Dr Anna Colton

The battle for family time away from the glare of smartphones and gadgets is not getting any easier.  New research released today shows that just 1 in 5 families (22%) have taken steps to banish digital devices from the dinner table.  The study by Vodafone found that trying to negotiate screen-free time is a significant source of tension in the home with  61% of parents saying that getting children to switch off their devices is the biggest cause of disagreement in their household.   Surprisingly, more than half (53%) of the parents polled admitted they had bribed their child to put their device away. The most common inducements included offering snacks or promises of a later bedtime.  Some had even resorted to offering cash incentives.   With families collectively spending 31 hours a day looking at TVs, laptops, tablets, online games and phones, parents say that on average they have two disagreements every day about getting their kids to disconnect.  While the majority of parents (93%) agree that technology is important for a child's development, they also believe that digital downtime is important for family relationships with 83% saying would like to have more time away from screens as a family.  Over half (55%) said they had imposed family rules on screen time, including not allowing their child to take a mobile phone to school. However, three-quarters (77%) said their child did not always abide by the rules. What's more, 62% of parents admitted they had been caught out for breaking their own rules.  The research has been released to mark the launch of Vodafone Pro Broadband with Alexa, featuring the exclusive 'Dinnertime' skill which allows families to activate 30 minutes of Wi-Fi free digital downtime - using just a voice command.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.