Phone vs. Family: 90% of Kids Feel Lonelier Due to Parental Phone Use

A new report from vivo and Cybermedia Research reveals some concerning trends regarding the impact of excessive smartphone use on parent-child relationships. The research shows that children are initiating smartphone usage around the age of 12 and spending an alarming 6.5 hours per day engaged with their devices, mostly for gaming purposes.

Perhaps more disturbing is the finding that over 90% of children acknowledge feeling anxious when separated from their phones, highlighting a strong emotional dependence. The vast majority also admits to being "predominantly engrossed" in activities on their smartphones when at home, pointing to near-constant immersion in these devices.

This excessive usage is having a clear negative effect on relationships between parents and children. The report states that 90% of parents confess to feeling irritated when interrupted by their children while they themselves are engrossed in phone activities. The same proportion say they now spend less quality time together as a result of phones, which over 90% of children seem to confirm by admitting they feel lonelier than ever because of their parent's device usage.

Despite spending an average of 2 hours daily interacting, around 75% of parents acknowledge simultaneous phone engagement during this time with their kids, raising doubts over the meaningfulness of these interactions.

Guilt Yet Optimism Around Strengthening Bonds

The report does highlight some optimism regarding the strength of family bonds moving forward. Over 90% of both parents and children express feelings of guilt regarding the quality of their relationships. Furthermore, an encouraging 96% of parents and 93% of kids share a desire to deepen their family connections amidst this age of distraction.