Parents set to spend average 88 hours on unintended phone scrolling over summer

Parents of under-18s are set to spend an average 88 hours on unintended phone scrolling over the summer holiday, a survey suggests.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, the survey for Virgin Media O2 found.An 18-month study involving 16,000 people by the media giant found parents of under-18s spend more than two hours a day using their smartphones unintentionally, and are significantly more likely than non-parents to fall into unintentional smartphone habits.Half of parents of under-18s (50%) said they have little to no control over how they use their phone and the internet, leaving them on track to spend almost four full days of the summer holidays using their smartphones unintentionally.More than three quarters of parents of under-18s (76%) said they often picked 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 and, as a result, spend two hours and six minutes on their phone unintentionally every day – around 40 minutes longer than the average UK adult, the survey suggests.Almost three in four parents (74%) said using their phone after a long day helps them relax, and 80% say being online helps them stay in touch when life gets busy.Almost half of children (48%) said they have had to repeat themselves because a parent was using their phone, while 34% said a parent had missed something they wanted to show them.Asked when they most wanted parents to be fully present, children referred to everyday moments including talking together (47%), family days out (40%), and playing together (35%).Virgin Media O2 has launched a “digital intentionality score” to allow people to understand how they use their phones, and compare their behaviour against the national average of 63 out of 100 – with higher scores representing more intentional use.Read MoreThe 10-question tool draws on both real usage data and self-reported habits to provide a clearer picture of how people engage with their phones.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.”Strand Partners surveyed 6,002 smartphone owners between April 4-10, 6,136 people between March 11-16, 2,039 people between November 28 and December 1, and 1,004 people between December 18-20.Censuswide surveyed 1,000 UK children aged eight to 16 between July 10-14.