Should You Take Away Your Teenager’s Phone at Night?

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The average teenager spends around two and a half hours on their phone every day. With numbers like that, it’s no wonder parents worry about how this could impact their children’s sleep, especially considering the fact that most teens don’t get enough sleep in the first place.

If you ask teenagers what they think about the idea of taking away their phones at night, most will tell you that they think it’s an unfair and unnecessary punishment from their parents who are just worried about them getting into trouble on the internet.

What Are The Benefits of Taking Away Your Teenage’s Phone at Night?

Parents sometimes question whether taking away their teenager’s phone is a good idea. However, there are many reasons that taking your teenager’s phone away from them at night can be beneficial. Here are a few of them:

-Limiting the time spent on social media and online during the day means they will have more time to spend with friends outside of school and sleep in order to grow well.

-Parents who take away their teenagers’ phones at night will not have to worry about what they are doing or saying on it for hours when they should be sleeping.

-Limiting the amount of screen time teens gets during the day will keep them more engaged in real life instead of plugged into a screen.

-Having a phone taken away prevents the overuse of their cellphones, which may be linked to some psychological disorders like addiction and depression.

-It also provides an opportunity for parents to set boundaries with their children and strengthen the relationship between them by setting strict rules and enforcing consequences.

-Taking away the phone at night allows kids to rest without any distractions.

-Teenagers might even start communicating more face-to-face and spending more time with family members, rather than staying up late scrolling through Facebook or Instagram.

-Kids will learn to prioritize their daily tasks better because they know that if they don’t complete specific tasks before bedtime, then those tasks won’t get done until tomorrow.

-It gives you as a parent more control over how much they use their phone and restricts access to other digital content that may be inappropriate for their age group.

-When parents remove their child’s phone at night, this could help the child feel safe enough to go to sleep faster knowing that he/she doesn’t need to worry about responding right away.

What are the Drawbacks of Taking Away Your Teenager’s Phone at Night?

Taking away your teenager’s phone is unlikely to change their behavior, though there may be other reasons for taking away their phone. If you’re setting boundaries with a child or teenager, giving them enough freedom, and also providing structure, then it might not be necessary to take away their phones.

As long as your teen doesn’t abuse their phone privileges and uses them responsibly you shouldn’t need to take it away from them.

Is There A Middle Ground For Tech Use In Your Household?

While a complete ban on digital devices isn’t always practical, it can be helpful to establish rules around sleep time. At a minimum, do what you can to limit screen time—particularly for your teenager—right before bed. In some cases, doing away with electronics an hour or two prior to bedtime will suffice.