Revealed: The shockingly high amount of time the average Brit spends on their phone every day – so, how does your screentime stack up?

Daily Mail​

25-06-2025

A new report has revealed the shockingly high amount of time that Britons spend on their phones each day.
According to a survey of 6,416 adults conducted by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), people in the UK now spend a whopping three hours and 21 minutes doomscrolling.
That is up from just one hour and 17 minutes spent on our phones back in 2015.
Overall, the total time UK adults spend on screens each day has risen to a staggering seven hours and 27 minutes - 51 minutes more than a decade earlier.
The data also reveals a growing generational divide between the media habits of phone-keen Gen Z and TV-loving older adults.
Brits aged 15 to 24 now spend four hours and 49 minutes on their phones daily, with most of that time being spent on social media.
Meanwhile, people aged 65 to 74 spend only one hour and 47 minutes on their phones but are in front of the television for four hours and 40 minutes on average.
Dan Flynn, IPA deputy research director, says: 'It's a clear signal of how embedded mobile phones have become in our daily lives – always on, always within reach and increasingly central to how we consume content, connect and unwind.'
For the first time in the 20 years that the IPA has been gathering screentime data, the UK is spending more time on mobile phones than sitting in front of the television.
Mr Flynn says that this study reveals a 'milestone' moment for the UK's media habits.
Britons still typically sit down in front of the TV after work, with use peaking in the evenings.
Computer use, meanwhile, is strongly linked to the nine-to-five workday and drops off sharply once Brits start to log off.
Phone use remains almost consistent throughout the entire day, only falling off between midnight and 4:00 am when people are asleep.
According to the IPA, this suggests that mobile phones are now the constant media companion for most people.
Denise Turner, the incoming IPA Research Director, says this data 'doesn't just confirm that mobile is now the dominant screen in our lives, it also underscores how rapidly our media habits are evolving.'
Adults of all ages in the UK spend almost half their mobile device screen time on social media or messaging apps.
There is a growing generational divide in media habits, as people aged 15 to 24 now spend four hours and 49 minutes on their phones daily, and only one hour 49 minutes using television sets (stock image)
A further 20 per cent of Britons' time is spent using radio or audio apps, while 15 per cent of the time is spent on TV or video services.
This comes amid growing concerns over how much time young people are spending on social media.
Studies suggest that increasing time spent on social media can have adverse effects on some teenagers, including worsening mental health, poor sleep, and increased risk of bullying.
The media watchdog OFCOM is poised to introduce a set of new rules for tech giants designed to limit exposure to harmful content.
Under the UK's Online Safety Act, OFCOM would have the power to hand out large fines if children are exposed to content related to topics including suicide, self-harm, eating disorders and pornography.
However, some campaign groups such as Smartphone Free Childhood are calling for restrictions or outright bans on young people having phones.
Recently, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle suggested children's social media time could be cut down by law to two hours per day outside of school time and before 10 pm.
However, experts are sceptical whether such measures would be effective.
The IPA's report also suggests that changing media habits are impacting the emotional states of people of all ages.
Those surveyed by the report were 52 per cent more likely to say they felt relaxed while watching TV than while watching video on a smartphone.
Likewise, participants were 55 per cent more likely to feel stressed while using their phones.
Lindsey Clay, chief executive of Thinkbox, a marketing body for commercial TV channels, said: 'We watch TVs and use mobile phones for very different reasons. Worrying which gets more time is like worrying if people are flossing their teeth more than playing the piano.
'What's chilling is that much mobile time is spent on toxic social media, fuelling the youth mental-health crisis and disengagement with trusted news.'
METHODS FOR PARENTS TO KEEP THEIR CHILDREN SAFE ONLINE
Children as young as two are using social media, research from charity Barnardo's has suggested.
Internet companies are being pushed to do more to combat harmful content online but parents can also take steps to alter how their children use the web.
Here are some suggestions of how parents can help their children.
Both iOS and Google offer features that enable parents to filter content and set time limits on apps.
For iOS devices, such as an iPhone or iPad, you can make use of the Screen Time feature to block certain apps, content types or functions.
On iOS, this can be done by going to settings and selecting Screen Time.
For Android, you can install the Family Link app from the Google Play Store.
Talk to your children
Many charities, including the NSPCC, say talking to children about their online activity is vital to keep them safe.
Its website features a number of tips on how to start a conversation with children about using social media and the wider internet, including having parents visit sites with their children to learn about them together and discussing how to stay safe online and act responsibly.
There are tools available for parents to learn more about how social media platforms operate.
Net Aware, a website run in partnership by the NSPCC and O2, offers information about social media sites, including age requirement guidance.
The World Health Organisation recommends parents should limit young children to 60 minutes of screen time every day.
The guidelines, published in April, suggest children aged between two and five are restricted to an hour of daily sedentary screen time.
They also recommend babies avoid any sedentary screen time, including watching TV or sitting still playing games on devices.