Lorraine Williamson
Across Spain, more than 375,000 children aged between 6 and 13 spend much of their time alone—often with little more than a smartphone for company and a front door key in their pocket.
Dubbed niños de la llave or “latchkey kids”, many are not abandoned by neglect but by necessity. A lack of affordable childcare, long working hours, and limited support networks have left thousands of families with no other option. Now, a growing number of these children are also experiencing a new, modern form of solitude: digital loneliness.
That’s the stark warning in the latest report from children’s rights organisation Educo, titled Niños de la llave 3: la vida empantallada (The Screen-Filled Life). Based on data from over 2,300 Spanish households, the report reveals how children are navigating more of their lives alone—both physically and digitally.
Summer holiday isolation
The problem deepens in summer, when schools close and routines disappear. With few affordable activities available and parents at work, many children are left to their own devices—quite literally.
Educo’s deputy director Guiomar Todó explains that loneliness is no longer just about physical absence. “It’s now digital,” she says. “Screens have become the default companion.”
Children increasingly juggle multiple devices at once, even on weekends. What starts as occasional use can quickly become all-day screen exposure, especially during the unstructured summer break.
First a phone, then a key
By age 10, most Spanish children own a smartphone. By 11, they have their own set of house keys. By 13, a staggering 93% are already regular mobile users.
This timeline is no coincidence. The report highlights that the years between 9 and 15 are critical for emotional and cognitive development—years now dominated by unsupervised screen time.
Parents struggle to set limits
While many parents are concerned, few feel equipped to manage the issue. Nearly 40% report a rise in their child’s screen use during the summer. On average, children spend two and a half hours a day on their phones during the week—rising to over three hours at weekends.
Although much of this time is claimed to be for schoolwork, parents admit that scrolling, gaming, and chatting often stretch late into the night.
One-third of families do not enforce clear rules on screen time. Some parents want to set boundaries but say they simply don’t know how.
Sleep, stress and school struggles
The consequences are beginning to show. Over a third of families link excessive screen use to sleep issues. Others cite increased anxiety, low moods, and concentration problems.
Teachers and youth workers back this up. Children who stay up gaming or watching videos often arrive at school tired and irritable, struggling to focus or interact.
Social but isolated
The relationship between screen time and social isolation remains hotly debated. Some argue that social media helps children maintain friendships. But Educo and other experts caution that screens cannot replace real connection.
“Children often retreat to their rooms,” the report notes. “They’re not physically alone—but socially, they might as well be.”
While not every child experiences this as loneliness, many rely on their phones as their main source of interaction. For vulnerable families with few resources, it’s a coping mechanism.
Educo urges stronger public policy and local initiatives to support these families—especially over the summer months. Without help, digital loneliness may quietly become one of Spain’s most overlooked childhood crises.
Building better summers for kids
With thousands of children effectively raising themselves between school terms, Spain faces a pressing question: how to ensure no child’s summer is shaped by silence and screens? Addressing this requires more than just guidance for parents—it demands investment in accessible community spaces, youth programmes, and educational outreach.
The latchkey generation may be growing up digitally connected, but without real-life connection, the cost could be lifelong.