Millions of youngsters are missing out on traditional family lifestyles because they spend 32 hours every week using technology, it has been revealed. Children have their eyes glued to screens for more than four hours on a school day and six hours at the weekend. The staggering figures emerged after a study was carried out using thousands of UK parents. More than half of the families admitted they allow their children to use technology for a shocking 32 hours a week. It also revealed that almost three quarters of parents let their youngsters stare at screens for an hour before they set out for school – despite 49 percent admitting it impacts on their concentration. Experts warn that digital distractions are stunting children’s development, stopping them from learning face-to-face communication skills. And the survey, which was carried out by parenting website MyFamilyClub.co.uk, discovered many families favour their phones over face-to-face conversations. A shocking 67 percent admitted they are regularly ‘phubbed’ – a term used to describe snubbing someone in favour of a mobile phone – but are unsure how to fix the problem. Leading psychotherapist Hilda Burke warned parents that their habits are often copied by children. “Literally from the moment of birth, children are observing their parents’ behaviour,” she said. “In time, they will try and emulate their parents as this is how we make our first tentative developmental steps – literally and figuratively. Seen in this light, it is no surprise that very high digital usage in adults is reflected in children. However, if we adopt healthy boundaries around digital devices – such as letting our children see us switch off and put away our phones when guests come for dinner. They will learn valuable lessons about how there is a time and a place to use our devices and that it’s up to us to regulate our usage.” As smartphones continue to invade lives, parents are increasingly less present and mental health officials have warned about the long term effects on children’s health. MyFamilyClub.co.uk Founder & Chief Executive Gemma Johnson, added, “The more I look around the more desperate I feel that our children are losing their childhoods. Gone are the days it seems of being carefree and discovering the world around them and the beauty of human interaction and connection. Hours spent in front of a screen day in, day out is destroying not only our children’s minds but also their bodies. When are we as parents going to take responsibility for our children’s health when it comes to too much screen time, the eroding of family values which are important for children to feel safe and secure, but also their overall well-being from a mental, emotional and physical perspective.”