Is technology causing arguments in your house?

We recently ran a survey asking people what causes disputes in their family home.

When asked about the three top causes of arguments with children at home, 30% named gadgets and other technology. Around a quarter (28%) suggested bedtimes, 19% suggested homework, and 18% noted household chores. Just 7% of parents said that curfews were a major cause for arguments, and 6% explained that pocket money resulted in heated debates.

Arguments over technology typically stemmed from children staying up too late using gadgets (50%), tech being used at the table (34%), gadgets being shared with siblings (31%) or children not looking after their tech properly (27%).

Indeed, almost half (48%) of children have damaged or broken a gadget. However, uptake of insurance is relatively low, with just 17% of parents investing in comprehensive cover for their kid’s gadgets, while almost two-thirds (65%) of parents have no insurance in place whatsoever.

This comes at a considerable cost, with damaged and broken tech setting parents back £125 on average. Almost one in ten (8%) children have had a gadget stolen, costing £206 to replace, and 17% have lost gadgets, which cost £174 to replace on average.

Children are using gadgets at an increasingly young age too, with kids typically receiving their first smartphone at age 11, their first games console at age 9, and their first iPad at age 8, although – perhaps surprisingly – more than six in 10 (61%) of children under the age of four have at least one gadget.

Parents and children argue over all manner of things, from homework to bath time to household chores – but the number one cause for disputes at home it seems is tech. 

And it’s easy to see why: gadgets now appear to affect children’s bedtimes and mealtimes, and tech is yet another toy for siblings to have to share (and they may not want to!)

Children can be clumsy, so it’s surprising to see that so few parents have kept their kids’ gadgets safe from any potential accidents, damages, or loss. Protect Your Bubble provides great value Multi Gadget Insurance which is worth considering.

Most arguments at home will be near impossible to avoid – you’d be hard-pressed to find a family who hasn’t quarreled over bedtimes, curfews, or pocket money, for example.

But arguing about accidental damage to expensive tech is one thing that can be eased by making sure all gadgets are covered by comprehensive insurance as soon as they are bought.    

Notes to Editors

Survey of 2,000 UK adults commissioned by Protect Your Bubble via Censuswide. Data collected 16/08/17 – 18/08/17.

For more information on the data please contact:

Amelia Lupson, Rhizome Media
T 020 8004 5984 | E [email protected]