If you know any teens or kids, you know how attached they are to their phones. Despite the fact that almost everyone has a smartphone now, teens and young adults seem to be the ones who use them most.
With all sorts of phone games, social media, and communication methods available on smartphones, it’s easy to spend hours at a time plugged in.
Instead of turning to books or television before falling asleep, many of us grab our phones and head to bed, browsing the internet for a while before drifting off to sleep.
Lots of people even charge their phones by the bedside, or, worse, tuck the phone under their pillow while the battery recharges.
Recently in Newton, New Hampshire, something terrifying happened after someone fell asleep with their phone plugged in and resting on the bedding: the charger got so hot that it lit the bed on fire.
Think about it — how often do you (or your kids or grandkids) fall asleep while charging your phone in the bed? It seems pretty harmless, but it could actually be very dangerous.
The Newton, New Hampshire Fire Department just issued a dire warning on their Facebook page about charging phones in bed.
Their warning immediately took off online, with over 31,000 shares and 1,900 reactions, many from concerned parents.
Research has revealed that 53% of children/teens charge their phone or tablet either on their bed or under their pillow.
This is can be extremely dangerous. The heat generated cannot dissipate and the charger will become hotter and hotter.
The likely result is that the pillow/bed will catch fire.
This places the child/teen as well as everyone else in the home in great danger. Please check where you & your family charge your mobile devices.
The alarming images posted by the Newton FD show exactly what happens when a phone charges up on a too-soft surface.
Smart phones are miniature computers, and all that power generates a lot of heat, especially when the battery is charging.
Your phone gets rid of that heat with a fan to vent it away, but soft bedding can block the fan, trapping the heat and creating flammable conditions.
This isn’t the first time that a mobile phone has caused an alarming fire.
Just last year, a fire department in Wales posted about the horrifying aftermath of a teen girl’s bedroom after her phone caught fire in her bed.
Fortunately, everyone was OK, but it goes to show how quickly an overheated phone can turn into a scorching blaze.
Most smartphone companies issue specific product warnings, explaining why charging your phone in bed or under your pillow can be so dangerous and asking customers to take care while picking a charging spot.
It’s fine to charge your phone overnight; just make sure it’s on a firm, flat surface, like a bedside table or the floor.
Keep in mind that the same warnings hold true for laptops and tablets.
You might be less likely to nod off with a bulky computer or tablet in your bed, but you should be very careful.
All electronics can overheat in the right conditions, so you need to be cautious when using an electronic device on any soft surface.
Do you know anyone who charges their phone under their pillow or in their bed?
Be sure to Liked Video with your friends and family so they know about the dangers of charging your phone in bed!
