No one likes it when their phone battery dies suddenly and in recent years, we’ve adopted the habit of charging our phones and tablets by our bedside.
While it’s very convenient for a late-night Facebook scroll or checking your email in the morning, leaving your phone charging under the pillow or on the bed can pose a serious risk to you and your family.
An American fire department has issued a stark warning about kids and teens charging their phones and tablets underneath their pillows.
Alongside a photo of scorched sheets and a singed charging lead, Newton New Hampshire Fire Department wrote the following warning: “Research has revealed that 53 percent 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.”
While kids aren’t the only ones guilty of this, it’s up to parents to ensure they adopt safe habits when charging their devices.
The post went on to say: “This places the child/teen as well as everyone else in the home in great danger. Please check where you and your family charge your mobile devices.”
While we’ve done this on occasion ourselves, after seeing this photo we definitely won’t be doing it again. Next time we need to charge a phone at night, we’ll be leaving it on the bedside locker!
Even if you have to repeatedly nag them, it’s worth double-checking that your kids and teens aren’t charging their phones or tablets in this dangerous manner.
The Facebook post has since gone viral as users shared it with their friends and family members. It has now had over 20,000 shares and over 1,000 reactions from concerned members of the public.
One warned: “My grandson did this. It can happen”, while another said “I believe this. I once left my phone charging under my pillow and when I came back it was so hot I could barely touch it.”
Some parents tagged all their children in the hopes they would see the photo and respond accordingly.
Is this something you are concerned about mums? Leave us a comment and let us know, we would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.
