President’s Choice released a new survey this morning on issues for mobile phones and kids. Nearly half of Canadian parents with children aged 11 and older say their kids carry a personal cell phone.
About three quarters of parents are setting rules for their kids to follow:
- 33% said they set ground rules, such as no talking while driving or walking;
- 32% limit use to where it’s appropriate;
- 27% use password protection;
- 18% program emergency contacts into phones and discuss when and how to use them;
- 12% try to conceal their phones in public;
- 9% set parental controls on devices; and
- 8% use GPS to track the whereabouts of family members.
However, a quarter of Canadian parents apparently haven’t set guidelines.
In fact, the survey found there is a gap between the habits that annoy us and those in which we engage ourselves:
- While 86% of Canadians say they are irritated by others typing, texting or calling while driving, nearly a third (31%) admitted having done so themselves in the last year;
- While 77% complained about others not turning off their ringers in public spaces such as theatres or restaurants, approximately 14% acknowledged doing just that; and
- While 57% complained about others texting or talking and not paying attention to their surroundings while walking, 32% admitted to engaging in precisely this behaviour.
“These results show us that for a great number of Canadian parents, it’s a matter of do as I say and not as I do,” according to parenting expert Kathy Buckworth, Chief Family Advisor to PC Financial.
When did you get your kids their first phone?
What rules and tools have you provided to them?