Research carried out this summer shows that parents are turning to technology restrictions as the main form of discipline. The survey by OnePoll questioned 2,000 UK parents with children over the age of five who live at home.
Taking away a phone has become the most common measure with 35% of parents choosing it. Another 32% say they threaten to remove games consoles or computers, while 31% turn off the Wi-Fi altogether. Traditional punishments such as sending children to bed early or grounding them are still used but less often.
This change is an indication that screens play a huge part in daily life now. The research also found that 72% of children spend more than 2 hours online every day. Parents reported that 61% of children use the internet for gaming, 60% for streaming shows and 55% for schoolwork.
How Much Time Are Children Spending Online?
Only 1/4 of children spend less than an hour online daily. Around 41% go online for 2-3 hours, while 31% are online for more than 4 hours. That is almost two thirds of a school day spent in front of a screen.
Parents are worried about this level of use with 55% saying they put limits on the time their child spends online. 32% believe their child has an addiction to digital services.
The survey also showed how other punishments rank. Sending a child to their room was mentioned by 35% of parents. Time out was chosen by 25%. Extra jobs such as washing up were used by 19%, while 18% cancelled a planned activity. Only 13% took away pocket money. A full 19% of parents said they did none of these things.
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What Is Happening At A National Level?
These family rules are playing out as the government updates national regulation. The UK’s Online Safety Act, which came into effect this summer, introduced age checks on adult sites and gave Ofcom more powers to oversee platforms. Early reports show that traffic to adult websites has gone down, although many children are already turning to VPNs to get around restrictions.
This leaves parents as the first line of control. They are expected to juggle the positives of digital learning with the risks of distraction and unsuitable material. As children head back to school, this balance is becoming harder to manage.
Stephen Warburton, Managing Director for Zen Internet’s consumer division, which commissioned the national study, said: “Technology has become both the cornerstone of modern childhood and the ultimate bargaining chip for parents.The Online Safety Act is an important step, but no piece of legislation can replace guidance at home as well.
“For families, it’s about setting boundaries, whether that’s limiting screen time, using filters, or simply having open conversations. For this generation, taking away tech is the twenty-first century equivalent of the naughty step.”
What Tools Are Parents Using To Help?
Zen Internet advises parents on tools that can support discipline at home. Its Eero mesh Wi-Fi system allows families to create profiles for each child, pause internet access at bedtime, and block chosen content. Controls are managed through an app designed to be easy to use.
Another option is Zen’s Fritz!Box router where parents can set time limits, schedule offline hours on school nights and filter unsuitable websites through its app or dashboard. These tools give households a way to create structure without arguments over screen time.
