Parents 'missing important family time' due to aimless phone use

More than half of children say their parents' phone use causes them to miss important family moments, according to a survey.

While teenagers are the focus of the government's efforts to curtail social media use, it would seem that adults too are guilty of spending too much time on their devices.

The survey, carried out for Virgin Media O2, also found 63% of children aged eight to 16 believe their parents don't realise how often they are staring at their screens.

The telecomms company carried out an 18-month study involving 16,000 people, which suggested mums and dads of those under 18 spend more than two hours a day using their phones unintentionally.

That would add up to 88 hours of mindless scrolling over the summer holiday.

Read more: More than a third of phone use is pointless

Half of parents told the study they have little to no control over how they use their phone and the internet. More than three-quarters said they often picked theirs up without thinking.

Almost half (48%) check or pick up their phone 30 or more times a day without a specific reason – adding up to two hours, six minutes, which is 40 minutes more than the average UK adult.

Asked when they most wanted their parents to be fully present, children spoke of simple moments like talking, playing, and family days out.

Dana Haidan, chief sustainability officer at Virgin Media O2, said the summer holidays are "a chance for families to spend quality time together", but many parents "are getting caught in unintentional phone habits without realising".

Ms Haiden added: "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."

(c) Sky News 2026: Parents 'missing important family time' due to aimless phone use