Parents of under-18s are expected to spend an average of 88 hours on unintended phone scrolling during the summer holidays, according to a survey for Virgin Media O2.
Unintentional smartphone use among parents
An 18-month study involving 16,000 people found that parents of under-18s spend more than two hours a day using their smartphones unintentionally, significantly more than non-parents. Half of parents (50%) said they have little or no control over their phone and internet use, leaving them on track to spend almost four full days of the summer holidays using their smartphones unintentionally.
More than three-quarters of parents (76%) said they often pick up their phone without thinking, compared with 57% of non-parents. Almost half (48%) check or pick up their phone 30 or more times a day without a specific reason, resulting in two hours and six minutes of unintentional daily usage – around 40 minutes longer than the average UK adult.
Children's perspective
More than half of children aged eight to 16 (56%) say their parents’ phone use causes them to miss important family moments, while 63% believe their parents do not realise how much time they spend on their phones. Almost half of children (48%) said they have had to repeat themselves because a parent was using their phone, and 34% said a parent missed something they wanted to show them.
When asked when they most wanted parents to be fully present, children referred to talking together (47%), family days out (40%), and playing together (35%).
Tool to measure digital intentionality
Virgin Media O2 has launched a “digital intentionality score” to help people understand their phone use and compare their behaviour against the national average of 63 out of 100. The 10-question tool uses real usage data and self-reported habits.
Dana Haidan, chief sustainability officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “Summer holidays are a chance for families to spend quality time together, but we know modern family life is busy, and parents are often balancing work, childcare, and everything in between. Our research shows many are getting caught in unintentional phone habits without even realising it. This isn’t simply about individual behaviour. Many of the digital services we use every day are designed to keep us engaged, making it easy to spend longer on our phones than we intended. Understanding those habits is the first step towards building a healthier relationship with technology.”
The surveys were conducted by Strand Partners and Censuswide, sampling 6,002 and 1,000 participants respectively.
