Research: Students lose 17 hours a week to unintentional phone use
October 22, 2026



Students are on track to spend 510 hours using their phones unintentionally over the university teaching year, according to research from Virgin Media O2.

More than half (52 per cent) say they spend at least an hour a day aimlessly using their phone when they want to be productive, almost double the national average (27 per cent). Further, students estimate that around half (49 per cent) of their total online time is unintentional, compared with 36 per cent of the national population.


During study time, notifications, alerts and messages from apps compete for students’ attention, while pressure to stay available and respond can draw them back to their screens.

The findings form part of Virgin Media O2’s 18-month study into the UK’s digital wellbeing, which has generated more than 15,000 responses from people across the UK. The company has launched a Digital Wellbeing Manifesto, committing to better understand the impact of technology on people’s wellbeing and bring experts together to explore solutions.

The battle for students’ attention

Push notifications and alerts built into apps, combined with the broader online culture, can make it difficult for students to use their phones as intentionally as they would like.

Almost two thirds of students (62 per cent) pick up or check their phone at least 30 times a day without a specific reason, compared with 35 per cent of phone users overall.

Four in five students (81 per cent) say they sometimes pick up their phone and start using it without thinking, compared with 61 per cent of phone users overall. More than a quarter (28 per cent) say this unintentional use is most likely to happen while they are working or studying.

The research suggests that it’s not about a lack of willpower, with nearly seven in ten (69 per cent) Brits believing platforms are deliberately built to keep us hooked. Over half (51 per cent) blame push notifications for constant checking, while 40 per cent say features like infinite scroll trap them online longer than intended.

Once they are on their phones, social media and short-form video can make it harder to stop. More than two-thirds of students say they frequently spend longer than intended checking social media (69 per cent) or watching short-form videos (67 per cent), while six in ten (60 per cent) say features such as automatically loading feeds or videos keep them on their phone for longer than planned.

These habits can continue into the evening too, with almost half of all students (45 per cent) saying the period before bed is one of the times they are most likely to pick up their phone without a specific reason.

The impact of always being available

The constant ‘noise’ from their phones is having a negative impact on students’ lives, with 70 per cent saying they often feel worse after spending longer on their device than they intended – compared with four in ten (40 per cent) phone users overall.

And students are clear about what they believe they could gain from spending less time on their phones without a specific reason. Almost two thirds (64 per cent) say it could help them focus and avoid distractions, compared with 46 per cent overall, while 42 per cent say it could improve their productivity at work or in their studies – twice the number of phone users overall (21 per cent).

Helping students build more intentional digital habits

With almost two thirds of students (65 per cent) saying they would welcome tools or support to help manage their phone use, Virgin Media O2 is encouraging them to check their Digital Intentionality Score. Developed in association with author and digital wellbeing expert, Seyi Akiwowo, the score helps people understand how intentional their phone use is and compare their behaviour against the UK average of 63 out of 100. Students score 54 out of 100 – nine points below the national average – with higher scores representing more intentional use.

Once complete, students will be assigned a behavioural profile and given personalised insights and practical guidance designed to support more intentional and balanced digital habits over time.

Dana Haidan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Virgin Media O2, commented: “Being connected has never been easier, but being in control of our attention has arguably never been harder. That’s the paradox facing a generation of students who rely on their phones for almost every aspect of daily life. What stands out is that students recognise how the noise from their phones and the cultural pressure to always be available are affecting their focus, and many want help to manage it. We want to make it easier for people to understand where their time is going and give them practical ways to use technology more on their own terms. That’s an important part of our digital wellbeing work at Virgin Media O2 – helping people get the benefits of being connected without feeling like their attention is constantly being pulled elsewhere.”