The survey of 1,000 families found that parents are increasingly concerned that time spent on devices is taking over family life and harming children’s physical health, sleep and concentration. However, the study also shows that children’s overall digital wellbeing has improved over the past year.

This is the third annual Internet Matters Index report, which monitors the impact of digital technology on children’s physical, social, emotional and developmental well-being. It highlights both the positive impact of the internet and technology devices on children and families, as well as areas of concern.

The study shows how digital consumption is increasing and the average time kids spend online doing certain activities is increasing. Parents are also increasingly noticing how technology is taking away from family time and onto devices. On a scale of 0 to 10, 31% gave the statement “we often spend time on our own devices instead of doing things together” an 8 to 10, up from 20% in 2022. The percentage point increase represents one of the most notable changes over the past year.

This trend raises important questions about the balance of screen time, particularly in the family setting, and the extent to which some parents are setting a positive example for their children when it comes to screen time.

The study also suggests that parents are increasingly noticing the physical impact of online time on their children. Well over half of parents (63%) say online time is having a negative impact on their children’s health, up from 58% in a 2022 survey. Concerns about the impact of screen time on sleep have risen to 57%. Nearly a quarter of children also report experiencing negative physical effects from internet use, ranging from fatigue and difficulty concentrating to vision problems and poor posture.

Although children themselves report feeling safe online – 81% say they feel safe online most of the time – the survey shows how many parents are increasingly concerned about their children being online, particularly about contact with them by strangers and their exposure to sexual content and nudity.

Two-thirds of children (67%) still report harmful experiences online. Girls are much more likely to experience multiple harms related to internet use. Nearly half of girls aged 15-16 say strangers have tried to message or contact them (up from 3 in 10 in 2022), while girls aged 13-14 are more likely to say being online makes them feel lonely and isolated. This builds on findings from the 2023 Internet Matters study, which showed how sexist influencers and communities create hostile environments for girls and women online.