Pinwheel Kids' & Teens' Phone

Pinwheel CEO, Dane W., shared his take with Fox News on the changes coming to social media because of the recent $17B Meta settlement: the direction is right, but social platforms are still designed to maximize engagement. So young teens shouldn't use them at all, and older teens only when parents decide they can handle it. https://lnkd.in/gU8JM3Et

Old tech like landline phones is making a comeback, because according to TechCrunch: "[Gen Z] is yearning for an era of tech they never got to experience — where you had more control over when you engaged with technology and how, and tech itself had less room to invade your life with its notifications, addictive apps, and algorithms." We all need the tech where humans are in charge. https://lnkd.in/ggmtVmuG

$17 billion. 47 states. Good, but not solved. Today's historic Meta settlement is good progress. Changes like limiting notifications and hiding "like" counts matter, but are just the minimum needed to settle a lawsuit. They don't make social media appropriate for kids and teens. We wrote about why this settlement is a good step, why it's most useful for older teens who already have the judgment to make it count, and why the real work of getting a kid ready for social media has to start years earlier — with practice and intentional parenting. Read our take: https://lnkd.in/gKu4JDy8

We're excited to earn a spot on this year's Inc 5000 fastest growing private companies in the US! 🎉 A heartfelt thank you to all of the families who continue to trust Pinwheel to help manage their kids technology. https://lnkd.in/ggUGydu

Today's ruling against Meta in New Mexico and the social media addiction verdict in California confirm what parents have felt in their gut for years: these platforms aren't just letting harm to children happen—they are built to facilitate it. Social media’s delivery system itself is a defective product, and the judge ruled today that Meta must pay more than $500M to help correct it. You can’t 'parent' your way out of a product designed to be addictive. It’s time we hold Big Tech accountable, stop asking parents to fix their mistakes and start giving them tools built for kids from the ground up. At Pinwheel, this is why we exist - we create tech for kids with guardrails to keep them safe while encouraging development of healthy tech habits as they grow into independent adults. https://lnkd.in/gddV8bBW

Every parent feels the same tension: protect your kid, or let them grow up. Lock everything down and they never learn to handle the real world. Hand them an open smartphone and you've skipped every step in between. Most kids' tech forces you to pick a side. We think that's a false choice. 🚫 The goal was never maximum protection or maximum freedom. It's the right amount of each, at the right time. A 9-year-old and a 14-year-old need very different things, and the technology in their hands should reflect that. That's the principle behind everything we build: start with safety, then expand independence as a child grows. Guardrails that move with the kid, not against them. Protection and independence aren't opposites. Done right, one earns the other. 🙌 #DigitalParenting #ThoughtLeadership #KidsTech #Pinwheel

Move the Needle We believe our time and energy should focus on the work that creates meaningful impact. 💪 That means prioritizing the things that truly help families, whether it's improving a feature, simplifying the caregiver experience, or making our devices more accessible. In a growing company, there are always many things to do. This principle reminds us to focus on the work that matters most. 🚀 Because building safer technology for kids requires intentional focus. 💡

Pinwheel is growing! And we are so excited to look for our next Social Media Content Creator! If you are interested, here's the link below. 👀 https://lnkd.in/g8kXpDPm

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Pinwheel is launching a retro style Wi-Fi home phone designed to protect kids from screen addiction and heavy social media exposure. The device strips away browsers, apps, and touchscreens, focusing purely on basic voice calls and simple text features over local networks. By eliminating digital distractions, the phone gives parents a safe way to stay connected with their children at home without introducing the risks of full smartphone access. It is a straightforward tool for families looking to cut down on screen time while keeping basic lines of communication open. Read Full Article 🔗: https://lnkd.in/gsJnuKsi