Art & Culture
Select a Level
NEW
6 Sept 2026
Teenagers are spending up to an hour or more on their phones on school nights, which is impacting their mental health, cognitive function and emotional regulation. Georgijevic/E+/Getty Images
Teenagers and Nighttime Phone Use: What a New Study Shows
Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It
WARM UP
Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?
a) Phones help teenagers sleep faster at night.
b) Many teenagers check their phones late at night.
c) Scientists want to ban all mobile phones.
Ask:
(1) Do you use your phone or tablet before you go to sleep?
(2) How do you feel when you wake up after a good night of sleep?
VOCABULARY
screen (/skriːn/, noun)
Meaning: The flat glass part of a phone or computer that shows images and text.
Example: I look at the screen to read my favourite stories.
tired (/ˈtaɪəd/, adjective)
Meaning: Feeling that you want to rest or sleep.
Example: She feels tired after running in the garden.
night (/naɪt/, noun)
Meaning: The time when it is dark and people usually sleep.
Example: The stars shine brightly in the sky at night.
sleep (/sliːp/, verb)
Meaning: To rest your body and mind with your eyes closed.
Example: Children need to sleep well to grow strong.
habit (/ˈhæb.ɪt/, noun)
Meaning: Something that you do often and regularly.
Example: Brushing your teeth before bed is a good habit.
health (/helθ/, noun)
Meaning: The condition of your body and how well you feel.
Example: Eating fresh fruit is very good for your health.
Many young people have a mobile phone today. They use phones to play games and talk to friends. A new study looks at teenagers and nighttime phone habits. Scientists study how phone screens affect sleeping hours.
Many teenagers look at a bright screen late at night. Some teenagers wake up and check messages in bed. The bright light makes the brain feel awake. Then, it is hard to fall asleep quickly. Sleeping fewer hours makes teenagers feel tired at school the next day.
Good sleep is very important for body health and mood. Doctors say teenagers need nine hours of rest each night. Simple changes can help every evening. Leaving the phone in another room is a great idea. Reading a book helps the mind relax. Going to sleep early makes people feel happy and active in the morning.
Listen
Photo by Maccy on Unsplash
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
(1) Do you have a mobile phone or a tablet?
(2) What do you usually do before you go to bed?
(3) Where do you keep your phone at night time?
(4) How many hours do you sleep every night?
(5) Do you think reading a book before bed is a good idea?
FILL IN THE GAPS
FILL THE GAPS
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
Word Bank: habit, night, screen, sleep
Many young people have a mobile phone today. They use phones to play games and talk to friends. A new study looks at teenagers and nighttime phone habits. Scientists study how phone _______(1)s affect sleeping hours.
Many teenagers look at a bright screen late at _______(2). Some teenagers wake up and check messages in bed. The bright light makes the brain feel awake. Then, it is hard to fall asleep quickly. Sleeping fewer hours makes teenagers feel tired at school the next day.
Good _______(3) is very important for body health and mood. Doctors say teenagers need nine hours of rest each night. Simple changes can help every evening. Leaving the phone in another room is a great idea. Reading a book helps the mind relax. Building a healthy bedtime _______(4) helps teenagers feel happy and active in the morning.
Section 2: Main Idea
What is the main idea of this news article?
a) Mobile phones are only used for playing games.
b) Late-night phone use affects sleep, so good bedtime habits are important.
c) Scientists want all teenagers to stop using technology completely.
UNDERSTANDING
Section 3: True or False
(1) Bright screen light helps the brain fall asleep immediately. T/F
(2) Doctors say teenagers need about nine hours of rest each night. T/F
(3) Reading a book before bed can help the mind relax. T/F
Section 4: Put Events in Order
Put these story events in order from 1 to 3:
( ) A teenager looks at a bright phone screen late at night.
( ) The teenager feels tired at school the next day.
( ) The bright light makes the brain feel awake and delays sleep.
LANGUAGE
Section 5: Vocab Match
(1) screen
(2) tired
(3) night
(4) sleep
(5) habit
a) feeling that you want to rest or sleep
b) something that you do often and regularly
c) the flat glass part of a phone that shows images
d) to rest your body and mind with your eyes closed
e) the time when it is dark and people sleep
USE IT
Section 6: Discussion Builder
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence:
(1) Looking at a phone screen late at night makes people feel _______ the next morning.
a) tired
b) fast
c) cold
(2) Leaving your phone in another room is a great _______ for good health.
a) screen
b) habit
c) noise
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
Put the words in the correct order to make complete sentences:
(1) [A] Bright / [B] makes / [C] awake / [D] the brain / [E] light .
(2) [A] Good / [B] important / [C] is / [D] sleep / [E] very .
ANSWER KEY
Warm Up Answer: b
Section 1 Answers: (1) screen (2) night (3) sleep (4) habit
Section 2 Answer: b
Section 3 Answers: (1) False (2) True (3) True
Section 4 Answers: Order is 1, 3, 2
Section 5 Answers: (1)-c, (2)-a, (3)-e, (4)-d, (5)-b
Section 6 Answers: (1) a (2) b
Section 7 Answers: (1) Bright light makes the brain awake. (2) Good sleep is very important.
Section 8 Answers: Student personal responses will vary.
Thank you for your feedback!