Posted on September 12, 2023
With funding from CREDO, SAGE continues to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ older people.
It’s not easy growing old – and it’s a lot harder when you’re a target for hate simply for being who you are. This is the place where LGBTQ+ elders find themselves: dealing not only with the stresses of aging, but also with an onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination.
In June, the Human Rights Campaign declared its first-ever state of emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans, “following an unprecedented and dangerous spike in anti-LGBTQ+ legislative assaults.”
But CREDO is fighting back. In January, CREDO customers and community members voted to donate to assist SAGE in its work to ensure that all LGBTQ+ elders have the rights, freedoms, and everyday support they need to thrive, not just survive.
Backed by its CREDO donation, SAGE has won pivotal victories that will make a real difference in the lives of LGBTQ+ older people.
Recent victories
This year, SAGE has achieved a number of critical wins for those elders whose resilience and determination to be their authentic selves have paved the way for all LGBTQ+ Americans.
- For the first time since 1988, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) began the process to update the regulations that govern the implementation of the Older Americans Act (OAA), the country’s primary funding mechanism for aging services that allow older people to age in community without having to enter long-term care. SAGE facilitated the delivery of 300 comments on the proposed regulations that pushed ACL to make the final rule LGBTQ+ and HIV inclusive. Over 70 LGBTQ+ and aging specific organizations signed on to SAGE’s organizational comment.
- In May, SAGE released and circulated the 2023 Long-Term Care Equality Index (LEI). A joint production of SAGE and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the LEI is the first national assessment tool for LGBTQ+ inclusion in elder housing and long-term care communities. It helps those communities implement, strengthen, and innovate their LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts and promotes equitable, inclusive care for LGBTQ+ older adults in residential long-term care and elder housing. This year’s LEI includes the first validated survey on LGBTQ+ inclusion in long-term care and elder housing.
- SAGE expanded SAGECollab to better support older adults nationally and gain further reach to communities of color, and to rural, Black, and Indigenous communities. SAGECollab is a network of diverse organizations that partner with SAGE toward the common goal of supporting LGBTQ+ older people in their communities and advocating for LGBTQ+ aging policies across the U.S.
New initiatives
SAGE is always working on new ways to support LGBTQ+ elders and advocate for their rights. Since it received its CREDO grant, SAGE has made progress on a variety of programs. Primarily, it has strengthened its strategic plan, which aims to support LGBTQ+ elders through a robust range of efforts, including expansion of its reach nationwide and extension of its existing programs and services in New York. Initiatives include:
- Shaping public policies on aging so that they recognize LGBTQ+ older people’s needs and assist in creating welcoming communities.
- Engaging across generations and finding ways to connect younger and older generations of LGBTQ+ people to increase visibility and feelings of belonging.
- Helping LGBTQ+ older adults address their vulnerabilities by providing direct services.
Guided by the inclusivity woven throughout its strategic plan, SAGE is developing a new, flexible collaboration model that will deepen its impact with organizations centered on Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and transgender and nonbinary (TGNB) communities by transferring resources and power. For example, earlier this year SAGE made grants to six inaugural recipients from its recently launched Equity Innovation Lab. The program gives microgrants to support community-based initiatives and entrepreneurial projects that help Black, Indigenous and elders of color, transgender, gender nonconforming, nonbinary elders, and rural elders.
If you’d like to learn more or get involved with SAGE, please visit SageUSA.org or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Posted on September 8, 2023
Democracy Forward uses the courts to defend progress, disrupt extremism, and build for the future – all at once.
Note from the CREDO team: This September, Democracy Forward is among three amazing groups that will receive a share of our monthly grant. Read this important blog post about Democracy Forward’s important work, then click here to visit CREDODonations.com and cast your vote to help send funding to Democracy Forward to support its efforts—and the efforts of our other outstanding September grantees.
While the vast majority of Americans believe in the promise and potential of democracy, an anti-democratic movement seeks to wield outsized power, undermine democracy, and misuse our courts to roll-back progress and the rights for all people. Extremists in states and local communities have removed books from classrooms, banned health care, and eliminated protections for working families. Far-right attorneys general and special interests bring legal challenges against almost every effort the federal government makes to do the work of the American people.
And, the US Supreme Court is now all too often friendly territory for those seeking to make an America only for some, not all. This anti-democratic movement is capitalizing on a multi-decade, highly-resourced campaign by far-right legal organizations to set our country and its laws backwards. The courts are now a front line in the battle for democracy, not just the last resort protectors of it.
At Democracy Forward, we’re proud to equip people and communities – from librarians to parents to health care providers and public health experts and more – with the tools they need to take their fights for democracy to the courts and beyond. And, we do it free of charge.
Democracy depends on a government that works for all people and is accountable to present and future generations. Through legal advocacy, policy engagement, and public education we are building collective power and advancing a bold, vibrant democracy for all people. And, in just the last year alone, we’ve represented and partnered with more than 100 organizations and communities in the critical fights our country faces today.
In Arkansas, we are representing librarians who are determined to beat harmful censorship agendas through legal action – and recently stopped a law Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed that would have threatened librarians with criminal penalties from going into effect. In West Virginia, our client GenBioPro, the generic manufacturer of mifepristone, is fighting to ensure that its evidence-based reproductive healthcare medication is not banned. Doctors in Ohio are using their voices in court. Parents in Mississippi are fighting for their public schools. And, we’re working with individual people across the country using their power and voices to defend progress and disrupt extremism — in Texas, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Kansas, to name just a few.
We have scored important wins, but we have also been on the frontlines on some of the most difficult days for our democracy. We were on the side of millions of people when the Supreme Court rolled back debt relief for student borrowers, and we proudly represented parents and teachers the DeSantis administration is seeking to silence.
We’re incredibly grateful to CREDO and CREDO’s community members for supporting our work. Every day, but most especially on the difficult ones, we know that democracy is worth the fight — that people are worth the fight. Our team won’t rest until the promise of democracy is achieved for all.
Posted on September 7, 2023
4 of the best parental controls for your child’s phone
When a child gets a phone, it changes their world. It opens a door to a universe of sights, sounds, voices, videos, friends and fiends. And then…the child steps through. Where will they go? Parents don’t know. They can’t be there 24/7 to watch what their children are doing.
But parents can lock the doors to those places where kids should not be. They can also make sure their children don’t spend all day (and night) on their phone, absorbed in apps and games. How? They can use parental controls. Most parents now do, managing their children’s activity to limit screentime, filter content, curb or block specific sites and apps, keep predators away and oversee phone use overall.
Indeed, there is today such demand for parental controls that there are dozens of choices on the market and it would take you a good deal of time to sort through them. We’re here to help. We think these are four of the best. They’re user-friendly and multifunctional, allowing parents to limit screentime, track phone activity and restrict addictive apps like TikTok and YouTube.
Apple Screen Time
Preinstalled in Apple’s iOS operating system, Screen Time is a set of controls that enables you to remotely manage your child’s iPhone or iPad, turn off access when it’s time for bed and restrict the amount of time your child can spend on individual apps, categories of apps—and on the phone overall.
Setup can be complicated and there are a lot of features and settings tucked away in different menus but, because it’s so closely meshed with the operating system, Screen Time gives you a comprehensive view of your child’s phone activity and superior capability in managing phone use.
To use Screen Time, you’ll need to set up Apple’s Family Sharing service. Once you do, you can remotely activate Screen Time on your child’s iPhone, iPad or Mac. Make sure you don’t skip the “setup passcode” step. If you do, your kid can easily disable Screen Time.
Google Family Link
This is a free app you can download to your Android phone (or iPhone) to manage your child’s Android phone. Family Link offers basically the same functionality as Apple Screen Time. It enables you to approve, limit or block use of specific apps, restrict total hours per day your child spends on their phone and set a turn-off time at night. You can also follow device location.
Family Link is best for kids under 13. After they turn 13, kids can sign up for their own Google account and opt out of your control. That might be OK with you. But if you want to continue monitoring, consider Qustodio.
Qustodio
Qustodio gives you the same capabilities as Google Family Link—and gives you use of them even after your child turns 13. With Qustodio, you can monitor and manage individual apps, and screentime overall. You can also set up more than one off-time. So not only can you remotely switch off your kid’s Android phone at bedtime, you can switch it off at, say, dinnertime as well.
Qustodio comes in different versions. There’s a free option but it covers only one device and keeps just seven days of activity history. The Small version covers five devices and costs around $55 a year. The
Medium version covers 10 devices and is around $100. The Large version covers 15 devices and costs around $140 a year. The paid versions all save 30 days of activity history and offer extra features.
Norton Family
Like Qustodio, this is a subscription service (around $50 a year) and comes with generally the same capabilities as the apps above. It works with iOS and Android, and offers a web dashboard as well as a phone dashboard. Setup and configuration are simple and Norton Family also includes geofencing tools. It’s the parental control top-rated by PC Magazine.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that getting a phone is modern childhood’s most important event. With phone in hand—which is nearly always for today’s kids—a child can watch practically anything and interact with almost anyone. They can go virtually anywhere. But with the right parental controls, you can make sure they go to those places where they learn and grow responsibly and safely.
Posted on September 4, 2023
Fighting for Earth: How 350.org is taking action to stop climate change
Note from the CREDO team: This September, 350.org is among three amazing groups that will receive a share of our monthly grant. Funding from the CREDO community will help 350.org work for a safe climate and a prosperous, equitable future, built with the power of ordinary people, driven by renewable energy and rooted in justice.
Read this important blog post about 350.org’s critical work, then click here to visit CREDODonations.com and cast your vote to help send funding to 350.org to support its efforts—and the efforts of our other outstanding September grantees.
In the year I was born, the Earth’s air had about 344.1 parts per million (ppm) of carbon. The safe amount for a healthy planet is 350 ppm – that’s why the organization I’ve been leading for 15 years is called 350.org. But today, that number has gone up to 411.44 ppm.
The consequences are calamitous. On July 4, 2023, the world had its hottest day ever recorded. This happened during the hottest week and month ever too. This summer, places in Europe, North Africa, and the U.S. got so hot that it felt like they were melting. There were big floods in India and Japan, and wildfires are still burning in Canada. The oceans are also hotter than they’ve ever been. Overall, the Earth’s temperature is now about 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 Fahrenheit) higher than it used to be.
The temperature could rise by more than 3 degrees Celsius if we don’t do something about it. To stay under a 1.5-degree increase, which experts say is the threshold of safety, we need to really change how we make energy, grow food and travel. If we don’t, the problems we’re seeing now will seem small compared to what’s coming.
The climate problem is connected to an energy problem. While many of us struggle with high energy bills, the companies that make fossil fuels (like coal, oil and gas) made lots of money in 2022, even as their fuels cause catastrophic damage around the world.
This is not okay. It makes me really mad and it makes the people I work with at 350.org mad too. The companies that are causing this mess need to pay for it and our governments should make them do so.
Photo By: Robert van Waarden
It’s time to say “yes” to a better future
For a long time, we’ve been saying “no.” We’ve been telling everyone to “keep fossil fuels in the ground” and “stop investing in them.” And we’ve made progress.
Now, it’s time to start saying “yes” to a better future. Science says we need to and we have the technology to make it happen. We need to commit to making positive changes. We need the world to come together and say a big “yes.”
Here’s some good news: this year, the world is adding a lot of new clean energy – 0.44 terawatts (TW) to be exact. That’s twice the amount experts thought we’d reach back in 2020. This is a big step in the right direction.
But if we want to keep the temperature from rising too much, we need to aim for at least 1.5 terawatts of new clean energy every year from 2030 onward. This is what studies from our group and Climate Analytics tell us.
That’s why we’re saying 2023 should be the year we really focus on finding solutions for a healthy planet. It’s not just about switching from bad energy to good energy, it’s about making sure everyone benefits from these changes, no matter where they live or how much money they have.
Change is happening
People all over the world are taking action. They’re starting movements to make energy in their communities and they want everyone to have a say in it. They know that using clean energy is about more than just helping the planet – it’s also about being fair and making things better for everyone.
Using clean energy can also create new jobs that are good for people and the planet. Done right, it can help countries share new technology so everyone can use it. And most importantly, it can help people who have been treated unfairly in the past.
Governments play a big role too. They need to make strong rules that support clean energy and stop giving money to the companies that make fossil fuels. They also need to work together, help each other and especially help those countries that want to use clean energy but need assistance to get started.
It’s time for action, not just words. Each of us can make a difference, whether by supporting clean energy policies, using less energy or helping groups that are fighting for a better future. Let’s take this moment in history and work toward a world where clean energy is the norm and fossil fuels are a thing of the past.
Let’s work together for a better tomorrow
This November, 350.org is starting a global movement called Power Up, a campaign to shift money and political influence away from fossil fuel companies and toward a renewable, equitable planet for all of us. Together with our partners in the CREDO Mobile community, we can create a world that runs on clean, fair and sustainable energy for everyone, now and in the future.
Posted on September 4, 2023
NAPAWF builds autonomy and power in AAPI women and girls
Note from the CREDO team: This September, the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum is among three amazing groups that will receive a share of our monthly grant. Funding from the CREDO community will help NAPAWF in its work to build the power, influence and autonomy of Asian American Pacific Islander women and girls.
Read this important blog post about NAPAWF’s critical work, then click here to visit CREDODonations.com and cast your vote to help send funding to NAPAWF to support its efforts—and the efforts of our other outstanding September grantees.
The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum is the only national, multi-issue organization focused on building power with and for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls within a reproductive-justice framework at the intersections of immigrant rights, racial justice, reproductive rights and economic justice.
Our mission is to build the collective power of AAPI women and girls to gain full agency over their lives, families and communities. We work toward equity and lift the visibility of AAPI issues using our core strategies of base-building and leadership development, grassroots organizing, policy advocacy, community-engaged participatory research, and strategic communications and coalition-building.
NAPAWF raises women’s voices in the media and in spaces where important decisions that impact AAPI women’s lives are made. We continue to grow our base by reaching, activating and mobilizing AAPI women and girls through grassroots organizing, leadership training and development, and by creating AAPI women leaders from diverse ethnicities and regions of the U.S. NAPAWF increases public and community awareness of issues that impact AAPI women and works toward influencing systemic and culture shifts to propel our reproductive-justice movement forward.
Reaching many communities and gender identities
NAPAWF’s work primarily impacts AAPI women and girls but also other marginalized communities and gender identities. As we have built our field organizing programs over the years, we have shifted our base to center on the AAPI women who are most affected by the issues we work on, including low-wage workers, first-generation immigrants and people with limited English proficiency. Our base spans many different AAPI ethnic groups and is multigenerational, ranging from young adults to “aunties.”
Today, NAPAWF has a base of more than 40,000, with 500 active members leading change within their communities across the U.S. We work in collaboration with values- and mission-aligned organizations, engage our base year-round, mobilize our movement and its organizing power, continue centering the experiences of the most-impacted AAPI women, highlight reproductive, economic and gender justice issues, and push for systemic and culture change that empowers the leadership and value of AAPI women.
Many successes so far this year
In 2023, NAPAWF has been hard at work with the HEAL Coalition to advocate for the reintroduction of the Health Equity and Access Under the Law (HEAL) for Immigrant Families Act. Our coalition’s work has succeeded, with Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Rep. Nanette Barragan and Sen. Cory Booker, along with 56 cosponsors in the House and nine cosponsors in the Senate, reintroducing the HEAL for Immigrant Families Act to Congress on July 27.
On another front, NAPAWF’s reproductive rights and abortion access work was marked by the launch of our Free the Pill letter in April, which was signed by 478 individuals and submitted to the FDA ahead of its hearing on the authorization of over-the-counter birth control.
In our gender justice work this year, NAPAWF launched a strategic partnership initiative to build the AAPI Gender Justice Collaborative, which commenced in July at the Gender Justice Convening in Chicago.
Our fight for affordable healthcare for all, reproductive justice and abortion access is uncompromising. It is the focus of the ever-growing work and advocacy efforts implemented in the field by NAPAWF’s five chapters in Chicago, Florida, Georgia, New York and Texas.
Working together to make a difference
AAPI women and girls in the U.S. continue to face immense challenges. But we are hopeful and we are stronger as we work with CREDO Mobile and our sisters from other immigrant, marginalized and underserved communities to overcome all challenges on all fronts, one battle at a time. Together, we’re gaining ground, making a difference and achieving our goals.
Posted on September 3, 2023
Our August grantees thank you for your support
Each month, CREDO members vote on how we distribute funding to three incredible nonprofits. Those small actions add up – with one click, you can help fund groups fighting for climate justice, worker’s rights and fighting for civil rights for all. In August, CREDO members voted to distribute our monthly donation among Amazon Watch, National Domestic Workers Alliance and National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund.
These donations are made possible by CREDO customers and the revenue they generate by using our services. The distribution depends entirely on the votes of CREDO members like you. And for that, our August grant recipients thank you.
Amazon Watch
“All donations to Amazon Watch DIRECTLY support our Indigenous partners’ rights, resistance & self-determination in their territories, which is the best solution to permanently protect the Amazon rainforest and our climate. Thank you CREDO community!” – Leila Salazar-López, Executive Director
To learn more, visit https://amazonwatch.org.
National Domestic Workers Alliance
“Thank you! Support from CREDO members like you helps us to advocate for the rights of the domestic workers who do the essential work of caring for our loved ones and our homes and to transform the way care work is understood, valued, and compensated.” – Jenn Stowe, Executive Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance
To learn more, visit https://domesticworkers.org.
National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund
“As we honor the Task Force’s 50th anniversary as the country’s oldest LGBTQ+ advocacy group, we recognize that our work is more important than ever. Thank you for joining in our fight.”- Kierra Johnson, (she/they) Executive Director National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund
To learn more, visit https://www.thetaskforceactionfund.org/.
Now check out the three groups we are funding in September, and cast your vote to help distribute our donations.
CREDO members who use our products are the reason why we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile, the carrier with a conscience.
Posted on September 2, 2023
CREDO funding helps Life After Hate rehabilitate far-right extremists
Fed by political forces that thrive on division, far-right extremism is now the most lethal terrorist threat in the U.S. 90% of U.S. terrorism cases are classed as domestic and, of domestic extremists, 95% are far-right.
They are white supremacist, male supremacist, antisemitic, anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, anti-Latino, anti-Asian and anti-government. And they are all pro-hate.
But we can counter this hate with help. To give it, we need organizations that offer practical paths for individuals to disengage from their lives of violence and anger, and reintegrate into society in meaningful, productive ways.
An organization making real progress in this arena is Life After Hate. The first nonprofit in the U.S. dedicated to helping individuals separate from violent far-right groups, Life After Hate provides timely and critical assistance to people who decide to leave extremism behind, reconnect with humanity and lead compassionate lives.
In recognition of Life After Hate’s vital work, CREDO customers and community members in February voted to donate to support Life After Hate. And, backed by its CREDO donation, Life After Hate has been able to strengthen its services at the individual, family and community levels.
How CREDO is helping
This year, our grant assisted Life After Hate in the launch of a new initiative, the Daily Former, a podcast and website where former far-right extremists share stories and challenges, celebrate successes, air grievances and prove that, sometimes, quitters do win. The program is helping many individuals recognize extremism for the dead-end it is and see that there are paths to exit a life of anger and violence.
CREDO funding will soon help Life After Hate begin a new program focused specifically on U.S. veterans connected with violent extremism.
Life After Hate’s existing efforts include ExitUSA, which provides case management, life skills training and peer mentoring services to individuals who are or have been involved in extremism, as well as psychoeducational support for families and friends who have loved ones involved in the violent far-right. Case management is a comprehensive assessment followed by collaborative goal setting, and identification and coordination of referrals and resources. Peer mentors work with clients to change extremist beliefs, behaviors and social networks to promote reintegration into society.
Hope instead of hate
Research shows that people join violent far-right extremist groups because these groups give them a sense of belonging in a society where they feel disconnected and without hope.
But there is hope and there is help. For those who are prepared to account for their past, leave their violent communities behind and write a new chapter focused on acceptance, there is Life After Hate.
If you’d like to learn more or get involved with Life After Hate, please visit LifeAfterHate.org or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Posted on September 1, 2023
Vote for 350.org, Democracy Forward and National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum this September
Every month, CREDO members vote to distribute our monthly grant to three incredible progressive causes – and every vote makes a difference. This September, you can support groups fighting for climate justice, advancing democracy and empowering AAPI women and girls to fund the 350.org, Democracy Forward and National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum.
350.org
350.org is an international movement of ordinary people working with individuals across the world to oppose those wrecking our climate and to fight for a sustainable future. We achieve this by strengthening, empowering and growing the climate movement.
CREDO funding would enable 350.org to maintain pressure on global financial institutions to invest in renewable energy projects, grow global grassroots campaigns to stop pipelines and fracking, and deliver training to increase community resilience.
Democracy Forward
Democracy Forward is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy and public education, and regulatory engagement. We defend progress, disrupt extremism, and build for the future—all at once.
Funding from CREDO members furthers our ability to address the range of issues that threaten our democracy—from combatting censorship to advancing reproductive rights to economic freedom to health equity and more—in the courts, in communities, and across our nation.
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
We imagine a country where AAPI women and girls are no longer defined by the stereotypical perceptions of mainstream America but rather are known for bold leadership and deep, compassionate commitment to creating a just world where everyone thrives.
Funding from CREDO members will help NAPAWF continue our anti-hate, pay equity, voter registration and language access programs for communities who have long demanded policy solutions and platform changes to protect the AAPI community.
Your vote this month will determine how we divide our monthly donations among these three progressive groups. Be sure to cast your vote to support one, two or all three by September 30.
CREDO members who use our products and services everyday are the reason we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile and join our movement.
Posted on August 24, 2023
5 ways to stay cool without air conditioning
As the climate warms and heat waves bake the planet, a lot of people resort to the immediate and obvious answer: they switch on the air conditioner.
But while AC is a solution in the here and now, it will be a big problem in the future. Already, 9 out of 10 U.S. households have air conditioning and, as more people around the world buy AC units, the units will rapidly accelerate climate change. The number of air conditioners worldwide is predicted to triple by 2050, to almost 6 billion. By century’s end, air conditioning emissions will cause as much as a 0.5-degree Celsius increase in global temperature.
It’s a negative feedback loop with a hellish output. More heat brings more air conditioning, more air conditioning brings more heat.
What you can do—what we all can do—is use air conditioning less. We can be mindful of the millions of people in the U.S. and the billions around the world who don’t have air conditioning and who suffer and die in the intensifying heat. If the weather is not unbearably hot, we can be a little less comfortable now so that our planet does not become catastrophically hot in the years ahead.
Here are five ways you can stay cool without air conditioning and help turn back the dial on climate change.
Stay hydrated
Don’t just drink fluids when you’re hot. Drink them before you get hot, starting in the morning and throughout the day. This will keep you from getting so hot in the first place. Your body regulates its temperature by sweating and it can’t sweat efficiently if it’s not hydrated.
Water is best but iced water is not. It feels cool but your body responds to cold water by working harder to warm up the water to body temperature.
Another reason to drink plenty of fluids: proper hydration boosts productivity. Your brain is almost three-quarters water and research shows that even mild dehydration (1%-2%) impairs cognitive function, while good hydration boosts productivity as much as 14%.
Close your curtains
This is a no-brainer. Close the curtains or blinds on any windows that admit sunlight. Consider installing blackout curtains, which will block more sunlight and keep rooms even cooler.
Use fans
A fan that blows air at you reduces your body temperature in two ways. By convection, as the moving air displaces the warm air that’s in direct contact with your skin. And by evaporation, as the moving air increases the rate at which your sweat evaporates.
A misting fan will keep you even cooler. It works by pulling moisture from its water reservoir and blowing it out in fine particles. As the particles evaporate, this cools the air that blows over you. The particles are so fine that they won’t cause water damage.
A box fan in an open window positioned to blow outward will take hot air from inside and blow it outside. If you have windows that face shaded outdoor areas where the air is cooler, open them and the cooler air will be drawn inside. If your home has more than one story, place fans in the ground-floor windows so that they draw cool air in and put fans in upper-floor windows to push warm air out.
Cook outdoors
Barbecues aren’t just for weekends—not when it’s hot. Warm air from your oven or stove can circulate throughout your home, so cooking outdoors can keep your indoor areas cool.
Consider CREDO Mobile
If you’re not already a member, think about joining CREDO Mobile. We’re the one phone company that cares as much about our climate as you do. That’s why we’ve donated more than $19 million to nonprofit groups taking action to stop global warming and save our planet. Groups like 350.org, Green America and Amazon Watch.
Join CREDO Mobile and you’ll help us generate more donations for these vital groups and many others—at no extra cost to you. You’ll get the good feeling that comes with knowing you support climate action, just by using your phone. You’ll also get friendly customer service and nationwide coverage on the top-rated, most reliable network.
Switching to CREDO is easy. You can bring the phone you have now. We’ll send you a free SIM card. We offer a variety of affordable plans to suit everyone. We data plans from 1GB to unlimited, all with unlimited talk and text. Not a heavy data user? You can save with our metered plans, which switch automatically to Wi-Fi when you’re at home.
Our world is on the brink of climate catastrophe. Doing nothing is not an option. So do this one thing now: join CREDO Mobile. Click here to learn more about the many ways we work for our climate—and for you.
Posted on August 17, 2023
Your child’s first phone – what’s the right age?
It’s the new “conversation” parents have with their children: when to get a phone.
It’s not an easy decision. There are all sorts of reasons why young people should have a phone. Phones help kids socialize, interact with friends and make new friends. They teach children skills they’ll need in our high-tech world. A phone is an essential way for kids to stay in touch with their parents and ask for a ride when they need one. And no parents want their child to be “that kid” who gets teased at school for not having a phone.
On the other hand, phones come with issues. Screentime addiction can be a problem. According to the CDC, children 8-10 now spend an average of 6 hours a day in front of a screen using entertainment media. Children 11-14 spend a whopping 9 hours a day watching a screen.
And all that time screentime has an impact. Research shows links between excessive screentime and childhood obesity, depression, behavioral problems and anxiety. It can affect young people’s sleep and their performance in the classroom. Low self-esteem is another possible consequence. When kids are always on social media, always seeing others who look beautiful, go interesting places and have cool stuff, they naturally start to think their own lives are less happy.
In May of this year, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said in an advisory that social media poses a “meaningful risk of harm to children” and asked social media companies to “take immediate action to mitigate unintended negative effects.” A recent study of 30,000 young adults shows a strong link between the age at which kids get their first smartphone and the status of their mental health.
Clearly, this is not a decision to be made lightly.
When is the right time for a phone?
If you’re the parent of a child who doesn’t yet have a phone, you’re likely asking yourself that question now. The school year is coming up, you’re shopping for supplies. Should a new phone be on your list?
We all make decisions based on what others are doing. So let’s start there. Around 42% of children have a phone by the age of 10 and 91% by the age of 14.
But let’s look a little deeper. Surprisingly (or perhaps not) the parents who know technology best—Silicon Valley parents—lean toward waiting for a first phone.
Melinda Gates: “Parents should decide for themselves what works for their family but I probably would have waited longer before putting a computer in my children’s pockets. Phones and apps aren’t good or bad by themselves but for adolescents who don’t yet have the emotional tools to navigate life’s complications and confusions, they can exacerbate the difficulties of growing up: learning how to be kind, coping with feelings of exclusion, taking advantage of freedom while exercising self-control.”
Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in a 2018 interview with the New York Times that his 11-year-old son didn’t have a phone.
So what about your kids? Are they ready for a phone? The general consensus is that kids should get a phone when they’re 10-14 years old, with the exact age depending on your child’s developmental readiness. Consider level of maturity, ability to follow rules at home and at school, and degree of responsibility, as well as your family’s needs.
Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that reviews media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children, recommends that parents ask these questions.
- Do your kids show a sense of responsibility, like letting you know when they leave the house? Do they show up when they say they will?
- Do your kids tend to lose things like backpacks or homework? If they do, expect that they might lose their phone too.
- Do your kids need to be in touch for safety reasons?
- Would having easy access to friends benefit them for social reasons?
- Do you think they’ll use a phone responsibly—for example, not texting during class or disturbing others with their phone conversations?
- Can they stick to limits you set for when, where and how long they can use the phone?
- Will they use text, photo and video functions responsibly and not to embarrass or harass others?
When you’re ready, consider CREDO Mobile.
Children learn a lot from their phones. They can also learn from their phone company—if it’s a company like CREDO Mobile. That’s because we’re more than a phone company. We’re a community of people who are dedicated to making the future better.
We share your values. And we work hard every day for causes like climate justice, economic justice and civil rights. Since 1985, we’ve donated over $94 million to groups like the ACLU, Sunrise Movement, Color of Change, March for Our Lives, the LGBTQ Task Force and Planned Parenthood.
With CREDO Mobile, kids don’t just get a phone, they get a voice, because every CREDO member is a supporter of causes that are vital to all young people.
We have a variety of affordable plans to suit all people. We have 1GB to unlimited-data plans, all with unlimited talk and text. Customers who don’t use a lot of data can save with our metered plans, which switch automatically to Wi-Fi at home.
Ready to join? Click here to learn more.
