British parents are concerned about the issues their children are facing due to their daily screen time on phones, laptops or tablets, with over a quarter (27%) believing that their children’s social skills have been impacted negatively.
The research, by Babylon Park, the UK’s only indoor theme park, asked parents of children aged 5-12 about their attitudes towards screen times. The findings show that nearly eight in 10 (78%) children are spending between two and six hours a day viewing a screen, with all parents claiming that their children use a screen of some sort.
Parents have shared concerns about the health impacts that playing on screens may have on their children, with nearly a quarter (23%) believing that screen time has adversely affected their child’s sleep patterns, whilst another 23% have expressed concerns that this is directly influencing their child’s physical activity levels.
The research also finds that more than one in 10 parents (12%) are worried that time viewing screens has adversely affected their children’s social anxiety levels.
Socialising skills are also being knocked as a result of their daily screen time: 62% believe that their child has some issue with this. Nealy one in five parents (18%) believe that their children are anxious at school, and more than one in 10 (12%) have said that their children avoid social interactions all together.
Most common social situations in which children feel anxious, according to parents
| Social situation type | Percentage of parents who believe their child is uncomfortable in these situations |
| Unfamiliar social situations | 26% |
| With strangers | 25% |
| Social situations with people they know | 20% |
| At school | 18% |
| In large groups | 18% |
| In crowded spaces | 15% |
| They avoid social interactions | 12% |
| No social anxiety | 62% |
When discussing barriers that they thought were holding children back from physically playing rather than being on a screen, nearly two in five parents (39%) believe that their children’s peers use of devices influences them to do the same.
More than a third (36%) think that digital devices are too easy to use and too accessible, coupled with the quarter (25%) of parents who believe that there is a lack of safe spaces outside for their children to play.
Top reasons as to why parents believe their children prefer playing on screens to physical playing
| Reason | Percentage of parents who believe this |
| Addiction to digital devices | 47% |
| Peer pressure | 39% |
| Ease and accessibility of digital devices | 36% |
| The weather preventing them from physically playing | 35% |
| Digital entertainment is far more entertaining than physically playing | 34% |
| There is a lack of safe outdoor spaces | 25% |
| There are no barriers to this | 11% |
| A new device has enhanced security | 14% |
Ben Malka, Owner at Babylon Park said: “Summer is the perfect time for children to disconnect from screens and re-engage with the joy of physically playing, whether this be going to the park, socialising with friends or kicking a ball around. Playing is important for aiding development and socialising, and our research shows that this is something we need to look at for our children’s futures.
“With our research showing nearly eight in 10 children are spending more than two hours per day on a screen, it seems that they may not be disconnecting as much as they should. At Babylon Park, we stress the importance of exploring the universe around you, and the park is just one of the many places that children can rediscover the joy of playing. That this could potentially help in aspects of a child’s development as part of a well-rounded lifestyle is an added bonus.”
