Many people are familiar with MADD, Mother's Against Drunk Driving. Now, a grassroots movement is emerging across the nation, inspired by MADD but focused on safeguarding children from the perils of technology. This group is called MAMA, which stands for Mothers Against Media Addiction. A co-founder from the Brooklyn chapter recently visited Sewickley to engage with local parents and share their mission.

Technology's Impact on Childhood

Technology is having a profound influence on children's lives. Playtime is decreasing, attention spans are shortening, and an excessive dependence on devices is becoming a concern. As kids grow older, the problems only intensify. Stephanie Haff from Wexford shared a distressing experience when her teenage daughter was sexually harassed online. "It was a very tough time for my daughter, and I witnessed how numerous others were negatively affected by online activities such as bullying, sexual harassment, sextortion, and the sharing of nude images," she said.Studies indicate that 93% of kids between 13 and 17 use social media, and more than one-third claim to use it almost constantly. This makes it challenging for parents to individually ban social media for their children as it has become a common form of social connection among teenagers.

The Need for Collective Action

Colette Walsh from Sewickley emphasized the need for collective action. "We realized that parents are at a disadvantage. These devices are everywhere, and it has become socially acceptable for both kids and adults to have them at all times," she said. Jessica Elefante, co-chair of the Brooklyn chapter of MAMA, is dedicated to fighting media addiction and promoting real-life experiences for kids. "This is why we do what we do. It's a difficult and heavy task, but raising kids is hard enough as it is. We should be able to enjoy their childhoods, and they deserve to have carefree childhoods," she told the group. She also read passages from her book, "Raising Hell, Living Well."

Local Initiatives in Sewickley

Pittsburgh was the first chapter of Mothers Against Media Addiction outside of Brooklyn. This summer, Walsh and 235 families in the Sewickley area joined forces to form "Sewickley Unplugged." With the assistance of Quaker Valley School administrators, they enhanced technology policies in their elementary and middle schools. This includes implementing a "away for the day" policy, where students face disciplinary actions if caught using a phone or smartwatch without permission in school. Additionally, elementary school students are no longer required to bring home their school laptops every night."We all share the same goals, and we quickly realized that many policies and technology uses that emerged during the COVID era have not been properly evaluated. It's time to make some changes," Walsh said.

The Research on Technology and Kids

The evidence is mounting about how technology can harm children. The average teenager spends 4.8 hours a day on social media. Shockingly, 15% of teenagers report seeing online pornography as early as age 10, and one in eight kids between 13 and 15 report experiencing unwanted sexual advances on Instagram in the previous week.Experts believe these factors contribute to suicide being the second-leading cause of death for kids aged 10-14. Due to these reasons, more than 200 families in the Sewickley area have signed an online pledge to wait until their child is at least in ninth grade before giving them a smartphone. Some even provide them with a flip phone initially.

MAMA's National Impact

Mothers Against Media Addiction has played a significant role in changing laws in New York state and is currently working towards getting the "Kids Online Safety Act" passed through Congress. The last time Congress passed a law to protect children on the internet was in 1998, long before the advent of Instagram, TikTok, or the iPhone.There are now 26 chapters of MAMA in 16 states, and an additional 34 new chapters are on a waiting list as the movement continues to grow rapidly. If you're interested in learning more or starting a group in your community, visit MAMA's website: Joinmama.org. To discover more about what the Sewickley community is doing, visit sewickleyunplugged.org.