New research by Action for Children has found that 23 per cent of mothers and fathers have difficulty in persuading their children to unplug their technology.
Meanwhile, 19 per cent of parents struggled to get their children to eat healthily, 18 per cent said it was difficult to make youngsters go to bed, and 10 per cent said it was hard to get them to do their homework.
The charity highlighted the fact that while technology is a fundamental part of modern life and brings many benefits it is important to find time for other pursuits too.
“Technology is an often necessary part of the lives of children and parents alike, but it is important to maintain a balance with other activities and quality family time,” said Carol Iddon, managing director of operations at Action for Children.
“We know from our extensive work with families that strong relationships with parents build resilience in children, making them less susceptible to bullying or abuse outside the home and encouraging them to speak to their parents about any fears or concerns.”
Action for Children has produced a list of tips to help parents reduce the time their children spend on screens. These include parents turning off their own devices when children have screen-free time, organising activities that don’t involve technology, and identifying the challenges that children enjoy in video games and replicating them in puzzles, brain-teasers and board games.
A Cambridge University study published in September found that children’s screen time was linked to poorer results in their GCSE examinations.
It reported that each additional hour a day spent online or in front of the television at the age of 14 was associated with 9.3 fewer points at GCSE at the age of 16 – the equivalent of two grades in one subject or one grade in each of two subjects.