Parents now fear to suggest a family holiday to their children - simply because they are ‘obsessed’ with technology. The survey of 1,000 parents found that that almost a fifth (17 percent) of parents wouldn’t dare to suggest an outdoor holiday (with limited access to technology) as children can’t live without it.
Over three quarters (82 percent) of parents admit that their kids are ‘obsessed’ with tech, putting devices such as mobile phones, tablets and games consoles to blame, the research from sport retailer Decathlon reveals.
Izabella Angelova of Decathlon comments: “It’s concerning to see how much time children are spending a day on their mobile phones and tablets rather than spending time outside, especially with the warmer months ahead. Parents are clearly feeling the brunt of this too, and sadly suggests that children are starting to lose their sense of adventure.
To encourage your children to get out in the open, try to limit amount of time they spend on their devices each evening. Suggest fun things for them to do in the garden by setting small challenges or suggest camping in the garden at the weekend as a family to test the waters.
When it comes to booking a trip, try to give them a list of different activities they can do whilst they’re there, such as late-night campfires and assault courses, allowing them to be more involved with the planning of the trip. If you can, try inviting their friends and parents along with you to add another exciting element of the trip.”
One in ten children spend up to four hours a day glue to their screen in one way or another.
Children in Birmingham (91 per cent), Cardiff (85 per cent), Liverpool (85 per cent) and Sheffield (86 per cent) were the worst tech offenders, with parents claiming they are ‘obsessed’. One in 10 children in Cardiff spend over 5 hours a day using technological devices.
In Cardiff, one in ten children spend over a whopping 5 hours a day on technological devices.
2016 findings also show that 96% of adults believe that they were happier as a child because they spent more time outdoors, according to previous research from The Camping and Caravanning Club, with 86% thinking that encouraging kids to spend more time outdoors would help the obesity epidemic.
