Is technology taking over from quality family time on family holidays? A new survey has revealed that Children using technology on holiday could indeed be distracted from quality family time.
Parents surveyed in a recent poll have revealed that technology dominates their children’s holidays. Fifteen per cent of parents with children aged 18 or under who used IT devices on their last family holiday said, on average, their children used the technology for 3 hours or more every day!
To me, this is crazy! While I do understand the benefits of technology and my kids do love playing on tablets – to me, family holidays are a time to switch off from spending too much time on that and enjoy each other’s company and get out and about exploring new areas and making new memories while enjoying some family time on holiday.
Teenagers aged between 15 and 18 were found to be particularly devoted technology users, the data shows, with 62 per cent of parents with kids in this age group revealing they use a smartphone while on holiday. Parents of 15 to 18 year olds were also most likely to have a child who uses a laptop whilst on holiday (21%). I can understand this more than with younger children although I do hope that when the boys grow up they would still like to spend time with us rather than focusing only on their laptops.
I did really enjoy the fact that on our summer break this year, we didn’t have too much time spend on technology at all. I decided not to bring the laptop with us, and although we have our iPhones so we can stay in contact with others, we didn’t spend hours playing on our phones.
Simon Lifford, Head of Sales & UK Operations at Villa Plus, also had his say on the trend of using technology on holiday:
“For some families, discouraging children from using games consoles, smartphones and the like too often is an important concern while on holiday, and I can see why families who have spent any amount on getting away may be disappointed that their children wish to do so.
However, staying in an inspiring space with plenty of room to enjoy family activities is sure to make it easier to give children other ways to fill their time. Villa accommodation typically includes a private pool, BBQ and pool table, so kids may not feel they want to use their gadgets as often as they would when confined to a single hotel room.
Of course, some families embrace devices that allow children to stay connected, both to friends and information, and they view games consoles as a valuable means of family bonding. In holiday accommodation with several rooms and fun facilities, families will have the space to use the technology they want with the opportunity to mix things up with some outdoor activities and traditional family activities, too.”
Villa Plus have created a Holiday Game Guide to help you out if you are lacking in ideas! This has been produced together with expert bloggers who offer their top tips for keeping children entertained on holiday, without breaking the bank. You can download the full guide as a pdf.
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Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.
It isn’t only on holiday that gadgets “eat into family time”. More and more I see kids with their faces glued to phones, games consoles and computers. Even when you are visiting relatives, it seems, the parents have great difficulty in parting their offspring from these activities. I used to love visiting my relatives, playing outside etc. sadly nowadays the norm seems to be “indoor fun”.