Homework, messy bedrooms and screen time are the biggest causes of family arguments

– Four in five kids have run into tech issues when doing homework, adding to tensions –

– 56% have experienced ‘printer panic’, when they can’t print an important document due to ink running low – 

Homework not being done on time (36%), messy bedrooms (45%) and too much screen time (43%) have been named as the biggest drivers of family arguments according to a new survey of parents.

The survey was commissioned by leading printer brand Epson, which is seeking to alleviate some of the family dramas associated with homework with its ReadyPrint Flex ink subscription service.

British secondary schoolchildren are set an average of 12.5 hours of homework every week¹ – the equivalent of over six working days a month. Parents across Europe are tackling the same issue with nearly a third (27%) of German parents believing their child is set significantly more homework than they were at their age. When compared to the rest of the world, homework is the biggest issue for Norway over any other country, with 44% blaming it for family disputes. 

And more and more, they are asked to use tech to aid their homework – from gathering research to printing off assignments ready for their teachers to mark. One in four schools (25%) regularly set homework that needs to be printed, and one in five families (22%) must frequently print learning materials at home as schools are not providing them.  

But tech issues can add to the drama. Four in five families regularly experience tech problems at home (83%), leading to squabbles. The biggest culprit for tech-related family arguments is Wi-Fi issues (56%), followed by devices running out of battery (39%) and passwords being forgotten (34%).Tech problems don’t just cause arguments, but anxiety too. Over half of families (56%) are familiar with the sensation of ‘printer panic’ – the feeling of horror when key documents like homework or learning materials need to be printed urgently but the ink is running low, or worse, run out altogether.

Epson is urging parents to sign up to its ReadyPrint Flex subscription service to ease this common homework stress, which is specifically designed to ensure that families will never run out of ink again. Epson’s ReadyPrint Flex subscription service is one solution to reducing the stress of running out of ink.

The top tech-related reasons for family drama are:

1. Glitchy Wi-Fi (47%)
2. Devices not being charged (39%)
3. Passwords being forgotten (34%)
4. Running out of printer ink (29%)
5. Laptop interrupting work with regular updates (22%)
6. Smart devices getting lost (17%)

Speaking about the research, Dr. Amanda Gummer, a leading childl development expert said: “It’s very common for families to have disputes around homework and it’s no wonder that tech issues can lead to family squabbles.  

“Everyone is familiar with the pain of Wi-Fi suddenly not working and the sinking feeling of realising they haven’t ordered ink for the printer.

“I’d advise parents to take a breath before they let tech issues cause arguments with their kids – sit down and talk to them, and work out the problem together.”

Fabio Girotto, head of product management for ReadyPrint at Epson Europe, said:

"We understand the pressures that homework can place on students and their families. It’s understandable that it can lead to tension at home, particularly when technology issues come into play.

“Everyone’s familiar with the pain of forgetting a password or the Wi-Fi playing up, which can feel even worse when you’ve got to use your laptop for an assignment or print out learning materials.

“Unfortunately, we can’t help with messy bedrooms or forgotten passwords, but when it comes to ink running out at a crucial moment, we absolutely can. Our ReadyPrint Flex ink subscription service is designed to alleviate this common stress by ensuring that printer ink is always available, so students can focus on their studies safe in the knowledge that they will always have ink at critical moments.

“By removing one of the common technological barriers to completing homework, we hope to make family life a little easier and support students in their educational journey."

About the research

The research was conducted on behalf of Epson by Focal Data. Over 1,000 parents of children aged 11+ in each country from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom were surveyed in July and August 2024.

1 UCL Institution of Education study, 2020