Captain Ratatype
Key findings from a survey of 460 parents from around the world
Children's screen time is one of the important issues that concerns modern parents around the world. 74.8% of parents from Ukraine, the USA, the UK, Spain, and other countries say they are concerned about the excessive amount of time their children spend on screens — raising serious questions about digital wellbeing.
Most children spend more than 2 hours a day on screens. These numbers fall far outside what experts consider healthy screen time.
Parents claim they try to set limits on screen use through parental controls and family rules, although not everyone succeeds. 13% of respondents said they have given up on this battle.
The main harm parents see in device use is addiction and the impact of harmful content on children's mental health — key concerns driving interest in parental controls and digital wellbeing tools.
The vast majority of children spend time on smartphones, tablets, and in front of TVs watching videos and playing games. However, 47.4% use educational apps, suggesting healthy screen time is possible.
Interestingly, 87.4% of parents agree that content quality is more important than the number of hours and express interest in productive use of screen time. This shift in thinking reflects a growing understanding that digital wellbeing isn't just about limiting hours.
Among the important digital skills that a child should have, parents mention the ability to search for information, create documents and spreadsheets, type properly, know the basics of programming, and create content.
The age of the children in question ranges from 3 to 17 years old. 460 parents from Ukraine, the USA, the UK, Spain, Poland, Germany, and other countries participated in the survey.
Previously, we explained how to set up parental controls on iPhone and Android. Use our tips to help your child develop healthy screen time habits and avoid device overuse.
When working on an educational project, it's significant to understand that not all screen time is harmful or bad. We want our children to have modern skills, not just spend time on social media or watching videos.
For example, knowing how to type properly and quickly can save up to 20 days per year in adult life. Even computer games can be beneficial — for example, our new typing game Ratashooter, which we created specifically for fun, not boring learning, to engage children.
Andriy Borovyk, CEO and owner of Ratatype.
How much time do your children spend on devices?
