S/O - Do you take away your teens cell phone as punishment?

Mine are almost 21 and 16.

21 - at college and irrelevant

16 - nope. We take away her social life. Far more effective.  (Luckily we seldom have to)

We have but not recently and in the past he's been allowed to have it during school hours, and had to return it as soon as he gets home. And the punishments we did that were actually related to the phone being an issue....he was prioritizing texting and such over more important things like chores and sleep. He also isn't driving yet, so that helps. At this point I think taking his phone would be a last resort.

I would if I really needed to get her attention, but it hasn't been necessary so far. She is tied at the hip to her phone, so this is the punishment that would sting the most.

If I actually took away the phone, I'd need to get her a way to communicate when home alone since we don't have a home phone. I could accomplish the same thing by turning off data/text and changing the wifi password, I guess.

We have and more of a "zing" was that we deleted all of his apps. He could call and text, but nothing else. As it stands I have the code to unlock the security settings so he can't add any apps without approval.

I can imagine some think that is too much, but his grades in one quarter went from a 3.75 to a 3.2 and he was ALWAYS snap chatting or playing a game. For a month into the new quarter he didn't have apps. Then he got them back but not Snapchat. His GPA this quarter was a 4.0
He did get snapchat back with the stipulation that if there were any missing assignments that it was gone again. So far so good.

The drop in grades was because of missing assignments/homework. If it had been because all of his work was done and he just did not understand the content he would not have been in trouble.

I have a couple times yes but it was a serious infraction that caused that punishment. I pay the bill...I will take it away as I please and I will read anything on it anytime I want. I do not consider it an invasion of privacy because they know that from the minute they get the phone.

We got them phones because the phones were a convenience for all of us, we can afford it and we gifted them that luxury. DDs were twins and did all the same activities so it was likely her sister would be with her and had access to whatever the other one didn't if practice changed, etc. They never got in trouble at the same time. DS had his phone taken away for two weeks. He was expected to communicate prior to leaving the house. If something changed, he drove home, told us, then with permission went and did whatever. We live a couple blocks from the school and a couple miles from his job. It was probably inconvenient for him but doable. Both places also have phones he can use if he needed to. If his car happened to break down we live in town and he's perfectly capable of walking home to get help.

The phone is a privilege. I have no qualms about suspending that privilege because they need to have the importance of a lesson impressed upon them. I honestly think it was once for each of the kids once they reached their teen years.

Absolutely and I don't care of it inconveniences me. More importantly, it punished DS. When all you do is dick around and play games and text on your phone but then fail several classes? Yeah, the phone is gone. As are Xbox and the computer. The only time he is out of my sight is when he's at school and if it's that big of an emergency, he can call from a school phone.

I have taken them away, but my kids can all walk to their schools. I might have a different attitude about them being without it if they were driving to and from.

One idea is to take their phones while they are in the house - they walk in the door, the phone goes into your pocket. That way they cannot communicate with their friends.

I survived childhood without a phone. amazing.

And no, the world is no more dangerous than it was when I was a kid.

Yes, and if there is an emergency there are usually friends around who have one.  

I've taken it away once he crosses the threshold of our house and it stays with me until he needs to leave for school or work. And, the wifi password gets changed at the same time to avoid him using his iPad for communication. But, he drives between my house, exH's house, school and work. Work needs to be able to contact him. He needs to be able to call for help if he has car trouble. I'd feel awful if my kid were at the side of the road and had no way to call a parent or for a tow. Physical labor is a more effective punishment for him anyhow. His phone hasn't caused him or us problems once he learned that responding to me was not an optional activity. Reply to your momma or she shuts shit down. I did temporarily suspend his service once, but it was before he had his license.

My only one with a phone is my 17 yo DD. She pays for it so it's off limits.

When she was younger and I still paid for it I tried to use that for punishment but it never worked. This was before she got into Snapchat and Facebook and she didn't have any friends anyways to text. She never straightened up her act. Which is why she lives with her dad.

Last summer I kicked my son son off my plan. He was using all the data. It was time.

But no, I never took phones away. First it really didn't do anything but inconvenience me.
Second: Everybody who got their phone taken away, will go use a friend's phone.

I have taken phones away. I have given them an old flip phone that is a pita to text on & can't go on the internet. That way I can still reach them after school & when needed. Plus we have no home phone so I don't want to leave them no way to call in case of an emergency.

For most teenagers I know, their phone IS their social life! 

I haven't had to do it yet but that's not to say I never would. I understand that it can actually end up being a nuisance for the parents when the kids don't have a phone, so I would probably let them have the phone when they are not at home, but then confiscate it when they are home.