Parents call time on kids' social media with The Heads Up Alliance

In an attempt to minimise screen time and encourage a complete ban on social media until at least a child is 14 years of age, a group of St George parents have formed a pact. They are saying a firm "no".

All families part of the The Heads Up Alliance have collectively agreed not to give their kids access to apps including Facebook, Instagram or TikTok.

The alliance was formed by parents whose children attend Our Lady of Fatima Primary School and St Ursula's Kingsgrove. More than 30 children have signed up, and with little rebellion parents say.

Alliance member Dany Elachi, of Bexley, said it was concerning that screen time behaviour changed dramatically during COVID-19, especially among younger children.

"We're talking year 3 or year 4 kids with smart phones," he said. "It has become a serious problem because of the pandemic. We have already lost so much face-to-face interaction because of lockdown. Homeschooling has made the issue more pressing."

He said while families hadn't completely shunned screen time in their households, they scrapped social media use altogether.

"We have made mutual commitments to each other to delay giving our children smart phones and social media accounts," he said. "We are helping each other because as adults, we are addicted so it's hard for us to regulate. Parents are concerned but they seem a bit lost. Some in the alliance are teachers, and they see firsthand how big the problem is with digital devices in the classroom."

Mr Elachi said the longer they could delay social media use, the better.

"In our family we have numerous digital tablets floating around the house but we've drawn the line at smart phones," he said. "Kids have them in their pockets, they are on them at night before bedtime and not getting enough sleep before school. We're trying to monitor what we think it toxic for children."

The idea is to expand the alliance into other schools.

"We would love other schools in St George to create similar alliances within their communities," Mr Elachi said. "We're just mums and dads and we have a long way to go but I think it has the potential to be some kind of movement."

Kingsgrove mother Vivian Munoz said it was about creating balance.

"We don't have a complete ban on screen time. My kids still play video games but our laptops are purely for work," she said. "My eldest is responsible and understands there is a set time. I have boys so my concern is access to pornography through social media."

Fellow alliance member and parent, Cynthia Elachi, said bullying on social media was a growing problem.

"It's a battle when kids continue to engage with each other online. This is putting the power back in our hands," she said.

A recent study by Deakin University revealed children were spending more time on smartphones, digital tablets and computers since the start of the pandemic. Alarmingly, the biggest age group that showed the greatest increases where those between the ages of five and 12.

The 'Our Life at Home' study researcher Lauren Arundell said the trend was particularly worrying for primary school children.

"We saw a lot less informal play and outdoor recreational activities. Screen time has been associated with lower social development and social connections among children, so it is important that these longer periods of screen time do not become normalised behaviour," Dr Arundell said. "If these new habits become established, it can be hard to rewind that behaviour."

Member for Kogarah and NSW Labor Leader, Chris Minns, said he would support "throwing away" all kids' phones away.

"I'm worried about the impact of devices on our kids. Our kids are becoming guinea pigs to big, sophisticated social media companies," he wrote in one of his past opinion pieces, published in the Leader.

"Parents we need to work together. Acting together will can relieve some of the social pressure on our kids to be online."