Millennials are raising concerns about their parents' phone habits. Many say older parents now spend a large part of the day on their phones. Some also say the habit is taking away from family time. Phone use is often linked to young people. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are often at the center of talks about screen time. But older adults may also spend many hours on smart devices. A study of adults aged 59 to 77 found that more than half spent over three hours a day on their phones. About one in five said they spent more than five hours a day on screen use. The rise in phone use may be linked to retirement. Older adults often have more free time after they stop working. Phones can fill that time with news, social media, email, videos and other online tools. Phone use is not the same for every age group. Older adults may use their phones more for email and social media. Younger adults may spend more time on texts, music apps and social media. Still, there is some common ground. Facebook and Instagram are used by people across age groups. These apps can keep users online for long periods. Another survey found that both baby boomers and millennials spent about five hours a day on their phones on average. The way they used their phones was often different, but the total time was similar. This has led to a new family concern. Some millennials say their parents are not fully present during family events. Online posts also show this concern. Some adult children have shared stories about parents using phones during meals, trips and other family events. One person said their father would wake up and start using his phone right away. The person said the father would not look up during talks. The post also pointed out the irony of the father once telling others to put their phones away during talks. Other users shared similar stories. Some said their parents used phones during weddings or dinner. One person said their father used a phone with hearing aids to listen to social media clips while sitting at the dinner table. These stories are personal. They do not show how all older adults use phones. But they do show that phone use can cause stress inside families. There may be another concern for older phone users. A 2024 study in Public Opinion Quarterly looked at how older Americans deal with online content. The study found that older adults can often spot false or misleading content as well as younger people. Yet they may be more likely to engage with such content. More time online can mean more chances to see false claims. It can also mean more chances to share or react to such claims. This may make some older users more open to strong or biased online content. The risk is not only about the amount of screen time. What people see and do online also matters. Changing phone habits may not be easy. A study of older adults found that half had not tried to cut down their screen time. About 30 percent had tried but were not able to reduce it. The findings show why phone use is not only a young person's issue. Older adults can also build strong daily phone habits. For families, the issue may be less about age and more about balance. A phone can help people stay in touch, find news and pass the time. But too much use can make it harder to focus on people nearby. For millennials worried about their parents, a calm talk may help. Simple rules, such as putting phones away during meals, can also help families spend more time together. The main issue is not whether older adults use smartphones. It is whether phone use starts to replace real time with family, friends and the world around them.