The word vamping is associated with many fields, especially music. Latest field being the Internet, the meaning of vamping is people’s habitual staying up late into nights to stay in touch with their friends on social network and phones, thereby depriving themselves of sleep. Specifically, the term Vamping comes from teens, ‘Virtual Camping’ out online till late nights, with online friends – like vampires!

What is Teen Vamping

To simplify it, vamping is an act where:

1. A person stays up late into night “AND”
2. Cutting down on sleep hours “AND”
3. Using phones and tablets to stay in touch with his or her friends.

Thus, it can be said a person’s habit of using social networks until late nights, creating a sleep deprivation.

Why is Internet Vamping Bad

Vamping is bad. It compels people to cut down on their sleep. It also affects eyes negatively. The common age group into vamping is the teenage group. Since they have many other activities in the day – like going to college, studying for hours and playing – they need proper sleep. However, with vamping, they cut off on sleep and that makes them vulnerable to different disorders like weakness, inability to focus, and even depression.

Another aspect of vamping is that teenagers do it secretly. They do not want their parents to know that they are still up so they turn off lights. This makes them directly exposed to light coming out of the phones and tablets. I have heard of cases where kids cover themselves completely over – including head. Below the cover, while their parents think the kids are sleeping, they kids are actually texting and browsing on their phone or tablet.

Trying to hide vamping by turning off lights and working below the covers, their eyes are strained. This leads to eye problems.

If not contained, vamping can cause sleep disorders in long time. For example, people might not able to sleep even though they are not doing anything. The effects can be much bad than just sleeplessness.

How To Prevent Vamping

Parents should be strict on timings till when their children can use the phones, tablets and computers.

Using services like OpenDNS, they can set up parental controls as to what time periods can the children use the Internet.

Using the router configuration page, they can set up the time period when Internet access is completely shut down.

They need to educate their children on the negative effects of vamping and help them prevent it. For example, buy them an alarm clock so that they do not need to keep the phone (as alarm) nearby. If the phone is there, children will be tempted to use it.

Most importantly, they should set examples to prevent vamping by their children. If you use Internet till 3:00 AM but ask your kids to go to sleep at 10:00 PM, they might not listen to you. But if you too turn off your computers and put the phone in cabinet, children will follow you. Another important thing is to check for vamping whenever you wake up in the night by taking a look into the room of children.

If the Internet is cut off using router configuration or turning off router, children may still access social media using phone data services. Parents need to explain the dangers of cellphone usage so that their children use it sparingly.

In case you see physical exhaustion in your children during day, check up with a doctor to know the reason. If the doctor says it is due to less sleep, understand that you have to take tougher methods like locking up their phones and turning off Internet after a scheduled time every night.

The above aims to serve as a parent’s ‘how to’ guide to prevent vamping so that they can protect their children from the ill effects that may spoil the children’s performance at schools and playgrounds.

Thoughts!?