Print set for bumper Xmas as festive digital detox looms

Print media could well have a bumper Christmas 2025, if the IPA’s crystal ball turns out to be spot-on in its prediction that nearly half of all British adults plan to limit their screen time this festive period.

“The 2025 Christmas Consumer” study is based on a survey of 2,000 UK adults, carried out by Opinium, and reveals that Gen Z (aged 18-27) is driving the planned digital detox, with nearly two-thirds of this cohort (64%) say they plan to slash their seasonal screen time, with Millennials (aged 28-43) not too far behind (57%).

However, older generations bring the UK average down to 47%, while 37% of all adults, including 51% of Gen Z and 44% of Millennials, say they intend to take a break from social media over Christmas.

When exploring the reasons, 62% say that too much screen time takes away from what Christmas should really be about and nearly two thirds (65%) of all Brits say that Christmas is a time to put the phone away and be more present.

This latest research follows the publication of the IPA TouchPoints survey (June 2025) that revealed that, when all screen-based activities are combined, including mobile phones, TV sets, laptops, tablets, and games consoles, British adults now spend an average of 7 hours and 27 minutes per day consuming screen-based media. This represents an increase from six hours and 36 minutes in 2015.

In addition to outlining consumers’ views on tech at Christmas, the IPA Christmas publication explores consumers’ Christmas plans including what, when and how they intend to spend their money at Christmas; whether recent global conflict and unrest has affected consumers’ festive feelings and Christmas plans; which Christmas traditions matter most to consumers; and what consumers are looking for from this year’s Christmas ads.

Meanwhile, November and the first week in December remain the peak Christmas gift-buying periods, with 53% of all UK adults doing the majority of their Christmas shopping during this time. On the opposing ends of the spectrum, 3% of Brits have already done all their Christmas shopping by June, and 1% intend to do it in the last week of Christmas.

The November time frame coincides with Black Friday, during which an increasing percentage of people intend to do most of their festive shopping, rising from 13% in 2022, to 16% in 2023 and now standing at 17%.

In addition, almost half (47%) of Brits now split their shopping between online and in-store, with a further third (31%) now mostly and/or exclusively, shopping online.

When it comes to Christmas advertisements, the most sought-after features are a Christmas setting (40%), nostalgic feeling (37%), humour (34%) and an engaging story (29%). Consumers appear to place less importance on brand characters (15%), on the products and services themselves (15%) and on celebrity cameos (9%).

Despite 43% of people saying they may feel more financially anxious this Christmas due to rising costs linked to global unrest and international trade issues, over a fifth (22%) say they will be donating more this year to overseas charity appeals this year than previously (e.g. Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan).

IPA insights manager Eric Kreis commented: “As revealed in the recent IPA TouchPoints 2025 data, the extent of screen dependence among UK consumers is striking, with Brits spending an average of seven-and-a-half hours per day on digital devices. In the context of our ‘always-on’ culture, it’s perhaps no surprise that this latest report shows a desire among consumers to switch off over the Christmas period.

“In an environment where capturing attention may therefore prove more difficult, brands will have to work even harder to stand out through relevant, resonant and emotionally engaging advertising, for which these latest insights point to a clear opportunity.

“Consumers are actively seeking festive campaigns that go beyond product promotion with ads that evoke nostalgia, celebrate tradition, deliver humour and tell heartfelt stories. For brands navigating the upcoming restrictions on Less Healthy Food advertising, these findings may prove pertinent.”