All I want for Christmas is more meaningful screen time

One in four Brits will spend up to two hours a day on their smartphones dealing with work related matters this Christmas and one in ten will spend more time on their smartphone over the festive period than they usually do. 

The research from digital magazine service Readly shows that whilst Brits believe that calls, texts and magazine reading are the most meaningful activities they can do on their smartphones this Christmas, many will be checking work emails, updating their calendar and trying to reduce the backlog of emails. 

Christmas is a time for relaxation and socialising with loved ones, but despite this, two thirds of us will spend the same amount of time or more on our phones over the holiday period as the usual working week. Two thirds of us (64%) would like to use screen time for more meaningful activities. 

Over half of us will be reading or sending work emails (55%), one in four will be planning ahead or updating calendars (23%) and one in five will be playing catch-up and trying to reduce the backlog of work tasks and emails (18%). 

When considering meaningful screen time the number one activity we believe we can do this Christmas is talking and texting on our phones (55%), reading newspapers and magazines (37%) and listening to music (36%). Worryingly, one in four (24%) consider “working” to be meaningful screen time over the holiday season. 

“Our smartphones are central to communicating with loved ones this Christmas and part of our everyday life. It’s impossible to switch off entirely but using screens in a more meaningful way is key. Reading is a great way to relax, be inspired and feed and a passion over the holiday period. By New Year’s Eve, many people are also looking for the motivation for a fresh start, where digital magazines provide that focus and inspiration, says Ranj Begley, UK MD and Chief Content Officer at Readly 

List of top activities we consider to be meaningful screen time during the Christmas holidays: 

1. Talking and texting 

1. Reading newspapers and magazines 

1. Listening to music 

1. Working 

1. Listening to podcasts or radio 

List of the top activities we will use smartphones for on Christmas Day: 

1. Talking and texting 

1. Social media 

1. Reading newspaper and magazines 

1. Listening to music 

1. Gaming 

The categories most Brits will read about during Christmas (based on Readly’s data from December 2018): 

1. Celebrity & gossip 

1. Lifestyle 

1. Tech 

1. Health & Fitness 

1. Automotive