Study reveals Aussie kids’ alarming phone habits

More than a quarter of children aged between the ages of eight and 11 are on their phones after 10pm, concerning new data has found.

A study of 250,000 Australian kids found 28 per cent of eight to 11-year-olds, 57 per cent of 12 to 14-year-olds and 80 per cent of those aged 15 and over send and receive messages and calls between 10pm and 6am at least once a week.

Registered psychologist, researcher and founder of Digital Nutrition, Jocelyn Brewer, says being on devices after 10pm doesn’t necessarily mean children aren’t getting enough sleep, but the two often go together.

“What we want to look at is total sleep duration — so if you have a five-year-old, a six, seven, eight-year-old going to sleep at 10pm regularly but getting enough sleep, that would be not impacting other aspects of their lives … then that wouldn’t necessarily be a problem,” she told Stephen Quartermain and Emily Power, filling in for Ross and Russel.

But it’s not only kids who are hooked on their phones.

“It’s not just the kids who are tired in the morning, it’s us as adults as well,” Ms Brewer said.

“Our sleep and wake habits have kind of slipped a lot, and the ubiquity of technology, the fact it’s mobile, is one of those problems.

“We know that the blue light in phones can kind of reverse the secretion of melatonin.”

Ms Brewer recommends parents work with their children to set new rules around phone use.

“What we don’t do is say turn it off and just have blanket rules without engaging with young people,” she said.

“Often what I do with young people is I get them in their little friendship group to set rules around their phone use.”

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