Phones Down, Eyes Up message provides water safety reminder

The YMCA is diligent about promoting water safety this summer with its “Phones Down, Eyes Up™” campaign.

When at the pool, beach, or lakeside, everyone is urged to remember: Your eyes can save lives.

While responding to a text, answering an email, listening to a podcast, or making a grocery list may seem quick and harmless, those few seconds of distraction can add up – and distractions around water can lead to serious, even fatal, consequences. In fact, 88% of children drown with at least one adult present.

Families are encouraged to designate a “Water Watcher”—an adult who stays focused and free from distractions like phones, conversations, or alcohol and who can maintain constant visual contact with all children in or near the water.

In addition, adults are reminded that their social media, news and other feeds can wait – children’s safety can’t.

The campaign provides suggestions, a pledge, badges and more to help everyone around water remember that their eyes can save lives.

For more information or to take the pledge, visit www.YMCA.org/Phones-Down-Eyes-Up#take-the-pledge.

What You Can Do

• Take the pledge to power down and put your phones away when watching children near or around water. When you take the pledge, you can download a free lockscreen for your phone as a visual reminder!
• Assign Water Watchers for short periods of time (15-20 minutes) when in large groups.
• Download a Water Watcher badge to print at home. After a short time, the Water Watcher badge is passed to another adult who is alert and responsible for actively supervising children in or near water. The badge not only helps you remember the very important task of watching children in or near water, but it also clearly identifies you as someone who can help if needed.
• Share the pledge on social media and remind family and friends that their eyes can save lives.

Take the Phones Down, Eyes Up Pledge and agree to do your part to keep children safe around water:

• Actively watch children in and around water.
• Keep my eyes on the water.
• Avoid distractions like talking on the phone, socializing or reading while watching children.
• Keep a phone nearby for emergencies.
• Remain by the water until relieved by a new water watcher.

Those who take the pledge will also receive important water safety tips from the YMCA throughout the summer and get instant access to a downloadable free lock screen wallpaper for their phone.