Almost a third of 12 to 16 year olds say they find it hard to switch off from smart devices

Could you go 24 hours without a smart device?

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Children across the country are admitting their use of social media and playing games online is excessive.

Almost a third of 12 to 16 year olds say they "find it hard to switch off from games and apps".

Meanwhile, over two thirds of secondary students and half of primary school-aged kids feel they "spend too much time online".

This new research comes from CyberSafeKids, who are calling on families to try and put down smart devices for 24 hours.

CyberSafeKids CEO, Alex Cooney says teenage girls feel more negative about their online experience:

"We saw a difference emerging at secondary school level, with more girls feeling more negative about their time online than boys."

She continued, "And we do know that girls are more likely to be using social media at that age. Boys are generally more likely to be gaming. So, it was things like feeling jealous of others - girls noted that more than boys."