Reclaim play. Restore connection. Rethink tech.
We’re a grassroots movement of parents committed to protecting middle school – free from the pressure of early smartphones and social media.
Our Mission
To unite parents concerned about the impact of tech addiction on kids’ mental health. We empower families to delay smartphones and social media during the most critical developmental years, and reclaim childhood.
Our Vision
We imagine a future where tech doesn’t rush childhood. Where bike rides, backyard forts, and face-to-face friendships are the norm—not the exception. We believe in a cultural shift where delaying smartphones isn’t just accepted—it’s expected.
Our Values
Community Support: We’re powered by parents helping parents, no judgment, just solidarity.
Childhood Preservation: Because kids deserve a slower, screen-free start filled with play, imagination, and real connection.
Proactive Parenting: We equip families with tools, confidence, and courage to lead the tech conversation, not react to it.
Mental Health Advocacy: Every choice to delay tech is a choice to protect emotional well-being.
Informed Action: We’re grounded in research, guided by experience, and driven by purpose, not panic.
Learn Our Story
OK to Delay is led by Executive Directors Ariella Feldman and Jessica Hirsch, two Greenwich, CT moms who first connected when their children were in preschool. They quickly bonded over a shared conviction: to protect and preserve the simplicity of childhood, free from the pressures of smartphones and social media.
Ariella, bringing deep industry insight from her recent role at META, and Jessica, a public health professional with both New York City and Fairfield County Public School experience, combined their expertise to create a powerful force for change. In 2023, they hosted their first Greenwich OK to Delay parent meet-up with 55 parents in attendance. In 2024 they established OK to Delay as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and rapidly expanded its reach to 24 towns and counting. Under their leadership, OK to Delay has become a growing national movement, empowering parents and communities to delay smartphones and prioritize healthy, connected childhoods.
While Ariella and Jessica now lead the organization, they credit the spark of the movement to its original two founders, Jacqueline Telgheder and Marty Rainbow Hendrickson, two Darien moms who met when their children were in 5th grade. In a town where receiving a smartphone marked the entry into middle school, Jacqueline and Marty challenged the status quo establishing OK to Delay in their community. What began as a conversation among friends soon galvanized hundreds of local families into a unified voice, pushing back against the cultural norm and laying the foundation for the larger movement.
Today, Ariella and Jessica are carrying that torch forward—amplifying the message, scaling the mission, and reminding families everywhere: it’s more than OK to delay—it’s essential.
Executive Directors Ariella Feldman and Jessica Hirsch
Start Your Chapter
Begin making a difference in your community. Starting a local chapter allows you to bring parents together, raise awareness, and advocate for delaying smartphones.
