Smartphone Free Childhood US (SFCxUS), a growing grassroots movement of parent advocates, has released a new PSA that targets the pressures smartphones and social media place on children. Titled “Let’s Change the Norm,” the spot was written and directed by Chicagoan Tim Mason and produced by Tessa Films.
The campaign uses humor to underscore a serious issue: children are being handed adult-sized responsibilities long before they’re ready to handle them. Through a horror-meets-comedy lens, the PSA illustrates how phones and social platforms burden kids with constant notifications, addictive algorithms, online bullying, and exposure to harmful content like hackers and sextortion.
“It’s not a fair fight. These products are designed to be addictive and are stealing childhood,” said SFCxUS co-lead Kim Whitman. “This PSA shows how access to phones and social media inappropriately places grown-up responsibilities on children.”
The project was personal for Mason, a father of four, who shot much of the PSA in his own home with the help of friends and his daughter’s peers. “We’re the first generation of parents trying to navigate this,” he said. “What became ‘normal’ happened so fast that no one stopped to ask what we were really letting our kids access.”
“That realization is what sparked this PSA,” Mason continues. “I shot it in a single day at my own house—mostly with friends, myself, and my daughter’s friends—and called in a few favors from people Lisa and I know in the production world. Everyone said yes right away, largely because they recognized how urgent this issue is.”
For Tessa Films’ Lisa Masseur, also a parent, the PSA hits close to home. “As a mother of three (now ages 18–23), my kids were among the first generation to grow up with smartphones and social media—and to bear the brunt of their damaging effects. Through middle and high school, especially during the pandemic years, I watched their lives become increasingly consumed by devices. Many parents, me included, struggled to manage screen time, and too often we gave up. The cost was heartbreaking: rising anxiety, eating disorders, depression, bullying—and in some cases, lives lost to suicide.”
Masseur says she was mostly alarmed by the knowledge that many children now receive their first smartphone as early as ages eight to ten. “When Tim came to me with the idea for this PSA, I immediately jumped on board,” she notes. “I knew we could make an impact by getting this message out widely. By using comedy to highlight the absurdity of giving kids unlimited access through a personal device, we hope this PSA will be shared far and wide. “Changing the Norm” is exactly what’s needed right now, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with SFCxUS to help make that mission a reality.”
The PSA also echoes findings from recent research. Psychologist Jean Twenge and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt have both published work linking excessive smartphone use to surging rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues among young people.
With “Let’s Change the Norm,” SFCxUS hopes to spark conversations in households and communities nationwide about delaying smartphone access. The group argues that waiting gives children’s brains time to mature, fostering stronger focus, healthier sleep, and richer face-to-face connections.
The PSA’s release is accompanied by a call to action for parents to join the movement at smartphonefreechildhoodus.com. Follow SFCxUS on Instagram and Facebook.
CREDITS:
BRAND: Smartphone-Free Childhood US
AGENCY: Fearless Mortals
Written and Directed by Tim Mason
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Tessa Films
- Executive Producer: Lisa Masseur
- Producer: Jackie Schroeder
- DP: Michael Ognisanti
- 1st AC: Catie Mitchel
- Gaffer: Ron Leahy
- Audio: Zach Scheitlin
- Set Decorator: Jonathan Trujillo
- Coordinator: Isabella Siska
- Editor: Matt Tar
- Mixer: Zach Scheitlin
- Colorist: Justin Laurel
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