The question of when to give a child their first smartphone can be a difficult one for parents, particularly when their friends already have one. A new statewide program is aiming to make that decision easier by bringing families together to agree on waiting.
The South Australian Government has invested $6.5 million to roll out Wait Mate across public and private schools, giving parents the opportunity to connect with others in their child’s year group and delay the introduction of smartphones.
The program is the first of its kind to be rolled out across an entire state’s school system, with parent presentations now underway at primary schools throughout Adelaide.
Rather than imposing a blanket age restriction, Wait Mate allows families to choose how long they will commit to waiting, with a minimum of Year 7. Parents can then connect with other families from the same school and year group who have made a similar commitment, helping to reduce the pressure children may feel when their peers receive devices.
“Parenting is hard right now, and the smartphone question is one of the hardest. It’s not ‘no’, it’s ‘not yet’ – and that’s much easier to say when you know other families in your child’s year are saying it too,” Wait Mate Director SA Emily Harrison said.
The rollout is already taking place in Term 3, with 16 host primary schools across Adelaide holding sessions and families from a further 58 surrounding schools invited to attend. Paringa Park Primary School recently hosted a presentation for parents from its local community.
Additional sessions are planned for Term 4, with the program expected to provide parents from around 150 primary schools access to a presentation by the end of 2026.
Under the Government’s election commitment, all South Australian primary schools will have access to the program during 2026–27, followed by all high schools in 2027–28. Wait Mate is also working towards engaging parents at more than 600 public and private primary schools by the middle of 2027.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said the initiative was designed to change the social expectations surrounding children’s access to smartphones.
“This is about changing the social norm, so parents don’t feel like they are fighting this battle alone. When families make the decision together, it becomes much easier for kids to wait,” he said.
The Government says research has linked earlier smartphone ownership with poorer mental and physical health outcomes, including depression, obesity and insufficient sleep. The initiative forms part of a broader push to reduce screen time and encourage children to be more active, alongside South Australia’s existing school mobile phone restrictions and the national social media age restriction for children under 16.
Education Minister Lucy Hood said schools provided a central place for families to have these conversations and support one another.
The state is also rolling out Newshounds, a media literacy program designed to help primary school students distinguish fact from fiction online.
Parents can find their school’s session or register for an upcoming presentation through the Wait Mate South Australia website.
