Openreach explores the online habits sparking family disputes in 2025

Openreach, has revealed the boiling points the digital world has created for UK families as it announced more than 20 million households and businesses can now connect to its Full Fibre broadband network.

From phone use in bed to parents being told off by their kids, new research shows that poor connectivity and screen time habits are fuelling more arguments than household chores.

New research from Openreach - the nation’s largest wholesale broadband network - reveals how faster and more reliable internet connections are going some way to help end disputes over too many people in the house logging on at the same time.

However, the research of 2,000 people in the UK also shows that nearly a third of people (29%) have been told off by their partners or a family member for spending too long on their smartphones…in bed.

Nearly half of people (48%) have been asked to put their phone down by their loved one to spend more time with their family at home. 

Meanwhile, 45% were asked to stop scrolling on social media, 32% to stop playing video games and 31% to quit answering work emails or messages. Nearly a third 29% were pestered to not use their phone at the dinner table.

More than a third (36%) admitted slow internet connections can lead to frustrations at home and a quarter (25%) said having faster and more reliable broadband would likely reduce the number of arguments at home. 

Families are more likely to argue over slow internet connections and how much time they spend online (24%) than they are household chores (23%), what to watch on TV (12%), who takes the longest in the bathroom (8%) or their children staying out too late (3%). 

Meanwhile, it is not always the children who are the ones spending too much time on their devices. One in 10 (9%) parents admit it is THEM who have been told off by their children for spending too much time online. 

The company’s mammoth broadband build now covers nearly every city, town and village in the UK, making it the country’s largest and fastest broadband upgrade. But with only 38% of eligible households making the switch, millions are still stuck on slower, less reliable connections.

Want fewer rows and faster Wi-Fi? 
Check if you can upgrade to Full Fibre today at https://www.openreach.com/fibre-checker — it could mean smoother streaming, quicker downloads, and more time offline with the people who matter.

In the areas where people already benefit from full fibre broadband, children are less likely to be reprimanded on screentime and there are less arguments over tech-related issues, such as slow broadband when members of the family are using it simultaneously, the research shows.

A third (33%) of adults spend more than five hours a day online at home, compared to just 12% of children. Yet only one in four people (25%) say they are honest about how much time they really spend scrolling through their phones.

Disagreements over screentime are most likely to happen in Liverpool, with two thirds (68%) asked to get off their phone by their children or partner - closely followed by households in Leeds (60%) and Edinburgh (57%). 

Families in Southampton are least likely to fall out over spending too much time on their phone (11%), followed by those in Sheffield (18%) and Cardiff (24%). 

Meanwhile, Londoners are frustrated the most by speed and reliability of their internet connection (40%), compared to only 27% of households in Newcastle. 

Parenting influencer Sarah Long said: “We try to limit the amount of time we spend on our phones but picking mine up is like a reflex. I don’t even think about it sometimes, it just happens.

“We’ve been looking at ways on how to be more present at home, especially as our girls are growing up so fast, but it is hard when your job demands you to be online.

“In the digital world, we’re always trying to do things as quickly as possible, but we never thought upgrading to full fibre would help improve the situation.

“It used to take me double the amount of time to load things online but now I can use that extra time with my family, whether it’s playing with the girls or getting chores done around the house.”

Katie Milligan, Deputy CEO at Openreach, said:

"Let’s face it - slow internet is the modern-day mood killer. Whether it’s buffering during family movie night or battling for bandwidth while everyone’s online, it’s no surprise it’s causing more arguments than doing the dishes! Full Fibre is the UK’s most reliable broadband technology, and it helps households get what they need from the internet without the drama - less buffering, more bonding."

"We’ve now made Full Fibre available to 20 million homes and businesses - which is a huge achievement, and all thanks to the hard work of our brilliant engineers. But we’re not stopping there. If we’ve not reached your street yet, it’s very likely we’re coming soon – and if you can upgrade to Full Fibre, go for it. It’s not just faster and more reliable, it might improve your relationships too."

Regional breakdown: Areas where arguments over time online are most likely to happen:

Liverpool = 68%

Leeds = 60%

Edinburgh = 57%

Nottingham = 54%

Newcastle = 54%

London = 53%

Birmingham= 53%

Glasgow = 51%

Belfast = 45%

Bristol = 42%

Manchester = 42%

Plymouth = 38%

Brighton = 31%

Norwich = 24%

Cardiff = 24%

Sheffield = 18%

Southampton = 11%

For more information on the benefits of Full Fibre and to check if you can upgrade, please visit: https://www.openreach.com/fibre-checker