But won’t my kid be left out if they’re the only one without a smartphone or social media?

This is why kids have started getting smartphones and social media accounts at younger and younger ages – everyone is trying to keep up and before long 3^rd graders are sporting iPhones and scrolling through TikTok. But it doesn’t have to be this way. First, kids can communicate with each other just fine without a smartphone or social media; they just need a device that texts or calls. If they’re not ready for their own phone (of any type), they can borrow your phone to text or call their friends. They can also agree with their friends to text or call instead of using social media to communicate. Second, parents can come together to pledge that they won’t give their kid a smartphone until later, so their kid isn’t the only one who doesn’t have one. If you’re in the U.S., check out Wait Until 8^th. In the UK, look into Smartphone Free Childhood. In Australia, consider the Heads Up Alliance or Wait Mate.