Princess of Wales says UK suffering from smartphone ‘disconnection’ epidemic

The Princess of Wales has warned that current generations are suffering from an “epidemic of disconnection” from an overload of smartphones and computer screens.

In an essay penned in collaboration with Professor Robert Waldinger from Harvard Medical School, Kate wrote that the promises of smartphones to improve connectivity have fallen short, as the explosion of handheld devices has disrupted family life.

Smartphones and gadgets have become a “constant distraction, fragmenting our focus”, she wrote, adding: “While digital devices promise to keep us connected, they frequently do the opposite.”

“We’re physically present but mentally absent, unable to fully engage with the people right in front of us,” she wrote, in an essay that's part of her early years education campaign.

“When we check our phones during conversations, scroll through social media during family dinners, or respond to emails while playing with our children, we’re not just being distracted, we are withdrawing the basic form of love that human connection requires.”

The essay, entitled “The Power of Human Connection in a Distracted World” and published on the website of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, argued that the research evidence shows the importance of creating healthy and warm relationships within families, with lifelong benefits.

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But the presence of smartphones and heavy social media use has meant that people are feeling more lonely and isolated, while families are not giving each other adequate attention.

“The answer begins with recognising that attention is something we can choose to give each other in every moment – at home, at work, in our communities,” she wrote. “It requires conscious effort to be fully present with the people we care about. It means protecting sacred spaces for genuine connection: family dinners, conversations, moments of genuine eye contact and engaged listening.”

She added that, for parents, it is paramount to model the behaviour of avoiding spending too much time using smartphones.

“It means modeling these behaviours for our babies and children and teaching them skills they will need to navigate a world filled with technological distractions,” she wrote.

“It means helping them understand that true connection requires presence, that relationships need tending, and that the quality of their connections will shape not just their happiness but their health for decades to come.”

The essay has been published ahead of a visit by Kate to an early years centre in Oxford on Thursday.

Her husband, Prince William, has also recently said during a conversation published on an Apple TV+ show that none of their three children are allowed to have smartphones.

The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood was launched in 2021, aiming to raise awareness and gather research evidence about the importance of children’s first years.