Empty Nesters: New research from Sky Mobile reveals almost half of parents (47%) are starting to fret about the prospect of having an empty nest
Call Frequency: Majority of parents (94%) want calls at least weekly
Checking-in: Being too busy with coursework (46%) and not having any updates (23%) amongst the top excuses for students not contacting home
Roll over data: Sky Mobile makes it easier for families to stay connected, with customers able to roll their spare data each month and share it with others
New research from Sky Mobile, voted Best Pay Monthly and Best Value Pay Monthly network by Uswitch, has revealed with students going back to university this September, almost half (47%) of British parents are starting to fret about having an empty nest with 41% admitting that they would like their kids to contact home more frequently.
The study of 2,000 British parents and students found that most parents (94%) are not quite ready for the months of peace and quiet ahead, with parents expecting daily calls from their kids (32%), weekly check-ins (31%) or contact at least three-five times a week (21%).
Sky Mobile has teamed up with actress and presenter, Sheree Murphy, whose daughter, Ruby is off to university this month to share some of her own anecdotes of having an empty nest.
Sheree Murphy, actress and presenter, said, I've always known this moment was coming, but nothing could have prepared me for Ruby heading off to university. As a parent, it's a rollercoaster of emotions. I'm so excited for her and her new adventures, but I'm definitely one of those parents who expects regular video call and thanks to Sky Mobile, Ruby has no excuse as I'll be sharing my data with her for whenever she runs out!
Touching base
When it comes to some of the reasons why students plan to contact home, keeping in touch with family (66%), having a general catch-up (65%) or getting life advice (31%) come up top. Whilst almost a quarter (24%) will call home to check on the family pet and nearly one-in-five to ask for money (17%).
And, if parents are wondering why their children aren't getting in touch more, being too busy with coursework (46%), not having any news to share (23%) and socialising with friends (22%) are amongst the top excuses for children not checking-in.
Delving deeper, the research reveals that most students plan to call their parents (62%), video call (46%) or chat to them via social messaging apps (46%) but almost one in five students say they can't keep in touch as they're low on data or minutes (16%) - with this figure rising to just under one in four (23%) for first year students needing a boost in mobile data or minutes.
Top reasons for contacting home
Top excuses for not contacting home
To check-in on family - 66%
Too busy with coursework - 46%
To have a general catch-up - 65%
Being stressed and don't want to worry parents with problems - 26%
To get life advice - 31%
Don't have any updates - 23%
Being homesick - 28%
Too busy socialising - 22%
For mental health support - 27%
Forgetting - 17%
Contacting tactics
Some of the ways parents plan to hear from their kids more often include organising a visit (31%), inviting them to family events (28%) and sending them a present to let them know they're being thought of (26%). With almost one in ten also planning to send guilt inducing messages to encourage their children to phone home more. Even with these tactics, it's surprising to see that only one fifth (20%) will follow their children on social media.
But not all parents are disheartened over their nests being empty, nearly two-fifths (39%) plan on using their spare time to go on holiday or take up a hobby (35%) and just over a third are excited at the prospect of buying less food (34%).
Paul Sweeney, Managing Director of Sky Mobile said:
Its an exciting time for new and returning students but contacting home may not always be top priority. With Sky Mobile, it's easy for parents to roll their spare data and share it with their kids for an extra data boost, helping families to stay connected.
Unlike other network providers, Sky Mobile lets you keep all their data for up to three years. Every month any spare data rolls into your Piggybank ready for you to use later or share with family. Spare data can be shared with up to 7 SIMs on the account or can be exchanged for rewards, like accessories or money off a new phone.
For more details on Sky Mobile visit sky.com/mobile.
Note to editors:
Research conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Sky Mobile. Total sample size was 2,000 18+ UK respondents of parents and students. Survey conducted online between Wednesday 8th - Monday 12th September 2021.
Sky Mobile benefits at a glance:
Roll - Every month your spare data rolls into your Sky Piggybank ready for you to use later or to share with your family
Watch - Unlimited streaming of Sky apps so you can enjoy live sports, the best shows and kids' favourites without using your data
Text to Switch - Simply text PAC to 65075 to get your switching code. We'll take care of the rest
Swap - Upgrade to a shiny new phone anytime you like and save money when you swap your old one
Mix - Change data plans whenever you like
Piggybank - Share spare data in your Sky Piggybank with up to seven SIMs on your account or exchange it for rewards
For more details on Sky Mobile visit sky.com/mobile.
For further information, please contact the Red Sky Mobile team via skymobileteam@redconsultancy.com or the Sky Mobile team directly via: gemma.ratton@sky.uk / jillian.reilly@sky.uk
About Sky
Sky is Europe's leading media and entertainment company and is proud to be part of Comcast Corporation. Across six countries, we connect our 23.4 million customers to the best entertainment, sports, news and arts including our ow
Europe Stories
19/12/2025
With Playout Release 2025.4, ToolsOnAir continues to push professional playout w...
19/12/2025
19 Dec 2025
VEON's Mobilink Microfinance Bank Launches Islamic Banking Oper...
19/12/2025
The six-part drama, set in a close-knit Welsh town fractured by an unspeakable c...
19/12/2025
Rohde & Schwarz drives the future of mobility at CES 2026 At the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Rohde & Schwarz will present a powerful lineup o...
19/12/2025
RT is proud to return to the RDS to support the 2026 Stripe Young Scientist & T...
18/12/2025
Canada's largest indoor arena has transformed its live production capabilities with a full ST 2110 infrastructure and Calrec's compact Argo S console. S...
18/12/2025
Long-term agreement includes the SES SCORE platform and hybrid distribution worldwide to deliver more than 5,000 hours of golf tournaments annually featuring th...
18/12/2025
18 Dec 2025
VEON Upgraded to Nasdaq Global Select Market, Enhancing Investor Visibility Dubai, December 18, 2025 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital o...
18/12/2025
Thursday 18 December 2025
Sky Sports remains the exclusive home of the Masters ...
18/12/2025
Using the additive process of 3D printing, layer after layer gets printed until an object is as close to the final shape needed as possible. Historically, machi...
18/12/2025
In 2025, RT proudly supported 185 arts and cultural events across the island of Ireland, reflecting significant growth since the scheme was re-launched in 2014...
18/12/2025
RT Sports Awards 2025 live on RT One and RT Player at 8:05pm on Saturday 20 December
On Saturday 20 December live on RT One and RT Player at the earlier t...
18/12/2025
RT lyric fm presents a very special Winter Solstice edition of Ambient Orbit, l...
18/12/2025
At 7.45pm on 1st January 1926, the precursor to RT , then 2RN, delivered the fledgling new Irish state's first public radio transmission. From those first c...
18/12/2025
December 18 2025, 05:30 (PST) The Movie Experience SLO Becomes First U.S. Exhib...
17/12/2025
Investigative journalists across the Western Balkans and T rkiye continue to con...
17/12/2025
The right playlist is essential on New Year's Eve, building the energy as you get ready and keeping it high as you count down to midnight. This year, Spotif...
17/12/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
17/12/2025
Wuppertal December 17, 2025
Riedel Builds Global Communication and Commentary ...
17/12/2025
December 17 2025, 17:00 (PST) Dolby and LG Unveil a New Era of Home Audio With ...
17/12/2025
Wednesday 17 December 2025
Heated Rivalry will be coming to Sky and streaming service NOW on 10 JanuaryTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy opti...
17/12/2025
RT has announced that Kathy Fox has been appointed Commissioning Editor with re...
17/12/2025
With the new season of Dancing with the Stars shimmering in the not-too-distant future this New Year, the celebrity and dancer pairings of the twelve couples ha...
16/12/2025
Hawkins has landed on Spotify, just in time for Stranger Things Season 5, Volume...
16/12/2025
Wherever you are, your favorite music and audio content should go seamlessly with you. That's why Spotify has partnered with NAVER Corp, Korea's leading...
16/12/2025
2025 Wrapped arrived bigger and bolder than ever. This year's experience is designed to be ultra personal and shareable, with new features like Wrapped Part...
16/12/2025
16 Dec 2025
VEON Announces Release Date for Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2025 R...
16/12/2025
16 Dec 2025
VEON's Kyivstar Invests in Renewable Energy in Ukraine with Acq...
16/12/2025
Harmonic's XOS Advanced Media Processor Improves Streaming Video Quality and Boosts Viewer Engagement SAN JOSE, Calif. - Dec. 16, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: ...
16/12/2025
RT Sport Awards 2025 live on RT One and RT Player at 8:05pm on Saturday 20 December.
On Saturday 20 December live on RT One and RT Player at the earlier t...
16/12/2025
Singer -songwriter Brian Kennedy has been announced as the final celebrity dance...
15/12/2025
Cape Town, November 13, 2025 - SES and International artist and humanitarian, Fo...
15/12/2025
Luxembourg, December 15, 2025 - SES, a leading space solutions company, and Abra Group launched fast and reliable multi-orbit inflight connectivity service on t...
15/12/2025
15 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan Delivers First Starlink Direct to Cel...
15/12/2025
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor finds himself the topic of year's cracker jokes
Oasis, David Harbour, Celebrity Traitors and Angela Rayner all feature in this y...
15/12/2025
Comscore Expands Cross-Platform Campaign Measurement to Include Audio and Social New capabilities strengthen cross-platform campaign reporting suite; CCR rebran...
15/12/2025
RT .ie has reached one billion page views this year and is on track to finish 2025 2% ahead of last year. Average time spent on the site is up 3% on 2024, with ...
12/12/2025
Last month, Spotify announced a new collaboration with the ATP Tour, the global governing body of men's professional tennis, aimed at bringing the next gene...
12/12/2025
Friday 12 December 2025
Ted is back! Seth MacFarlane's live-action comedic ...
12/12/2025
Uachtar n na h ireann, Catherine Connolly visited RT Raidi na Gaeltachta's...
12/12/2025
Ireland AM host Eric Roberts has been revealed as the sixth contestant taking to...
11/12/2025
Thomson and the Center for News, Technology and Innovation (CNTI) convened a two-day workshop in Sarajevo bringing together more than 35 journalists, editors, p...
11/12/2025
Having the right song soundtrack your moves can make all the difference when gam...
11/12/2025
It's been a big year for Taylor Swift. Her highly anticipated album The Life...
11/12/2025
11 Dec 2025
VEON's Banglalink Receives Regulatory Approval to Launch Digita...
11/12/2025
Thursday 11 December 2025
Sky Arts paints a picture of Britain's beauty as ...
11/12/2025
It's not every day we're asked to create a website for a classical musician!
So, we were delighted to help pianist Georgina Duncan as she embarks on he...
11/12/2025
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Irish golfing hero Shane Lowry...
11/12/2025
RT Sport Awards 2025 live on RT One and RT Player at 8:05pm on Saturday 20 December
On Saturday 20 December live on RT One and RT Player at the earlier ti...
Empty Nesters: New research from Sky Mobile reveals almost half of parents (47%) are starting to fret about the prospect of having an empty nest
