"Replace smartphones with basic phones, not nothing When parents want to delay social media access, the instinct is to simply say no to any phone, but Twenge argues this triggers unnecessary conflict and social exclusion fears. Her alternative: give children a "basic phone" or "kid phone" — a device that looks like a smartphone so it doesn't stand out, allows texting, but has no internet browser, no social media, no gambling apps, and no AI companion apps. She stresses, "Your kids can absolutely have friends and communicate with them without social media," dismantling the myth that a smartphone is required for belonging. Framing the choice as "this phone or nothing" rather than "smartphone or social exile" dramatically changes how kids receive the limit. Source: Jean Twenge, The Happiness Lab, Social Media and Teen Mental Health"