Parents across England are being urged to put down their smartphones this Christmas and lead by example, in a heartfelt plea from the Children's Commissioner. Dame Rachel de Souza has called for 'phone-free time' as new data reveals the extent to which devices are disrupting family life during the festive period.
The 'Tragedy' of Smartphones in Family Life
Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children's Commissioner for England, issued her warning after numerous young people told her about parents scrolling during mealtimes and texting on family walks. She admitted she had previously been "as guilty" but emphasised that children copy actions, not words. "Whatever you say, they will follow what you do," she stated, urging adults to lead the way.
Her call is supported by campaigners like Daisy Greenwell, co-founder of the Smartphone Free Childhood movement, who described smartphones and social media as a "tragedy" for relationships. "They come between our relationships with the people we love the most," Greenwell said, highlighting the insidious way devices divert attention away from family members.
Survey Reveals Stark Festive Reality
The Commissioner's plea coincides with concerning survey data. Research conducted by More in Common for Yondr found that nearly half (48%) of parents with children aged 18 or younger plan to allow phones at the Christmas dinner table this year. The poll of 2,009 UK adults also revealed that 38% believe smartphones have disrupted their festive season.
Further findings paint a worrying picture of changing family dynamics:
- Nearly one in five (19%) adults say children no longer properly interact with relatives at Christmas.
- This figure rises to nearly a third (30%) for parents of 0 to 18-year-olds.
- Almost a quarter (23%) of parents said their children cannot sit through a Christmas film without checking a device.
Practical Advice and a Potential Ban
Dame Rachel has launched a new online safety guide for parents titled "What I wish my parents knew." It advises parents to be "kind but firm," involve children in setting rules, and maintain an open, ongoing conversation about online safety, similar to modern sex education.
For the festive season, practical tips include establishing household rules that apply to everyone and creating 'phone-free' periods. Daisy Greenwell suggests putting devices in a drawer - "out of sight, out of mind" - and never allowing them in children's bedrooms at night. "The less time you spend on it the more you realise how completely boring it is compared to real life," she added.
The Commissioner, who has previously called for an Australia-style ban on social media for under-16s, issued a stark warning: "I'm going to watch really carefully, and at the end of the year, if things are not better, I will be calling for that social media ban under the age of 16."
Her concerns are echoed by Ofsted, with the schools watchdog chief warning that social media is "chipping away" at children's attention spans. Ofcom data shows teenagers aged 13-14 spend around four hours a day online, while UK adults average four-and-a-half hours daily.
The overarching message this Christmas is clear: to rebuild connection, families must consciously dethrone the smartphone and rediscover the joy of uninterrupted time together.
