The word Vamping is associated with many fields, especially music. The latest field is the Internet. The meaning of vamping is people’s habitual staying up late into the night to stay in touch with their friends on social networks and phones, thereby depriving them 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:
- A person stays up late into the night AND
- Cutting down on sleep hours AND
- Using phones and tablets to stay in touch with their friends.
Thus, it can be said a person’s habit of using social networks until late at night creates sleep deprivation.
Why is Internet Vamping Bad
Vamping is bad. It compels people to cut down on their sleep. It also affects the eyes negatively. The common age group for vamping is the teenage group. Since they have many other daily activities – like going to college, studying for hours, and playing – they need proper sleep. However, with vamping, they cut off on sleep, making 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 they are still up, so they turn off the lights. This makes them directly exposed to light from their phones and tablets. I have heard of cases where kids completely cover themselves – including the head. Below the cover, while their parents think the kids are sleeping, the kids are texting and browsing on their phones or tablet.
Their eyes are strained, trying to hide vamping by turning off lights and working below the covers. It leads to eye problems.
If not contained, vamping can cause sleep disorders for a long time. For example, people might not be able to sleep even though they are not doing anything. The effects can be much worse than just sleeplessness.
How To Prevent Vamping
Parents should be strict on timings until their children can use their phones, tablets, and computers.
Using services like OpenDNS, they can set up parental controls on what periods the children can use the Internet.
Using the router configuration page, they can set up the period when Internet access is completely shut down.
They must 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 an 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 the Internet till 3:00 AM but ask your kids 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 a cabinet, children will follow you. Another important thing is to check for vamping whenever you wake up in the night by looking into the children’s room.
Children may still access social media using phone data services if the Internet is cut off using router configuration or turning off the router. Parents must explain the dangers of cellphone usage so that their children use them sparingly.
If you see physical exhaustion in your children during the day, check with a doctor to know why. If the doctor says it is due to less sleep, understand that you have to take stricter methods like locking up their phones and turning off the Internet after a scheduled time every night.
The above aims to serve as a parent’s guide to prevent vamping so that they can protect their children from the ill effects that may spoil their performance at schools and playgrounds.
Thoughts!?
Is it normal for a teenager to stay up late?
Keeping in mind their age and interest in spending time alone, it is normal for teenagers to stay up late and do things without anyone else asking them to do otherwise. If you are concerned, maybe let them spend some time, guide them on how much time they should be spending, and manage time. They will be able to figure it out.
What time should a teenager go to bed?
Honestly speaking, every kid is different. Their school pattern is different. What matters is what they do, staying late. Some kids study better at night, while some get up early. So let the kind experiment with their time and see what works best for them. However, you can keep an eye to ensure the kid is not exhausting themselves.
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