UK parents urged to turn off phones this Christmas as children seek engagement

London — The children's commissioner for England urged parents to turn off their smartphones this Christmas to prioritize family time, saying children are 'crying out' for engagement with relatives during the festive break. Dame Rachel de Souza told the Press Association that the holiday period should be a time for connection, not constant screens, and urged parents to have 'phone-free time'.

Nearly half of parents with children aged 18 or younger plan to allow phones at the Christmas dinner table this year, according to a More in Common survey conducted for Yondr. The survey found that nearly four in 10 adults say smartphones have disrupted their Christmas in some way.

"We can't talk about banning for the kids if we're not doing it ourselves," Dame Rachel said. "We have to lead as adults."

Her comments came as she launched a new guide offering tips for children's safety online and how to set boundaries for screen time. The guide is available online and is designed to support parents who may feel overwhelmed by mixed messages around online safety; it is informed by child focus groups.

Pete Etchells, psychology professor at Bath Spa University, told BBC News that Christmas is a good time to lean into conversations with children about developing healthy relationships with tech. "It's not about feeling guilty or ashamed of our tech use, but noticing it more," he said. "And striking up conversations about what we're happy with, and what we would like to be doing differently."

The guide, informed by child focus groups, offers practical tips and conversation starters on topics such as managing screen time, dealing with negative online experiences, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

Teenagers aged 13 to 18 told Dame Rachel they accepted that bad things can happen online, saying it was an inevitable part of the online world. They also shared how they had been contacted by strangers, seen pornography, and were aware of intimate images of peers being shared.

Arabella Skinner from Health Professionals for Safer Screens told BBC News that simple rules can make a difference. She suggested creating a family plan around device use, or designing a box to store mobiles during meals. "Children feel most secure and content when they have our full attention, eye contact, and presence," she said. "It is so important that we, as adults, spend time with our children and not always looking at screens."

A report published by Ofcom earlier this month highlighted concerns about the negative impacts of endless screentime. It found that children aged between eight and 14 are spending an average of nearly three hours online each day, and that up to a quarter of that time was between 2100 and 0500.

This focus on family routines and digital wellbeing comes as policymakers, researchers and educators grapple with how to balance connectivity with presence during a season traditionally centered on togetherness.