What I Have Learned About Children and Cellphones... must read article!

Written by JC Montenegro, PhD.

Every day at the Salesian Family Youth Center, I walk alongside children and young people. I see their joy, their talents, their fears, and the world they are growing up in. And one thing is increasingly obvious, cellphones have taken a central place in their lives, so central that many of them cannot imagine life without them. This article is about children and cellphones, what we have learned.

JC Montenegro challenging a child to play instead of using his cellphone.

I have long held the conviction that children and young people do not need cellphones. Beyond convenience, these devices shape the mind in ways we still do not fully understand. They often turn our young people into constant receivers of information, leaving little room for them to develop the ability to express themselves, communicate deeply, or handle their emotions. This is not just a philosophical concern, there is growing research showing troubling associations between heavy smartphone use and poor mental health.

For example, a recent large scale study from MDPI concluded that high overall smartphone use among youth is correlated with increased anxiety, poorer self-rated mental health, and even suicidal ideation. Another study published on PubMed found that adolescents who used their phones or other electronic media at night had higher rates of sleep disturbances, which were linked with more depressive symptoms.

In practical terms, at our center I have seen this effect. On two separate occasions, when we took phones away, the children emotionally broke down. The level of dependency was startling, as if the device had become essential to their sense of identity, safety, or control. That is a kind of power no object should have over a child.

We strive to create phone free spaces in the Youth Center, spaces where young people can rediscover what it means to be present, to connect, to play, and to speak with one another. But it is not easy. Many parents rely on phones to monitor their children’s whereabouts, and I understand that need. Yet I often reflect on my own youth, I had no phone and I was still safe, still supervised, still in community.

What troubles me most is how many young people do not sleep enough. If you ask them about their screen time, many report nine or more hours per day. Between school, extracurriculars, and downtime, that often leaves only late night hours for scrolling or chatting. Research from PubMed supports that extended smartphone use, especially before or at night, is associated with worse sleep quality, shorter sleep duration, insomnia, and more daytime fatigue. Without rest, concentration suffers, moods become fragile, and the risk of anxiety and depression grows.

We do not even need to invoke speculative risks about future technologies. What we see now is enough to demand attention. As technology evolves, our responsibility remains to guide our young people to discipline, self-control, and a clear sense of purpose beyond virtual worlds.

For children, especially younger ones, I believe they do not need a phone or tablet at home. Schools already expose them to screens for many hours. At home, they deserve a refuge, a place to rest, to connect, to dream.

For parents, one practical step makes a profound difference, keep phones out of children’s bedrooms at night. Let the home’s sleeping spaces be for rest, not for scrolling. Doing so may help protect their sleep, mental health, and sense of balance.

This is not a call for fear or rigidity. It is an invitation for awareness and balance. Our children deserve spaces where they can breathe, reflect, and discover themselves outside of screens. They deserve opportunities for real conversation, real play, and real rest.

If we want to support their growth, emotionally, socially, spiritually, then we must help them step back from the noise and reconnect with themselves, their families, and the world around them.

As adults, parents, educators, mentors, we have a role in shaping healthy digital habits that protect the development of our children’s minds, hearts, and spirits. That responsibility matters now more than ever.