Children report 'brain rot' after too much time online

A new report says children aged 8 spend nearly three hours on phones a day...

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CHILDREN aged between eight and 14 are spending an average of nearly three hours online each day, and also turning to their devices late at night, new Ofcom data has shown.

Teenagers aged from 13 to 14 are using their smartphones, tablets or laptops for around four hours a day, while eight and nine-year-olds are online for two hours, and 10 to 12-year-olds for around three hours.

The communications regulator's latest online nation study, which did not include use of game consoles, also found youngsters were spending a ‘significant amount’ of time online on phones and other devices late into the night, describing such use as ‘not unusual’ in 2025.

Some 15% to 24% of time spent by those aged eight to 14 on YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok and WhatsApp - the four main services used by the age group - happened between 9pm and 5am, with 4% to 10% taking place between 11pm and 5am.

Data collected through the children’s passive online measurement 2025 research revealed about two-thirds (64%) of the age group used their smartphone, tablet or computer between 11pm and 5am at least once over a four-week period.