Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the average amount of time spent using a smartphone by (1) adults, and (2) children and young people under 18 years old, broken down by (a) day, (b) week, and (c) annual averages.

Ofcom data indicates that children aged 8-14 average 2 hours and 59 minutes online per day, between smartphones, tablets and computers. This equates to 20 hours and 53 minutes per week and 1088 hours and 55 minutes annually.

For adults, Ofcom found that the average daily smartphone time is 3 hours and 28 minutes. This is equivalent to 24 hours and 16 minutes per week, and 1265 hours and 20 minutes annually, on average.

The children’s measure will be an overestimate due to the inclusion of tablets and computers as well as smartphones, whereas the adult measure is smartphones only, but it is the most robust measure available.