*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.

Our latest survey has found that one in six parents regret giving their children a mobile phone or tablet.

The research also revealed that almost a third of parents believe their child spends too much time using their devices.

We conducted a survey which asked British parents if they’ve ever regretted buying gadgets for their children, and how devices have affected their offspring’s life.

Our research revealed that more than half of parents surveyed admitted a device has had a negative effect on their child’s willingness to participate in physical activity. 39% said it had a negative effect on their willingness to socialise.

A third of parents also found their child to be more argumentative, had a lower attention span and received a lesser quality of sleep since the introduction of these gadgets.

Yet despite this, almost 50% said the tech has improved their child's creativity and over a third said it had increased their happiness.

The survey also highlighted that almost a third of parents said they typically ban their child from using the devices at least once a week, with 5% saying they have to remove the items once a day – resulting in tears, tantrums and one parent even comparing the reaction to that of an addict.

Data released by Ofcom in November 2015 revealed that 75% of 5-15 year olds own a tablet, as well as 53% of 3-4 year olds.

In terms of how much time is spent using gadgets, our survey showed that children spend an average of 4 hours on their mobile and 4 and a half hours on their tablets each week.

Parents also estimated that their children spend six and a half hours a week watching television, although only 18% of parents think this is too much, compared to 29% who think their child uses their tablet too much.

Over 10% have found their child using the device to listen to inappropriate music or playing inappropriate games.

6% claimed to have discovered their children using the devices to view pornography.

Gadgets have become a huge part of our lives, and over the last decade we’ve seen our dependency on electronics steadily increase. While technology is a big part of education for children, it is important that they feel safe and supported in their gadget use.

Ensuring that parental controls are activated, and capping the amount of time spent using gadgets every week are just two ways parents can make sure their children are safely using their devices. Teaching our children about internet safety and how we should conduct ourselves online is also a good way to increase your son or daughter’s awareness about secure internet use.

*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.