[el_nahual]

> Take their phones. Put them in a box. Sit on the box and guard it. Maybe buy a Faraday bag or something.

A family member tried this. The kid's bicycle was stolen (no it wasn't, the kid traded it for a "secret" phone he used during no-phone hours).

This reinforces the "Give up now" point. You won't control access for your kids, but you can try to give them better emotional tools to cope with the world they live in.

[mixmastamyk]

Innovative thinking, I like it. What about internet access, which generally requires a credit card?

Moreover, if the kid has many hours alone outside schoolwork, clubs, or sports, there is something wrong. There's a reason why after-school programs were invented over a century ago.