Licensed Professional Counselor/ Founder at Inner Light Holistic Healing
Answered 4 months ago
Hi Vivian, I am a License Professional Counselor licensed in Texas and Oklahoma and am EMDR certified. I've worked at a Children's Advocacy Center working with children and adolescents who have experienced abuse and their families. I've also worked with first responders and their families of all ages. Now I have my own private practice where I see clients 13 years old and up. I have 6 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults. I wholeheartedly recommend phone-free zones. Having phone-free zones allows for increased connection with friends and families. I understand it can be difficult for many to be separated from their phone which is why it can increase that distress tolerance by having phone free zones. When phones are present, the device becomes an escape instead of an opportunity to tolerate discomfort. Ideally, phones can be kept out of dining areas and bedrooms. Removing phones from dining areas allows for greater connection, mindful eating habits, and emotional regulation. A consistent phone-free dining room sends a message to children and teens about attention, boundaries, and self-regulation. At minimum, keeping phones out of bedrooms is highly recommended. Phones can be very disruptive to sleep. If an individual is looking at their phone, the blue light and cognitive stimulation disrupts melatonin production. Sleep is a major part of mental health that is often over looked. Teens struggle to put the phone down for reasons that are biological, developmental, and engineered by design. Adolescents especially do not have the brain development to manage and control the impulses to put the phone down. Apps are designed to trigger intermittent reinforcement. Variable rewards create stronger habit loops than predictable ones. Teens get a dopamine spike from notifications, likes, or new content. The absence of a new hit creates discomfort, not neutrality. Expecting them to simply use willpower while keeping the phone in their bedroom ignores how the brain responds to reward pathways under stress. While it is sad, I've seen many teens who use their phones in risky manners in the bedroom such as sending nudes, talking to adults in sexual ways, and overall increasing their risk for sex trafficking. This may be longer than you need, but I'll be happy to answer any additional questions. I am a big proponent for having phone free zones for increased safety, emotional regulation, connection, and better sleep.
As a psychologist, I often see people struggle with how much their phone influences their mood, stress levels, and relationships. Most of us don't even realize how often we just take the phone for just one minute and then end up scrolling it for half an hour. The idea of creating phone-free zones at home is great. It is not about being strict, but rather it can give you time to relax. Whenever we are doing something and have our phone with us, we are never on a true break. Notifications from social media, shopping apps, and work messages keep popping up. With time these notifications can make us feel anxious, distracted, and less connected at the moment. That's why having phone-free zones has become important. The bedroom could be the first one, because the light and stimulation from phones can disturb sleep and make it harder to sleep at the end of the day. A phone-free dining table can also make a big difference. Families can enjoy the meal mindfully with real conversations. Another thing many people can also benefit from is keeping the first 30 minutes of the morning phone-free, so the day starts calmly rather than with continuous notifications. Inculcating these small changes makes people feel more present, less overwhelmed, and more connected with their families. People can experience better sleep and lower stress.
Creating phone-free zones at home can make a bigger difference than most people realize. Mental health experts often recommend setting boundaries in spaces like bedrooms or the dining area to reduce stress, improve focus, and strengthen family or partner connections. The idea is to encourage presence and mindfulness, giving your brain a break from constant notifications and digital noise.