BARCELONA, Spain — Try saying ‘no’ when a child asks for a smartphone. What comes after, parents everywhere can attest, begins with some variation of: ‘Everyone has one. Why can’t I?’
But what if no preteen in sight has one — and what if having a smartphone was weird? That’s the endgame of an increasing number of parents across Europe who are concerned by evidence that smartphone use among young kids jeopardizes their safety and mental health — and share the conviction that there’s strength in numbers.
