When things go wrong with technology, the results can often be dire. Who can forget the cell phone battery explosions that caused a global recall of the product? Not the ideal situation for the many people who like to keep their phones within a fingertip’s reach.
We all know it’s not the healthiest habit to stay glued to your cell phone at bedtime. But there’s another downside to that habit besides disrupted sleep cycles. As we stay up in bed (and fall asleep) to play games, send texts, listen to music, or use a phone’s alarm clock, we could be taking a risk.
Many of us charge our phones overnight, which causes the battery or charger to heat up. That heat is a fire hazard.
The Newton, New Hampshire Fire Department posted a PSA on Facebook this month about the dangers of sleeping with a charging device. If you have a child or teen in your home that likes to snuggle up with their phone or tablet at night, it’s time to nip that in the bud.
In the announcement, pictures of scorch marks on sheets demonstrate the very real effect of leaving your phone in bed to charge. Doing so can generate so much heat that it can ignite a fire! The fire department wrote:
“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.”
Please continue to Next Page (>)