When I restricted my daughter’s smartphone access and sent her to technology-free camps, I often felt alone with my concerns about the adverse impact of smartphones and social media on children. I kept my daughter’s smartphone on the kitchen counter at night while other parents seemed to give unlimited access. While tech companies claim it’s up to caregivers to monitor screen time, teach digital literacy and oversee what their kids do online, most parents struggle to do this on their own.
My own experiences have made me want to help other parents as they try to protect their kids from addictive technology. That’s why fellow Granby resident Jeff Gilton and I are launching a local chapter of Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA) to help other families navigate the challenges of raising children in the digital age.
MAMA (wearemama.org) is a grassroots movement of parents and allies fighting back against media addiction and creating a world where real-life experiences remain at the heart of a healthy childhood. Our mission has three parts: educating parents, getting smartphones out of schools and ensuring technology products have basic safeguards like all other consumer products.
The organization’s name and structure deliberately echo Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), one of the most successful parent-led advocacy groups in American history. Like MADD, we are standing up to a massive public health threat and making change in our homes, our communities and across the nation.
Jeff and I, both Granby residents for more than 20 years, understand firsthand the isolation parents feel when setting technology boundaries, and we want to ensure that more parents are educated about the dangers of addictive tech.
Social media addiction is a growing crisis. According to 2023 studies by Gallup and the U.S. Surgeon General, the average teen spends 4.8 hours on social media each day, and adolescents who use social media more than three hours daily face twice the risk of poor mental health outcomes.
The momentum to address this issue is building. A July 2025 Pew Research Center study found that 74 percent of U.S. adults now support preventing middle and high schoolers from using phones during class, up from 68 percent in 2024. This is very much a bipartisan effort; as of summer 2025, 37 states have banned cell phones during class, and about half maintain phone-free environments from bell-to-bell.
Our first MAMA chapter meeting is planned for late March or April. These meetings will provide education on current events, create a supportive community for open discussion and offer opportunities for action. Anyone interested in attending, getting involved or learning more can sign up to be a chapter member at bit.ly/MAMAGranby or email granbyctmamachapter@gmail.org
Parents working together to educate and support one another means no parent has to navigate the challenges alone. We look forward to bringing the Granby community together to take action and keep our kids safe.