Smartphone-Free Childhood Bahrain: A Mission for Healthier Futures

Children today are growing up in a world flooded with smartphones

While technology offers many benefits, early and excessive exposure is affecting their health, sleep, learning, and emotional development.

Dr. Gardenia Alsaffar, the Consultant Psychiatrist in Royal Bahrain Hospital for the past ten years and a parent to two boys under the age of ten, witnessed firsthand how smartphones were reshaping childhood — often at the cost of well-being. This inspired her to start Smartphone-Free Childhood Bahrain following the success of similar movements internationally.

The mission is simple:

• Protect childhood.
• Prioritize mental health.
• Strengthen real-world connections.

Royal Bahrain Hospital is supporting a community of parents, schools, and professionals committed to delaying smartphone use and promoting healthier digital habits.

Our Plan Includes:

• Launching a national Parent Pact to encourage families to delay smartphones.
• Partnering with schools to create supportive, phone-free environments.
• Offering workshops, fact sheets, and support groups for parents.
• Advocating for public awareness around the hidden harms of early smartphone use.

This is not about rejecting technology.

It’s about choosing childhood first — intentionally, together.

We invite you to join the movement and help give our children the gift of a healthier, happier start in life.

Sign the Parent Pact today!

Parent Pact