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her’s thus far on the journey of the group, Greenwell reflects on the rapid embrace of their message. “I was also really taken by how the simple act of joining the group made people feel better, whether or not they decided to delay giving their child a phone – it was a decision that made them feel empowered, that they weren’t alone.” And she’s excited by the emotional and mental model that SFC represents: an acknowledgment that parenting is more than just about providing food and shelter, but ensuring our children grow up balanced and happy.
“It’s not about what you can’t do,” she says. “It’s about all the things you can do in their place. There are so many ways to be a fun, creative, happy and innovative parent other than giving your child a smartphone.”
Or, as Ryrie puts it: “Sometimes saying ‘no’ is the biggest ‘yes’ you can say.” So with a besuited beast now in train, the couple are determined to inspire action. “It’s like the smoking ban – that started with a few people in a room,” says Ryrie. “This feels bigger, because it’s about a force that affects whole communities and even your identity. I really think this will be as impactful.”
That means flexing not just their moral muscles, but the practical ones too. Plans are afoot for a range of initiatives. The focus is now turning a powerful movement into effective policy change, in areas like school policies, government regulation and social media’s role in the health and happiness of children.
It’s a long road, but talk to anyone in this close-knit movement and it’s the only road worth taking. Banning’s not the aim, but pushing decision-making ability back into the hands of parents, not the tech firms that have so much control over kids’ lives. As Greenwell puts it: “We’ve got a really clear line here, and if someone doesn’t follow it – fine – but there are going to be consequences. And others are with us all the way.”
“It’s about empowerment,” says Ryrie. “It’s about helping parents lead the way, give them courage, and standing up to a big industry that doesn’t want this to happen.”
The word he keeps coming back to from the whirlwind couple of years since that stormy kitchen night is “purposeful”. “It’s about changing lives,” he says. “And that keeps you going, even when things get really difficult.”
Greenwell agrees: “We’re just a couple of normally parents with a good idea – but it’s the fact that everyone else agrees with it too, and gets inspired by it, that what makes it fly.”
And as they toast their new change-the-world cuppas, the takeaway is clear. “We’ve only been going 16 months,” says Greenwell. “But it’s proven that speaking up together can be really powerful.”
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