell-to-Bell policy that keeps phones away during school hours. This policy validates what research shows: kids learn and connect better without screens. Our goal is to leverage this momentum — helping families extend that phone-free culture into after-school hours, and pushing for stronger implementation and eventual expansion to Berkeley High School. We are also gathering signatures for a petition to BUSD urging meaningful changes in technology policies across all Berkeley schools.
🌳
Supporting healthy technology habits at home
The Bell-to-Bell policy provides the perfect foundation for families to extend that phone-free focus into the after-school hours. By delaying smartphones and social media at home, we ensure that the benefits of a phone-free school day — increased presence, better mental health, and deeper friendships — continue long after the final bell rings. We also encourage families to set healthy boundaries around screen time more broadly, including video games and recreational device use, as part of a balanced and intentional approach to technology at home.
We are not anti-technology — we believe technology should be introduced to our kids in an age-appropriate and meaningful way that supports their learning and connection to their peers.
Our goal isn't to tell anyone how to parent. It's to make sure every Berkeley family knows they're not alone in wanting balance, connection, and support in the digital age.
When enough families stand together, it stops feeling so hard. Your child won't be the only one without a smartphone. The norm can shift — but only if we move together.
Ready to join us?
Sign up, be counted, and connect with families at your child's school. Please consider BOTH actions below.
Is your child asking for a smartphone — or already using one?
Get practical guidance for every stage: deciding when a child is ready, exploring lower-tech options, and making the devices your family already uses safer.
015:30–6:00 PM
Alternative Phone Fair
Explore real options whether you're waiting, comparing alternatives, or already managing a smartphone.
● Family plans and non-device strategies
● Basic phones and other devices
● Safer settings, filters, and controls
026:00–7:00 PM
Workshop + Q&A
Leave with a clearer decision and practical next steps for your family.
● Smartphone timing and readiness
● How to say "not yet"
● Healthy boundaries and digital habits
Meet the Presenters — Trusted guidance from digital wellness and child-health experts
Reichi Lee
Digital wellness educator
Certified health coach and digital wellness educator with 25 years of experience as a children's attorney, law professor, and media literacy expert.
Dr. Devika Bhushan
Pediatrician + public health leader
Pediatrician, public health leader, and author with expertise in health innovation, stress and resilience, trauma-informed systems, and gender and health equity.
* We are unable to provide childcare.
📚 Tools & Reading
Resources for Families
Books, research, pledges, and tools to help your family navigate technology with intention.
Smartphone Alternatives
☎️
Traditional Landline
The simplest and most reliable option — a home landline lets kids call family and friends without any of the risks of a smartphone. No internet, no apps, no distractions.
🍎
Apple Watch (without iPhone)
An Apple Watch can be set up for kids to call and text approved contacts without a smartphone. Cellular models work independently — kids stay reachable without access to the internet, social media, or apps.
📟
Tin Can Phone / Landline
Simple and reliable — a home landline or a basic device that only calls and texts approved contacts. No apps, no internet, no distractions. Great for younger kids who just need to reach a parent.
Books
📖
The Anxious Generation — Jonathan Haidt
The essential book for understanding what's happened to adolescent mental health since 2012 and the role of smartphones and social media in driving it.
Stanford psychiatrist Dr. Anna Lembke explores how our pursuit of pleasure in an over-stimulated world is leading to pain — and what we can do about it. Essential reading for understanding smartphone addiction.
A leading nonprofit providing independent reviews, research, and policy recommendations on the impact of media and technology on children and families. An excellent resource for age-appropriate screen guidelines and school tech policy advocacy.
California law now requires all school districts to adopt a policy limiting or prohibiting smartphone use during the school day by July 1, 2026. Berkeley Unified is already leading the way with its Bell-to-Bell ban. We are part of a statewide movement reclaiming childhood — and the law is now behind us.
Want to suggest a resource or need something specific?
❓ Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the things Berkeley parents ask us most.
About Berkeley Unplugged
Berkeley Unplugged is a parent-led community — not a nonprofit, not affiliated with any school or district, and not a formal organization. We're Berkeley parents who found each other and decided that navigating technology decisions is easier together. We host events, share resources, and support each other.
Not at all. Our goal isn't to ban screens or tell anyone how to parent. We believe technology has a place in kids' lives — but that the timing matters. We support delaying smartphones and social media, not eliminating them forever. Many of our families use Apple Watches, flip phones, or other low-tech devices as bridges.
No. Berkeley Unplugged is an independent, parent-led group with no official affiliation with Berkeley Unified School District or any individual school. We advocate for phone-free policies within Berkeley schools, but we are not part of the district.
Why Join Berkeley Unplugged?
BUSD's Bell-to-Bell ban keeps kids phone-free during the school day — a major win for focus and real-world connection. But the school day is only part of a child's life. Berkeley Unplugged extends those benefits into afternoons and evenings, so that when the bell rings, your child isn't immediately pulled back into a digital world their peers are avoiding. The district handles the classroom; our community handles the playdates, the walk home, and the evening hours.
There is a historic shift happening across California. The Phone-Free Schools Act (AB 3216) requires all districts to limit smartphones by July 2026. By joining Berkeley Unplugged now, you are not just making a personal parenting choice — you are part of a statewide movement being encoded into law. Joining puts your family ahead of the curve as BUSD finalizes its local implementation this year.
The #1 reason parents give their kids a phone is fear of social isolation — the "I'm the only one without one" argument. When you sign up, you can see exactly how many families in your child's specific grade have already joined. This removes the "only one" factor and provides real social safety in numbers, giving your child a peer group that is navigating childhood without a smartphone alongside them.
About the Goals
We encourage families to wait until at least high school before giving their child a full smartphone. In the meantime, many families use alternatives like Apple Watch (cellular), flip phones, or Tin Can landlines that allow communication without the internet and social media.
Absolutely yes. Many of our members are navigating this after already giving their kids phones. The group is just as valuable for setting limits, reducing screen time, delaying social media, and finding community support regardless of where you are in your journey.
You are absolutely welcome here. While much of our focus is on delaying smartphones before high school, we are also actively advocating for better screen use in all Berkeley schools — including at the high school level. Parents of high schoolers are encouraged to join our advocacy initiatives to help change the screen culture at Berkeley High School. The more voices we have, the more impact we can make.
The research base has grown considerably in the last few years and extends well beyond any single book. A few highlights:
A major study published in PEDIATRICS (December 2025) by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, UC Berkeley, and Columbia University followed over 10,000 adolescents and found that owning a smartphone at age 12 is associated with significantly higher rates of depression, obesity, and poor sleep — and that the earlier a child gets a phone, the worse the outcomes.
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health held a major public briefing in February 2026 examining social media use disorder as a measurable clinical phenomenon, with documented mental and behavioral health harms across age groups.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared a youth mental health emergency and called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms — comparing the risk to tobacco. His advisory noted that teens who use social media more than 3 hours a day face double the risk of depression and anxiety.
New York State passed a first-in-the-nation law in 2025 requiring social media platforms to display health warning labels to users under 18, targeting addictive features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and algorithmic feeds. Attorneys general from 42 states have echoed similar concerns.
Jonathan Haidt's book The Anxious Generation and his Substack After Babel remain excellent starting points for synthesizing this growing body of work. The Wait Until 8th and Let Grow organizations also have extensive resources. Visit our Resources page for the full list.
About Signing Up
When you register for your child's school and grade, you can see how many other families from that same class have already joined. You also get a personal invite link to share with other parents in your class. This is the core mechanic that makes collective action possible — when enough families in the same class join, it changes what's socially normal for those kids.
Yes! You can choose to be counted but stay anonymous — your name won't appear on the public roster. However, we strongly encourage staying visible, because seeing real names from your class is what encourages other parents to join. Every visible signup makes the next one more likely.
We use your name and email only to send you a confirmation, your invite link, and occasional Berkeley Unplugged updates. We never sell or share your data with anyone. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Yes — if you have children in multiple grades at the same school, you can now select multiple grades in one signup. If your children attend different schools, just complete the form once for each school. You'll get a unique invite link for each grade.
Getting Involved
There are lots of ways to get more involved — helping organize or host an event, advocating for phone-free policies at your child's school, spreading the word to parents in your class, or volunteering to be a school ambassador. Send us a message and let us know how you'd like to help!
AB 3216 is a California law requiring all school districts to adopt a policy limiting or prohibiting smartphone use during the school day by July 1, 2026. Berkeley Unified is already ahead of the curve with its Bell-to-Bell policy. This is a historic shift — and it validates exactly what Berkeley Unplugged has been advocating for. By joining now, you are part of a statewide movement that is being encoded into law.
The Bell-to-Bell policy is a great foundation — it removes the distraction of screens during class and lunch. However, the social pressure to own a smartphone often stems from what happens after school: group chats, social media comparison, and the fear of being left out of evening plans. By joining the Berkeley Unplugged pledge, you are helping create a social group where the norm is to be phone-free even when the school day is over. The district policy handles the classroom; our community pledge handles the playdates, the walk home, and the evening hours where the most significant social pressures occur.
We are stronger together. When we show up as a coordinated group, using shared messaging, a common name, and a clear purpose, our impact increases. We organize and attend BUSD Board meetings, 2x2 meetings, and PTA meetings collectively so that families are not advocating in isolation. The more aligned and visible we are, the more effective we become in driving meaningful change.
Still have a question?
We'd love to hear from you. Reach out and a member of our team will get back to you.
Our East Bay Community
Yes! Berkeley Unplugged is part of a growing East Bay movement. Our sister communities include:
Alameda Unplugged — One of the original Bay Area groups, founded in Alameda with the same mission of delaying smartphones and social media. alamedaunplugged.org
Piedmont Unplugged — A thriving parent-led community in Piedmont focused on phone-free childhoods and real-world independence. piedmontunplugged.org
We're all inspired by the same research and the same belief: that kids thrive when they have real-world freedom and aren't glued to screens. Together, we're building a Bay Area-wide movement.
Absolutely — reach out to Alameda Unplugged and Piedmont Unplugged directly through their websites. We also hope to organize cross-community events in the future. If you're interested in helping coordinate across cities, email us through the contact form on our About page.
The movement is growing fast! If you know of a group in another East Bay city — or want to start one — we'd love to hear from you. Reach out through our About page and we'll help connect the dots.
👋 Who we are
About Us
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
— Margaret Mead
Our Story
Berkeley Unplugged started in 2026 with a group of parents who found each other at a district-wide meeting with the Berkeley Unified School District Superintendent on implementing a bell-to-bell phone ban across Berkeley schools. Sitting in that room, we realized we weren't alone — and that the conversation didn't have to end when the meeting did.
As a parent and educator collective, we believe we can create meaningful change by working together to promote healthy, research-informed approaches to screens and digital media — in our schools and our homes. Our focus is two-fold: supporting families in delaying smartphones and social media for kids, and advocating for stronger school technology and media literacy policies across Berkeley public and independent schools.
We're not a nonprofit, not a brand, and not affiliated with any school or district. We're just Berkeley parents who found each other and decided that doing this together is easier than doing it alone. Our group brings together families from across Berkeley, united by the belief that children thrive when they have boredom, freedom, outdoor time, and genuine human connection.
Our goal isn't to tell anyone how to parent. It's to make sure every Berkeley family knows they're not alone in wanting balance, connection, and support in the digital age. With the California Phone-Free Schools Act now law and BUSD's Bell-to-Bell policy already in place, we finally have the institutional support to make phone-free childhoods the standard again. We cannot do this alone. Please join this movement that is gaining momentum across California and the country.
Want to get involved?
Interested in helping run events, advocate at the school board, or become a parent ambassador? We'd love to hear from you. We also want to hear your stories about screens at schools — what you're seeing, what's working, and what needs to change. Send us a message using the form below and we'll get back to you.
Looking for volunteers
We have open spots and would love your help! Here's where we need support:
Elementary Schools
1–2 neededEmerson Elementary
1–2 neededJohn Muir Elementary
1–2 neededMalcolm X Elementary
1–2 neededRosa Parks Elementary
1–2 neededSylvia Mendez Elementary
Middle Schools
1–2 neededMLK Jr. Middle School
1–2 neededWillard Middle School
High Schools
1–2 neededBerkeley High School
Other Roles
OpenCommunications
OpenStorytelling
Want to contribute? We're looking for your talents! Please contact us below ↓
Send us a message and we'll get back to you.
👋 Our community
See Who's Joined!
These are parents and educators across Berkeley schools working together for healthier approaches to screens — at home and in school. ✦ indicates a family who has taken the pledge to delay smartphones until at least high school. But we thank and celebrate everyone who is part of this movement — even if you've already given your child a phone. It's never too late to be counted and to advocate for change together. Select your school to see who has joined.
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🌱
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🤝 Get involved
Join Us
Sign up for your child's school and grade — see who's already joined, and invite other parents in their class.
Select your child's Berkeley school. If your children attend different schools, you can register again after. (If you want to see who has already joined, click here.)
Berkeley Public Schools
Elementary Schools (K–5)
Middle Schools (6–8)
High School (9–12)
Private Schools
Private Schools
Don't see your school?
Not part of a Berkeley school? You can still be counted as a general supporter.
Which grade?
Select the grade(s) your children are in at . You can select multiple grades if you have more than one child there.
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families have already joined this grade. Add yours and invite the rest of the class.
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Used only to send your confirmation and invite link. Never shared publicly.
Select one grade per child. Add more if you have multiple children.
Leave blank to automatically appear as "The [Last name] Family".
Who can see you joined?⭐ We recommend visible
Seeing real names from your class is what encourages other parents to join. Every visible signup makes the next one more likely — your name creates the safety for others to step up too.
Show my name ✓Your family's last name appears on the grade roster and encourages other parents to join.
Stay anonymousYou're counted but your name won't appear on the public roster.
Taking the pledge is highly recommended, but not required to be part of our movement. We want to include everyone who is in support of the general movement for better screen policies and habits around screens. Please sign up without checking the box if you support us but feel unable to take the pledge at this time.
Are you sure you'd like to opt out of updates?
Please fill in all required fields.
🎉
You're in!
You're now listed as a supporter for . Now invite the other parents in your class — the more families who join, the easier it is for everyone.
Your grade's roster
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📨 Share your invite link
Anyone who clicks this goes straight to the signup page for your grade. Forward it in the class email thread, group chat, or text it to parents you know.
💬 Community voices
Our Community Stories
What are Berkeley families seeing? Share your experience — or simply check the concerns that resonate with you.
From our community
Berkeley Unplugged has been sharing public comment at BUSD School Board meetings. Here are some clips of some powerful messages from our community.
"We know from data that non-technology based learning is superior to technology-based."
"The data reveals an unmonitored, algorithm driven environment of digital distraction."
Each bubble represents a concern — the bigger the bubble, the more our community has flagged it. The count and % appear inside, the full label below.
Responses will appear here as our community shares their stories.
We want to hear from you. Stories are powerful. When parents, teachers, our kids and our community share what they are actually experiencing, it helps us build a stronger case for change — with each other, with our schools, and with the district.
Please share your personal experience — how technology has affected your child, your family, or your community. We ask that you keep the names of individuals and specific schools private.
The goal is to share impact and concerns about our children — not to name individuals. Everyone is free to weigh in using the bubble options below, but if you submit a story, we want to take it seriously, and it will be reviewed by one of the parents on our team before we publish it.
Share your experience
All fields are optional — if you just want to weigh in on the concerns, simply click the bubbles below and hit submit. No name or email needed.
💙
Thank you for sharing!
Your story has been received. Our team will review it and may reach out if we'd like to share it on the site.
