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Over the past two editions, we’ve looked at the data, what teenagers are using AI for, where the risk sits, and how usage changes around 15-16 years of age.
This edition is purely practical.
Three things. Each one is specific and easy enough to do this week.
WHERE WE LEFT OFF
At around age 15–16, a growing minority of teenagers are more likely to start using AI as someone to talk to.
1/ GET THE PHONE OUT OF THE BEDROOM
This one move covers AI, social media, and everything else in a single step. Children will argue they need it for an alarm, to stay connected, or for music. That’s why the alternatives exist.
HOW IT WORKS
You can, of course, ask them to place it in the kitchen overnight, and check it’s still there before bed, then spend every morning checking if it stayed there overnight. Trust is where it should start. Family charging stations can work well in this instance, well away from bedrooms.
The other alternative is phone lock boxes, which allow phones to be plugged in and physically secured overnight. Some are timer-locked, so they can stay in the bedroom, but they cannot be opened until morning.
Parents: A key insight from family research, arguments reduce significantly when the rule applies to everyone, not just children. The good news - there’s a family lock box too.
PRODUCTS THAT GENUINELY WORK
Digital Family Charging Station
An all-in-one charging station with one dedicated power delivery port. This SOOPII 70W model has 6 high-speed power USB ports.
“So much tidier than having chargers taking up sockets everywhere.”
£35 - £80
Cell Phone Lock Box
A portable cell phone box with a timer.
It can’t be opened until morning. This Dayear model allows users to access emergency calls.
“Kids hate it lol, but that's what we needed it for. Very strong lock and build, perfect size for all phones and very easy to use.”
£25 - £40
Alarm Clocks
A basic bedside alarm clock, even one with a mirror or something more luxurious that handles waking up with light and sound but without notifications, messages or scrolling. This Philips SmartSleep model is frequently ranked as a top sunrise alarm because the sunrise simulation is very realistic and gradual, happy doze.
£8-15 or £50-£200
p.s. I’m not an Amazon seller or on commission and other products are available.
2/ ASK WHAT THEY’RE USING IT FOR
Not as an interrogation. As curiosity.
Oxford University’s AIEOU webinar framed this clearly: approach with curiosity, not suspicion. The goal isn’t surveillance. It’s co-discovery.
OPENING LINES THAT WORK
“What did you use AI for today?”
“Show me something interesting you’ve made or learned with it.”
Once you’re in the conversation, these are the things worth knowing:
Which tools are they using? ChatGPT, Snapchat’s My AI, Gemini, something at school?
Do they understand that AI knows things but doesn’t feel things and that some things are too personal to share with a machine?
Have they ever used it for emotional support or advice? If so, gently explore why. Big feelings need big hearts and a real person who loves them.
The AIEOU principle is worth remembering: make agreements, not rules.
Co-decide limits with your child. Post them somewhere visible. Revisit them monthly. Shared agreements build trust in a way that top-down rules never quite manage to do.
3/ FIND OUT YOUR SCHOOL’S AI POLICY
Pew Research, December 2025.
Policies vary enormously. Some schools have embraced AI literacy programmes. Others have banned devices entirely. You should know which side your child’s school is on and what the expectation is at home.
HOW TO FIND OUT
Check the school website for an AI or academic integrity policy. If there isn’t one, or it’s vague, email the form tutor or head of year. Ask directly: What is the school’s position on students using AI for homework?
Once you know the school’s position, set the same expectation at home. Consistency matters more than the rule itself.
The safety and integrity principles from the AIEOU webinar are a useful framework for any household:
No personal information in prompts.
Cite ideas and rephrase in your own voice. AI should assist, not replace.
Ask AI to use age-appropriate language.
Always verify: AI can be wrong, outdated, or misleading.
To leave you with
One observation from Ioannis Anapliotis, a Physics and Computer Science educator and author of the AIEOU Parenting in the Age of AI webinar has stayed with me since I heard it.
“Children may ignore what you say. But they never forget what you show.”
The real question is not screens or AI. It’s about the relationship we want our children to have with technology and with the people around them.
That conversation starts at home, at the dinner table, or on the sofa.
Last thing.
Ask yourself whether the phone stays in the bedroom tonight.
COMING NEXT
Age & AI explores what it means to grow up and grow old with artificial intelligence.
Which topic would you most like Age & AI to explore next?
• AI and universities
• AI and older adults
• AI literacy in schools
• AI and dementia care
• AI and student careers
• Something else you’d like covered
Just hit reply and tell me. I read every response, and it will shape future editions.
1 Pew Research Center Feb 2026 • Common Sense Media Jul 2025 • Ofcom May 2025 • Qustodio 2024–25 • Oxford University AIEOU, Parenting in the Age of AI: Raising Curious, Creative, and Confident Kids, Author: Ioannis Anapliotis.