Screen time reality check
In the modern world, there’s no escaping screen time. Whether we’re scrolling for recipes, paying our friends, or letting the kids enjoy some tablet time, screens have become an ever-present feature of our daily lives. But do we have a positive relationship with our phones, or is it time to switch on silent mode?
We polled 2,000 people in the UK (aged 16+) to explore how families, couples and others navigate screen time in their everyday lives.
You may also like...
Have we reached peak screen?
Whether we’re relaxing at home, sitting in a coffee shop or commuting to work, smartphones, laptops and tablets are simply everywhere. According to Ofcom, which is now the UK regulator for online safety, 99% of children spend time online. And by the age of 11, nine in ten children own a mobile phone.
Overall, as of 2025, nearly 58 million people in the UK use a smartphone, according to Statista. You might even be reading this on a phone!
So unsurprisingly, our survey found that mobile phone users are clocking up plenty of screen time.
On average, how much time do you spend on your phone each day?
| Time | Respondents |
| Less than 1 hour | 9% |
| 1-2 hours | 31% |
| 3-4 hours | 28% |
| 5-6 hours | 25% |
| 7 hours or more | 5% |
| N/A (I use my phone less often than daily (e.g. once every 2 days) | 3% |
On average, we found that daily phone users spend 3.41 hours per day on their phones. In a typical 24 hours, that means we’re glued to our devices for more than 14% of the time! And for some of the people we polled, the temptation to swipe and scroll is becoming a challenge.
- Gen Z (16-24 year-olds) spend an average of 4.84 hours per day on their phone –equivalent to more than 20% of the day.
- Across the UK, people in Greater London spend the most amount of time on their phones – 4.14 hours, which is more than 17% of the day.
- Females spend 3.56 hours per day on their phones (just under 15% of the day), while for males, it’s 3.24 hours (13.5% of the day).
Are smartphones a good idea?
Since smartphones took off in the late 2000s, a whole generation have been shaped – for better or worse – by this tech revolution.
Understandably, many parents have questions about how much screen time is too much screen time. In 2016, an NHS Forth Valley report – produced by its speech and language therapy department – recommended that parents aim for screen-free days and otherwise, limit screen time to two hours per day.
More recently, a 2024 King’s College London study found that “problematic smartphone use” is linked to poorer mental health and issues like anxiety, depression and insomnia.
Our survey showed that many mobile phone users are keen to ‘unsubscribe’ from harmful habits.
Have you ever wanted to reduce your phone usage?
| Yes (net) | 48% |
| Yes I have | 21% |
| Yes, and I actively try to cut back | 17% |
| Yes, but I haven't taken steps to do so | 10% |
| No, not really | 26% |
| No, not at all | 8% |
| No, not at all, I’m happy with my current phone usage | 16% |
| Unsure | 2% |
| No (net) | 50% |
More than a quarter (26%) of people said their phone usage had reduced their sleep quality, but this rose to 38% among Gen Z. Unsurprisingly, many young people are looking to press ‘refresh’ on their relationship with screens.
- Nearly half (48%) of mobile phone users have wanted to reduce their phone usage, but this rose to 73% among Gen Z.
- In contrast, just 28% of Baby Boomers (aged 55+) say they’ve wanted to cut the amount of time they spend on their phones. 70% of this age group say they’ve never had such thoughts.
- Cardiff was the city where people were most likely (58%) to want to swipe back and reduce their phone time.
Why some of us are calling it a day
We wanted to explore how phone usage is affecting people’s everyday interactions. Are distractions like social media making us less social?
How often, if ever, do you find yourself using your phone during social interactions (e.g. meals, gatherings)?
| Always | 9% |
| Often | 17% |
| Sometimes | 32% |
| Rarely | 26% |
| Never |
16% |
| Unsure | 1% |
Once again, Gen Z admitted to being the most preoccupied with their phones – 52% said they use their phones ‘always’ or ‘often’ during social occasions.
One of the biggest challenges is the pressure to be ‘always on’. 85% of Gen Z respondents said they felt some pressure to be ‘constantly available via messaging and/or social media’.
On this issue, we found a significant gender divide – 62% of females said they feel pressure to be always available on their phones, compared to 43% of males.
Truly connected
But for all the challenges associated with screen time, it’s easy to overlook the positives. Of course, ‘doom-scrolling’ for hours may be harmful to our mental health. But as our survey suggests, phones can help us forge deeper connections in the real world.
What, if any, are the main benefits you experience from using your phone?
| Staying connected with family and friends | 65% |
| Accessing news and information | 40% |
| Online shopping | 37% |
| Learning new skills or education | 35% |
| Health and fitness tracking | 16% |
| Productivity and time management (e.g. calendar, work apps) | 15% |
| N/A (there are no main benefits I experience from using my phone) | 5% |
| Other | 2% |
| Unsure | 1% |
Whether we’re learning about the world around us, or staying in touch with old friends, phones present a world of possibilities at our fingertips.
- Millennials and Gen Zs are increasingly turning to their phones to learn new skills. 23% of 16-24 year-olds and 24% of 25-35 year-olds said ‘learning new skills or education’ was a benefit of using their phones.
- Many of those we polled said their phone usage had ‘never’ (25%) and ‘rarely’ (15%) affected a relationship, including friends, family and romantic relationships. Only 11% of people said their phones had ‘frequently’ impacted a relationship.
- And while 15% of people said their phone usage had increased their stress or anxiety, 31% said it hadn’t affected them at all.
Doing digital differently
Today, millions of Brits have come of age in the smartphone era. And rather than view phones as a ‘friend’ or ‘foe’, many people are learning to strike the right balance.
For children, some argue that devices like tablets can be beneficial for their learning and development – from boosting their language skills by learning phonics, to gaining new knowledge about the world around them.
And while parents are rightly concerned about harmful online content, today’s tech-savvy mums and dads can take advantage of parental controls to keep their kids safe online.
So while smartphones can of course have a negative impact, our survey also showed that a new generation are redefining screen time etiquette.
You said you currently use and have a smartphone. How, if in any way, do you manage your smartphone use alongside other aspects of your life, such as work, family time, and personal activities?
| I tend to use my phone throughout the day, but try to be mindful of when it’s affecting other activities | 36% |
| I make a conscious effort to disconnect when spending time with others | 32% |
| N/A (I do not manage my smartphone use alongside other aspects of my life/at all) | 24% |
| I set specific times for phone use and stick to them | 12% |
| I struggle to balance phone use with other aspects of my life | 11% |
| I use apps or settings to limit phone usage during certain activities | 11% |
| Unsure | 4% |
| Other | 0.06% |
Our relationship with screens appears to be influenced by whether we were raised in the analog or digital age. But while technology presents challenges for young people, this generation are also driving the solutions.
- A quarter of millennials (25%) and 15% of Gen Z said they use apps or settings to limit phone usage during certain activities. In contrast, just 3% of Baby Boomers do the same.
- Millennials and Gen Z were also the most likely to be interested – 64% and 53% respectively – in using settings like screen time tracking, focus mode and greyscale mode to manage their screen time more effectively. Just 18% of Baby Boomers expressed interest in these solutions.
- And by finding the right balance, we can expand our social horizons. Millennials and Gen Z were the most likely (27% and 22%) to say that phone usage had strengthened their relationships and social interactions.
Related articles
Are the pressures of life changing?
What happens to someone’s social media when they die?
How to manage stress
