Parents should lead by example this Christmas by switching off their phones during family time, England’s Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza has said, warning that children are increasingly feeling ignored at home.
Speaking to the Press Association, Dame Rachel said many children told her they felt sidelined during meals and family gatherings because adults were glued to their phones. She urged families to create “phone-free time”, especially during the festive break.
“I can’t tell you how many children talk about sitting at dinner while parents are on their phones,” she said. “So this Christmas, let’s turn them off.”
Phones at the dinner table still common
Her comments come amid growing concern about digital distraction at home. A recent survey found that nearly half of parents with children under 18 plan to allow phones at the Christmas dinner table this year.
Separate research by More in Common for Yondr revealed that almost four in ten adults believe smartphones have disrupted their Christmas celebrations in some way.
Dame Rachel admitted she herself had been guilty of checking her phone at mealtimes in the past, but stressed that boundaries must apply to adults as much as children.
“We have to lead as adults,” she said. “We can’t talk about banning phones for children if we’re not willing to do it ourselves.”
New guide on online safety and screen time
The commissioner’s remarks coincided with the launch of a new parental guide on children’s online safety. The guide offers practical advice on managing screen time, handling negative online experiences, and discussing emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Teenagers involved in focus groups told the commissioner they viewed harmful online content as unavoidable. Many shared experiences of being contacted by strangers, seeing pornography, or knowing peers whose intimate images had been shared.
Dame Rachel said this made it essential for parents to “talk early and talk often” about online behaviour and digital boundaries.
Experts back family conversations
Pete Etchells, professor of psychology at Bath Spa University, said Christmas was an ideal time for families to reflect on their technology habits.
“It’s not about guilt or shame,” he told BBC News. “It’s about noticing our tech use and having open conversations about what we’re comfortable with and what we’d like to change.”
Arabella Skinner from Health Professionals for Safer Screens suggested simple steps such as creating a family device plan or using a box to store phones during meals.
“Children feel most secure when they have our full attention,” she said.
An Ofcom report published earlier this month found children aged eight to 14 spend nearly three hours online daily, with up to a quarter of that time late at night, fuelling concerns about excessive screen exposure.