Monday, 13 July 2026 09:20 AM
Company Update
Four in five UK parents say their child loses focus within 30 minutes - as families and schools look for screen-free activities such as darts to help rebuild concentration.
HERTFORDSHIRE, UK / ACCESS Newswire / July 13, 2026 / A study of UK parents by Harrows Darts found parents fear children are losing the ability to concentrate and focus, as data shows the average child or teenager can focus for just 21 minutes before becoming distracted.
With the majority (82%) of those surveyed believing their child can focus for no more than 30 minutes - around 15 minutes less than the average learning session at school - teachers say screen time is fuelling a ‘concentration crisis'.
The findings come amid growing national debate around children's screen habits and the Government's plans to restrict social media use for under-16s, but Harrows Darts says the research shows parents' concerns extend far beyond social media to wider screen habits, gaming, fast-paced apps and digital entertainment.
Around 30% of the 1,003 parents surveyed said their child can focus for only 11 to 20 minutes, while almost a quarter confessed their child can manage just five to 10 minutes before becoming distracted.
Screens are at the centre of today's parental concern. More than two thirds are worried about their impact on their child's attention span and are concerned their child is addicted to screens (64%), while a similar number worry screen time is affecting their child's mental health.
When asked what they believe is damaging children's attention spans, more than a third, 37%, blamed short-form video content such as TikTok, Reels and YouTube Shorts. A similar number, 31%, said gaming and fast-paced apps were affecting children's ability to concentrate.
Screen time is also a growing concern, with more than four in ten parents saying their child spends three hours or more a day on devices. One in eight said their child spends at least five hours a day on screens, more than double the recommended amount for children and teenagers.
But it isn't just the ability to focus coming under threat. Parents observed children finding it harder to stick with activities, manage frustration and build patience.
Teachers are seeing similar issues in the classroom. A 2025 global survey by Cambridge International found that 88% of teachers believe students' attention spans are getting shorter. As concerns around children's focus grow, parents appear increasingly open to traditional, hands-on activities that give children a reason to concentrate away from screens as 85% believe tactile, non-digital activities could improve children's concentration and social interactions.
NxtGen: Harrows in Education is helping schools use darts to support focus, confidence, wellbeing and mental maths. The programme by Harrows Darts is designed to help introduce the sport to UK secondary school children.
NextGen: provides schools with a complete darts education package, including dartboards, surrounds, oche mats, darts, scoring equipment, branded flights, setup guidance and teacher-written lesson plans.
Following a successful pilot, schools across the UK are being invited to sign up and introduce a simple, screen-free activity that builds patience, resilience and social skills outside the classroom.
Ciaran Prendergast, Assistant Headteacher at Simon Balle All-through School, who developed the educational materials for NxtGen: with Harrows Darts, said: "At a time when many young people are competing with constant digital distractions, darts offers something refreshingly different. It develops sustained concentration, mental arithmetic, resilience and self-discipline in a fun, inclusive environment.
"The Harrows NxtGen resources have made it easy for teachers to bring darts into the classroom, providing creative, cross-curricular activities that support learning while introducing students to a sport they may never have considered.
"As teachers, we're increasingly aware that sustained concentration is becoming more challenging for many young people. Darts is an excellent way of developing focus because every throw requires students to slow down, think carefully and block out distractions."
Damian Ara from Harrows Darts said: "The answer to children's concentration challenges cannot simply be less screen time. We also need to give young people more reasons to focus, practise and feel progress in the real world.
"That is where darts can play a powerful role. It is accessible, affordable and easy for schools to introduce, but it also builds skills that matter beyond the board, from mental maths and patience to confidence and resilience.
"With darts booming across the UK, NxtGen: gives schools a way to turn that excitement into something positive for pupils, while also opening up a new route to discover and support future talent."
NxtGen: Harrows in Education is a schools programme designed to help introduce darts as an engaging, screen-free activity for UK secondary school pupils in Year 7 and above. The programme provides schools with a complete darts education package, including dartboards, surrounds, oche mats, darts, scoring equipment, branded flights, setup guidance and teacher-written lesson plans.
Schools can set up to four lanes, depending on available space, with equipment available from £125 per lane and owned by the school once delivered. Safeguarding and safe play are supported through structured lesson plans, protective equipment and controlled school-led sessions.
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SOURCE: Harrows Darts