Do children think they spend too much time on screens?

Many do. In Ofcom's 2026 research, 37% of 8 to 17-year-olds said they think they spend too much time on screens. That rose to 44% among 16 to 17-year-olds, and to 56% among children with mental health conditions.

What age do most UK children get a smartphone?

Ofcom's 2026 figures show smartphone ownership rising from 56% of 10-year-olds to 83% of 11-year-olds, which lines up with the move to secondary school.

Are teenagers trying to manage their own screen time?

Yes. Among 13 to 17-year-olds in Ofcom's 2026 research, 29% had disabled notifications, 28% had deliberately set aside offline time, 21% had avoided taking devices to bed and 21% had taken a break from social media.

How common is unkind behaviour online?

Almost a quarter (23%) of 8 to 17-year-olds said they had experienced nasty or hurtful behaviour in the previous 12 months. Of those, 47% said it happened on social media and 43% face to face.

Guides · The research

Children want to cut back too: what Ofcom's 2026 research says about kids and screens

The headline most people took from Ofcom's 2026 report was that parents worry about screen time. The more useful finding is that a lot of children do too.

4 min read · Published 28 September 2026 · Last reviewed 28 September 2026

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In short

Ofcom's 2026 Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes report found that 37% of 8 to 17-year-olds think they spend too much time on screens, rising to 44% of 16 to 17-year-olds, and 55% of parents think the same about their child. Among 13 to 17-year-olds, 29% had turned off notifications, 28% had set aside offline time and 21% had avoided taking devices to bed.

Key facts

37% of 8 to 17-year-olds think they spend too much time on screens (Ofcom, 2026).
55% of parents think the same about their child.
Many teens already cut back: 29% had turned off notifications.

Children feel it too

Ofcom publishes its Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes report every year. The 2026 edition, out on 21 May, covers children and young people from six months to 17.

Its findings on screen time cut both ways:

37% of 8 to 17-year-olds said they think they spend too much time on screens.
That rose to 44% among 16 to 17-year-olds.
It was 56% among children with mental health conditions.
55% of parents said they believe their child spends too much time on screens.

So in a large share of families, parent and child agree on the problem. They just haven't agreed what to do about it.

Many teenagers are already cutting back

Among 13 to 17-year-olds, Ofcom found that many are taking steps of their own:

29% had turned off notifications.
28% had deliberately set aside time offline.
21% had avoided taking devices to bed.
21% had taken a break from social media.

None of this was imposed on them. These are teenagers regulating themselves.

When phones arrive

Smartphone ownership rises from 56% at age 10 to 83% at age 11, according to Ofcom's 2026 figures. That is the move to secondary school, and it's the single biggest step in a child's digital life. It's also when the rules at home tend to be set, often in a hurry.

The report is just as clear that screens aren't only about time:

A third (33%) of 8 to 17-year-olds who use social media or messaging apps feel pressure to be popular online all or most of the time, and 70% feel it at least sometimes.
23% had experienced nasty or hurtful behaviour in the previous 12 months. Of those, 47% said it happened on social media and 43% face to face.
64% said they use online services in ways that help their wellbeing, for example to relax or lift their mood.
Seeing friends in person still matters: 27% put it among their three favourite things to do.

Using this at home

Ask, don't tell. Start with "Do you ever feel you're on your phone more than you want to be?" Plenty of children will say yes.
Build on what they already do. If they've turned off notifications or keep the phone out of bed, notice it and make it part of the agreement.
Plan before 11 if you can. If a first phone is coming with secondary school, the first phone readiness check helps you decide what to set up before the first problem.

Kairoo

They may want to cut back too.

Kairoo gives your child a deal they helped write and signed, and a fair way to practise stopping on their own.

Get Kairoo on iPhone Start with the free agreement Or start with the free agreement Tell me when Android is ready

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Questions parents ask

Do children think they spend too much time on screens?: Many do. In Ofcom's 2026 research, 37% of 8 to 17-year-olds said they think they spend too much time on screens. That rose to 44% among 16 to 17-year-olds, and to 56% among children with mental health conditions.
What age do most UK children get a smartphone?: Ofcom's 2026 figures show smartphone ownership rising from 56% of 10-year-olds to 83% of 11-year-olds, which lines up with the move to secondary school.
Are teenagers trying to manage their own screen time?: Yes. Among 13 to 17-year-olds in Ofcom's 2026 research, 29% had disabled notifications, 28% had deliberately set aside offline time, 21% had avoided taking devices to bed and 21% had taken a break from social media.
How common is unkind behaviour online?: Almost a quarter (23%) of 8 to 17-year-olds said they had experienced nasty or hurtful behaviour in the previous 12 months. Of those, 47% said it happened on social media and 43% face to face.

Sources

Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report 2026, Ofcom, 21 May 2026
Children's online lives in 2026: what Ofcom's latest research tells us about bullying, belonging and wellbeing, Anti-Bullying Alliance, 22 May 2026

Last reviewed 28 September 2026. Kairoo checks these pages when the rules or the research change; if you spot something out of date, tell us at hello@kairoo.family.