ParentED Fest: Summer Break – A key opportunity for family reconnection and digital balance

• Nearly 70% of children aged 10 already own a smartphone, unlocking access to a limitless digital universe
• 69% of young people aged 9 to 22 spend over 3 hours a day on social media or online gaming—even during school days
• Parenting expert Maggie Dent: “The digital distraction of devices, laptops, screens and smart phones is stealing precious moments of verbal communication with our kids.”

Around 70% of 10-year-old children already own a smartphone, and spend, on average, more than 3 hours a day on social media and online games—even during the school week. Over the past decade, screen time has tripled among children aged 9 to 15, and more than 80% of young people across Europe use social media daily. In a world where technology and screens increasingly dominate children's and teenagers' lives, parents are under growing pressure to strike a healthy balance between digital opportunities and the risks they pose.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued clear guidelines to support children’s health and balanced development: infants under 1 should not be exposed to screens at all, while those aged 2 to 4 should spend no more than one hour per day in front of a screen. At the same time, daily physical activity - at least 180 minutes - is crucial to motor and cognitive development.

Renowned for her expertise in child development and balanced parenting - and widely recognized as “the voice of boys” in the parenting world, Maggie Dent warns of the potential damage technology can inflict on childhood: "We are stealing play from childhood. We give children screens to keep them quiet. We offer content that is more boring, with less autonomy and less movement. And we expect better outcomes? Children still need a childhood with dirt, mud, puddles, trees, and sticks."

Maggie Dent also stresses the vital role of active parental involvement:

"Quite simply, the more words children hear before they are five, the better. Digital distractions caused by devices, laptops, screens, and smartphones are stealing valuable moments of verbal communication with our children. It’s not just about vocabulary—it’s about the social and emotional impact, which can cause real difficulties later in life. A key concern is that a child who doesn’t learn to express unmet needs may grow into an adult who struggles to communicate effectively. And poor communication can become a serious barrier to genuine, authentic human connection."

In Romania, the situation is even more alarming: 50% of parents say they gave their children their first phone between the ages of 5 and 8, while over one-third did so between the ages of 9 and 12.