Eli Singer

Teens who use their phones after 10 p.m. fall asleep later and sleep less, two studies published Oct. 19 and Nov. 6 found. Eli Singer, founder of Offline.now, says a set time gives families something clear to agree on, and is easier to talk about than a daily limit. What the two studies found A JAMA Pediatrics study tracked 425 US teens over more than 7,500 nights (Zhao, Hale and Christakis, JAMA Pediatrics, 2026). On nights when teens used their phones more than usual after 10 p.m., they fell asleep about an hour later and slept about 20 minutes less. A second study, published Nov. 6, recorded phone use directly on 218 teens' phones (Mathew and colleagues, Journal of Adolescent Health, 2026). More use in the evening and late at night, especially social media, went with later and shorter sleep. Both studies found a link between late phone use and sleep. Neither proves the phone is the cause. "For years, parents were told to watch a daily total. A total is hard to see and easy to argue about. A time is on the clock and out in the open, so everyone is on the same page." Eli Singer, founder of Offline.now Why a set time works better than a daily limit A daily limit counts two hours at midnight the same as two hours after school. The research points to late use as the problem, because it takes time from sleep and keeps teens alert when they should be winding down. Meta's settlement with US states will block Instagram and Facebook for under-18s from midnight to 6 a.m., two hours later than the time these studies point to (CBS News). "The time is the agreement. The charger is where it happens. If the charger is in the kitchen, or anywhere outside the bedroom, the curfew is much easier to keep." Eli Singer How to agree on a 10 p.m. curfew Singer's advice is to start with a conversation and find what works for your teen. Ask your teen what time feels fair, and agree on one together. If you can, charge every phone in the house outside the bedrooms, including the parents' phones. Expect some nights when the curfew doesn't happen. Agree ahead of time how you will start again the next night. If your teen already has trouble sleeping, Offline.now's guide to insomnia from night phone use has steps to try first. For adults, Singer's earlier post asks What Time Should You Actually Turn Off Your Phone at Night? "When a teen helps choose the time, they are more likely to stick to it. The studies point to 10 p.m. Let your teen have a say in the details." Eli Singer Where to start Lasting change runs on confidence, not willpower. Two questions find your starting place: Find Your Starting Place. This is not medical advice. If sleep issues are persistent or severe, consider talking with a qualified professional. Story angles for reporters The story: screen time advice is moving from daily totals to a set time at night. Two studies that tracked teens' phones directly point to 10 p.m., while the platforms' own overnight blocks start at midnight. Are daily limits out of date? Ask pediatricians and sleep researchers whether the time of use now matters more than the total. Platform rules and the research. Meta's overnight block starts at midnight. These studies point two hours earlier. What teens would choose. Ask local teens what curfew they think is fair, and where their phones charge at night. About the expert Eli Singer is the founder of Offline.now, a directory of therapists and coaches who work on screen and phone use. He created the Offline.now Matrix and wrote Offline.now: A Practical Guide to Healthy Digital Balance. He is available to comment this month on teen sleep and phone curfews: eli@offline.now, or the Contact button below. The studies: Zhao Y, Hale L, Christakis DA. Evening Phone Use and Sleep Outcomes Among Youth. JAMA Pediatrics, Oct. 19, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2026.4902. Mathew GM, Reichenberger DA, Rodriguez IR, Christakis DA, Hale L. Objectively Measured Smartphone Use Is Associated With Worse Sleep Health Among Adolescents: The Stony Brook University MEDiA Study. Journal of Adolescent Health, Nov. 6, 2026. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2026.08.039

Half of US children own a smartphone by age 11, Common Sense Media reported Oct. 27, so most families face the first-phone question before middle school. Eli Singer, founder of Offline.now, says age matters less than having a plan before the new phone is set up. Offline.now's guide to first phones for kids covers what the research says about timing. What the research says about age The 2026 Common Sense Census surveyed 1,211 US children aged 9 to 17 (Common Sense Media, 2026). Smartphone ownership rose from 24% at age 9 to 57% at age 11. A study of more than 10,000 US children found that owning a smartphone at 12 was linked to higher odds of depression symptoms, obesity and poor sleep (Barzilay and colleagues, Pediatrics, 2026). The study shows a link. It does not prove the phone caused these problems. "Most parents ask me what age is right. I ask them what the phone is for and where it will charge at night. Those answers matter more than the child's age." Eli Singer, founder of Offline.now What changes in 2027 New rules for children and teens start next year. California's AB 1709 limits personalized feeds and autoplay for under-16s from Jan. 1, 2027. Google, Meta and TikTok sued on Nov. 4 to block it (AP). Meta's August settlement with US states sets a two-hour daily default and an overnight block for under-18s on Instagram and Facebook (CBS News). The UK's ban on social media for under-16s starts in March 2027 (LBC). A phone given this December arrives before any of these rules take effect. "Parents don't need to wait for the law. Daily limits and a nighttime cutoff are already in the phone's settings. The law is catching up to what a family can already do." Eli Singer Five things to agree on before you set up the new phone Singer suggests agreeing on these with your child before the phone is unwrapped, and writing them down. Where the phone charges at night. Outside the bedroom is easiest to set from the first day. Which apps are allowed, and who decides when a new one is added. Who your child can text, and what to do if a stranger gets in touch. What happens if a rule isn't followed, agreed ahead of time. When the rules will relax as your child gets older. Singer wrote about the same decision last December in Holiday Phones, Real Kids. "Kids learn phone rules by watching their parents. So the first rule you write down should be one the parents follow too." Eli Singer Where to start Lasting change runs on confidence, not willpower. Two questions find your starting place: Find Your Starting Place. Every family is different. Use what fits and consider professional support if conflict or distress feels severe. Story angles for reporters The story: many first phones will arrive as holiday gifts this December, a few months before new rules on feeds, autoplay and overnight use start in 2027. Until then, families are writing their own rules. The family phone agreement. What parents in your area write down before handing over a first phone, and which rules are still in place by February. Phones before middle school. With half of US children owning a smartphone by 11, what elementary schools and pediatricians are seeing. Parents as the example. How adults' own phone habits shape the rules their kids accept. About the expert Eli Singer is the founder of Offline.now, a directory of therapists and coaches who work on screen and phone use. He created the Offline.now Matrix and wrote Offline.now: A Practical Guide to Healthy Digital Balance. He is available to comment through the holidays on kids' first phones and family screen rules: eli@offline.now, or the Contact button below.

A study published Oct. 29 in NeuroImage found that a glance at a phone stung more when it came right after a warm welcome. Eli Singer, founder of Offline.now, says that is exactly the setting of a holiday dinner. What the study found Researchers call it phubbing, short for phone snubbing. A team at Chongqing Normal University ran two lab experiments with 213 people (Shi and colleagues, NeuroImage, 2026). After a warm welcome, a glance at a phone left people feeling more neglected and less willing to keep talking. Their brains reacted more strongly too. The authors suggest warmth raises the expectation of attention. These were lab tasks, not real dinners. "Thanksgiving is set up to make people feel welcome. A phone right after that welcome can feel like a small rejection, even if you're only checking a score." Eli Singer, founder of Offline.now Plan it before people arrive Singer's advice is to agree on phones ahead of time, so nobody is surprised at the table. Ask your guests what would work for them before the day. Send a short note in advance: phones go away for the meal. Put a basket by the door for anyone who wants to drop their phone when they walk in. Take the photos before everyone sits down. Offline.now's piece on phubbing in quiet family moments looks at why people reach for the phone when the conversation pauses. "Ask for one meal without phones. It's a small promise, and a family that keeps it once is more likely to try it again." Eli Singer Parents set the pattern. A 2026 review of 22 studies found the phubbing habit tends to pass between family members (Jakhar, Gupta and Vyas, Acta Psychologica). "If you want the kids off their phones at dinner, put yours away first, where they can see you do it." Eli Singer Where to start Lasting change runs on confidence, not willpower. Two questions find your starting place: Find Your Starting Place. Every family is different. Use what fits and consider professional support if conflict or distress feels severe. About the expert Eli Singer is the founder of Offline.now, a directory of therapists and coaches who work on screen and phone use. He created the Offline.now Matrix and wrote Offline.now: A Practical Guide to Healthy Digital Balance. He is available to comment through Thanksgiving: eli@offline.now, or the Contact button below. The study: Shi J, Huang R, Yu J, et al. Does Phubbing Always Elicit Social Pain? The Role of Belonging Context. NeuroImage, Oct. 29, 2026. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.122325