Nearly 80 Percent Of Parents Want To Ditch Their Devices This Holiday Season

A new survey shows that parents are willing to go on a digital detox over the holidays to be more present for their kids

Prying electronic devices, like phones and tables, from kids’ hands may seem an impossible and all-too-frequent task. But on Christmas Day, it’s the parents who want to ditch their devices to spend more time with their family this holiday season, according to a new Groupon survey.

Of the 2,000 parents surveyed for a Groupon-commissioned survey, 72 percent said they “immediately check their phones as soon as they wake up on Christmas morning,” 86 percent said their children have complained that they spend too much time on their phones, and 53 percent said “they’ve missed out on an activity or bonding moment with their child because they were preoccupied with a phone or another device.” The survey also states the obvious: More than 80 percent said having digital devices at the dinner table is “distracting, disruptive, and ruins quality family time.”

“Given some of the staggering stats that we found from speaking to parents, it comes as no surprise that eight in 10 are looking to take a break from their devices during the holidays,” said Groupon’s Head of Experiences Brian Fields in a press release. “While devices are critical tools that we use for managing our lives and buying gifts for everyone on our list, it’s also important for parents to set aside some time over the next few weeks to make and cherish memories with their children.”

The average parent, the study conducted by Onepoll further states, spends four hours a day on their devices during the holiday season, amounting to a total of 80 hours across all their digital devices. Even more eye-opening? More than 40 percent of parents said they spend more time on their phone on Christmas Day than any other day. And other interesting findings from the survey include that the average American household has 12 different devices in the home, and that a family of four will spend an average 320 hours — the equivalent of more than 13 days — on their devices over the holiday season.

We are avid supporters of putting the phone down and creating memories with the family. And for those who need ideas on what to do when the gifts are unwrapped, Groupon has you covered. As part of the company’s Rewrite the List Campaign, which encourages people to add at least one experience they can do with others to their holiday wish list, they have plenty of experiential ideas to choose from, from family friendly activities to ideas for a night out on the town. Groupon’s top five holiday experiences, according to parents, include going to the movies, attending a holiday concert, hopping in the car or on a plane and traveling somewhere, decorating the tree, and going ice skating.