Rethinking Teen Phone Use: What Parents Need to Know

Parents obsess over teen phone usage, but experts Dr. Cam and Dr. Roseann Capana Hodge reveal the real problem isn’t the device—it’s emotional dysregulation. Teens spend an average of 7.25 hours daily on phones, yet 37 states banning phones in schools misses the point entirely.

The core issue: teens use phones to self-soothe and avoid uncomfortable emotions rather than developing genuine coping skills. Passive scrolling, doom-scrolling, and emotional numbing through devices create nervous system dysregulation that worsens mental health long-term—but confiscating phones doesn’t teach kids to regulate themselves.