You Need a Phone-Free 1-2 Hours for Homework
Many cases lately where phones aren't just a distraction - they're the central obstacle to managing homework and time. A few examples:
Liza tries to do homework with YouTube on in the background.
She insists on homework with YouTube open on her school laptop and notifications on her phone.
It was easy for her in fifth grade to do 1/2 + 1/4 while texts were popping off in the background. She'd tend to a fraction, tend to a notification, choose her next video. Instead of being done in 8 minutes, she was done in 22 minutes. Didn’t really matter!
But now she's in ninth grade. Work is getting more challenging, and (as many clients know) will only get tougher. She has a "DBQ" in her history class:
There’s a lot going on there, right? The passage itself, the knowledge you need to bring to bear on it, the sophisticated question. You can't be on autopilot here. You need to ramp up concentration. With texts + Snap + YoutTube, the brainpower required to engage deeply just isn't there.
Yet I feel for mom, as the habit's locked in. For Liza, homework = phone time.
Trying to break this connection feels like punishment.
But without a break from the phone, tough assignments don't happen - they pile up.
Justin loves Snap.
Justin’s got AP U.S. History, AP physics, AP Stats, a brutal schedule.
But he's constantly snapping friends, making plans, checking in. Parents have had it: "Buddy, big week ahead. You need phone-free time. Your friends will be there."
Justin's argument: "But Snap is how we plan everything. I can't just disconnect."
But again - check his courseload. You can't "kind of" do AP physics. Look at this problem:
I don't know about you! But that takes a typical really really really bright 11th grader a lot of cognitive effort.
Always-on Snap means always-halfway-doing-homework. Again you can get away with this when the material is easy! Not when it's hard.
Tasks take longer, quality suffers, frustration builds.
We're sensitive to staying socially connected. We want you to be plugged in. But you need some dedicated time to do work.
Ben is a Discord guy. He’s introverted.
Then there’s Ben. Shy, reserved, prefers chilling on his phone over homework.
Again: fair enough. We do not dispute how much more compelling phones are than algebra 2. Phones are incredibly tempting, way more rewarding than starting algebra homework. This is not a "Ben thing," this is a "almost everyone thing."
So, the opportunity cost of doing homework feels way higher than it used to. Homework means turning away from a steady stream of pleasantness, scrolling TikTok, Discord chats. It’s no wonder he stalls. He's introverted and needs time to decompress. But he *frequently* loses multiple hours to this habit.
One Possible Fix: Phone-Free Hours?
We suggest: Block out an hour (or better, 2 hours) of absolutely phone-free, no-tech homework time. Same time every night.
You don't negotiate in the moment; it's pre-agreed. Everyone knows when it is, and there’s a “drop-off” point for phones and all other non-essential screens (yes, some kids need their chromebook or laptop for homework).
And if the homework’s done early, fine. Do puzzles, crochet, clean your room, organize tomorrow's stuff - whatever! The phones stays off, that’s the sacred rule.
Very hard at first. Kids (and adults) resist. We can say that homework will actually go much faster when they're fully focused.
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Phones during homework are friction machines. They're habit-forming, distracting, and emotionally tied to leisure. Try to have a phone-free hour or two, and see what happens.
