W E D N E S D A Y
August 28, 2024 Vol. 45, No. 9
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JOURNAL @oakpark
of Oak Park and River Forest
Eats Guide INSIDE
Parent group wants to save smartphones till high school
‘Smartphones on Hold’ launched its website in mid-August By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter
A new Oak Park parent organization is hoping to ignite a conversation regarding smartphones on a local level with the creation of “Smartphones on Hold,” a grassroots initiative to help parents navigate their kids use of handheld devices. Gideon Bob, an Oak Park resident, said the idea for the group” came from his desire to address the topic before his kids enter middle school. The aim is to help create a community of families that are choosing to abstain from using smartphones until the end of eighth grade. “This is not ‘the sky is falling,’ this is not the idea, that is not the feeling,” Bob said. “This is new technology that is newly being given to young people and it is something that needs to be navigated and figured out.” Bob said he felt the natural breaking point
Motor mosaic STORY BY LUZANE DRAUGHON, PAGE 9
TODD BANNOR
New artwork in the Community Rec Center’s parking lot celebrates Oak Park’s history as “Motor Row” on Madison.
SEPTEMBER 13-14, 2024
See SMARTPHONES on page 7