This article features an interview with Henrieta Volf, the founder of the Slovak initiative 'Wait with the smartphone', which advocates for limiting children's exposure to smartphones until after elementary school. Volf recounts her initial compliance with societal norms regarding technology use among children, illustrating how the COVID-19 pandemic allowed her to pause and rethink her decisions. As schools and parents increasingly feel pressure to provide mobile devices to children, Volf aims to guide those who wish to resist these trends.

Volf explains that many children receive smartphones when they start primary school, a practice she believes may not be beneficial. She discusses the questions and pushback she encountered from her community when she chose not to follow this trend, emphasizing the importance of parental decisions in shaping children's media consumption. She recalls how the pandemic made her re-evaluate the role of technology in her child's life, leading her to conclude that limiting screen time might foster a healthier development.

The discussion emphasizes the broader conversation around children's mental health and the impacts of technology, particularly during formative years. Volf's initiative not only seeks to inform parents but also aims to influence educational institutions to reconsider their stance on technology use in classrooms, advocating for a balanced approach that prioritizes children's wellbeing over technological convenience.