South Australia is rolling out a state-wide programme designed to help parents delay giving children their first smartphone, with the Malinauskas Government committing $6.5 million to expand the initiative across public and private schools.
The Wait Mate programme is being introduced as a voluntary option for families, allowing parents to agree on how long they will wait before giving their children a smartphone, with the programme encouraging families to hold off until at least Year 7.
The state government says the programme is the first of its kind in Australia to be made available across both public and private schools. It aims to bring parents together so families in the same school and year group can make decisions collectively rather than feeling they have to act alone.
Primary schools are hosting the first sessions, with Paringa Park Primary among those to have recently held a presentation for parents.
During Term 3, 16 primary schools across Adelaide are hosting sessions, with families from a further 58 schools in surrounding areas invited to attend. More sessions are planned for Term 4.
By the end of 2026, the government expects parents from about 150 primary schools to have access to a Wait Mate session. The broader rollout is planned to reach all South Australian primary schools during 2026-27, followed by high schools in 2027-28. Wait Mate aims to engage parents from more than 600 public and private primary schools by the middle of next year.
The programme comes amid growing debate in Australia and overseas about children’s access to smartphones and social media, including concerns about screen time, sleep, physical activity and young people’s wellbeing.
The South Australian Government cited research linking smartphone ownership by age 12 with higher risks of depression, obesity and sleep problems, while arguing that earlier access may be associated with poorer mental health outcomes later in life. The evidence around smartphones and children’s mental health is an active area of research, with researchers continuing to examine the range of factors involved.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said the programme was intended to make it easier for parents to delay smartphones when other families were making the same choice.
“Our kids deserve childhoods free from addictive mobile phones for as long as possible,” Malinauskas said.
“We want kids off screens and enjoying their childhoods, being present in the world around them, playing sport and spending time with friends and family.”
Education Minister Lucy Hood said the programme would give families an opportunity to connect with other parents and discuss delaying smartphone use.
“Schools are a central venue for hosting this conversation, and sessions held in their communities will help demonstrate why waiting is worth it,” Hood said.
Wait Mate South Australia director Emily Harrison said the initiative was intended to give parents greater support when deciding when their children should receive a smartphone.
“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,” Harrison said.
Paringa Park Primary School principal Kevin Kennedy said parents at the school had welcomed the opportunity to discuss the issue and connect with other families.
The Wait Mate rollout forms part of a wider South Australian Government programme focused on reducing children’s screen use and encouraging physical activity. Other measures include the state’s school mobile phone restrictions, which require phones to be switched off and put away throughout the school day, and its support for national social media age restrictions.
The government is also providing free Year 7 school camps, expanding Sports Vouchers to young people aged 16 to 18, supporting free school holiday activities and investing in school facilities that can be used by local communities.
South Australia is separately rolling out the Newshounds media literacy programme in primary schools, aimed at helping children assess information and distinguish fact from fiction online.
Parents can find information about upcoming Wait Mate presentations through the programme’s website.
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