Thought for the week
Week beginning Monday 3rd July 2017
Term 6
Checking after dark
Young people are losing sleep because of their mobile phones.
Charlotte Robertson, DAUK co-founder, said: "One of the biggest topics around at
the moment is excessive social media consumption and how it is affecting our
physical and emotional wellbeing.
"A lot of young people are waking up sometimes with over 100 notifications from
conversations that have happened overnight.
"They want to be that person that is responding at 01:00, and seen to be quite
cool, to make sure they catch the joke - it's a huge driver, that anxiety of wanting to
know what's happened."
HMC chairman Mike Buchanan said: "The data suggests those who do check their
phones, they're mostly driven by not wishing to miss out.
"Clearly there are some times when children are not concentrating because they
are tired, and that has an obvious impact on their ability to keep up with what's
going on - there is a desire to stay within the group.
• Almost half (45%) of young people are
checking their mobile phones after they have
gone to bed, a poll suggests.
• A survey of 2,750 11- to 18-year-olds found
one in 10 admitted checking their mobile
phones for notifications at least 10 times a
night.
• The poll was carried out by Digital Awareness
UK
and
the
Headmasters'
and
Headmistresses' Conference.
• The organisations warn night-time usage of
mobiles means pupils are coming to school
tired and unable to concentrate.
• They recommend having a "digital detox" and
putting mobile devices away for 90 minutes
before lights-out or keeping them out of the
bedroom.
Social media
• Of the 45% of survey respondents who
check their phones when they should be
sleeping, almost all (94%) are on social
media - with a tenth saying they would feel
stressed about missing out if they did not
check their device before going to sleep.
• Of this group, 75% are listening to music
and over half (57%) are watching films.
• A third (32%) of these young people say
their parents are not aware that they check
their mobile device after going to bed.
The findings also show:
• 68% of all respondents say using their
mobile devices at night affects their school
work.
• a quarter say they feel tired during the day
because of how often they use their
mobile device at night.
• almost half (42%) keep their phone next to
their bed at night.
Why is it so hard to ‘disconnect’?
How can you help people to
become less addicted to their
phone?
Do you think any serious damage
is being done by using a mobile
phone late at night?
Would you be able to take a
break from your phone?
If so, for how long?
10 screen-time tips from Digital Awareness
UK
• Refrain from using screens 90 minutes before
bedtime.
• Turn off notifications, or activate "do not
disturb", "aeroplane mode" or mute settings.
Turn the phone off altogether if you can.
• Reduce blue light exposure, which can
disrupt sleep. For example, most Apple
devices have the "night shift mode", which
changes the colour temperature of your
device to reduce exposure.
• Try and break the habit of unprompted
device checking.
• Keep your phone in a location that prevents
you from seeing, hearing or even reaching
for it.
• Use a screen time tracker apps, such as
RealizD and Moment, that can showcase the
amount of time you are spending on your
device. Some of these apps allow you to set
usage restrictions.
• Digital detox - take a break from devices
altogether or set times that you will turn your
phone off.
• Switch the habit - in the 90 minutes running
up to bedtime, get stuck into a good book,
practise meditation or have a relaxing bubble
bath.
• Think. If we think about the reasons why we
are using mobile devices at night time, we
would often think twice.
• If you take control back by exercising any of
the tips listed above, give yourself a pat on the
back and a treat.