GOOD luck to Clare Fernyhough and her friend Daisy Greenwell in their campaign to protect children from premature exposure to smartphones.

We report on the initiative that they launched early this year to encourage schools to deter the use of smartphones by children in schools. Such use is clearly harmful. Children aged nine, ten or eleven should not be looking at hardcore pornography or scenes of strong violence from around the world.

There is an argument that children have always been looking at things they shouldn’t, which is true; but not to anywhere near the same level as today, courtesy of social media and the internet.

READ MORE HERE: Mums' smartphone-free campaign for schools

Clare and Daisy launched the ‘Parents Pact’ last week, where parents will agree to delay giving their children smartphones until the end of year 9, around 14 years. This pact saw 20,000 signatures on the first day and is currently at 53,000 with support from parents at 296 schools in Hampshire.

It throws up a real conundrum. As Clare told us: “We either give our children access to an adult product that opens the door to harmful content, addictive algorithms and the anxiety machine that is social media. Or, we risk alienating them from their peers at a crucial stage of their development.”

So the sense that parents are not alone is important as is the support of schools. In the past schools have very much seemed to be on their own in tackling the issue. Local newspapers have highlighted a headteacher’s action but invariably they have appeared to be on their own.

There needs to be a coordinated approach, not just practically but also psychologically.