Families and Mobile Manners Survey Highlights
- 50 percent of children surveyed between the ages of 8-12 reported owning at least 2 mobile technology devices.
- 94 percent of parents believe it’s important to establish rules in the home about proper use of mobile devices.
- 13 is the average age parents think it is appropriate for children to receive a mobile device; while on average, children report receiving their first device at age 11.
- Children are super-connected to their mobile devices. 8-12 year-olds reported spending 2-3 hours per day using their mobile devices. And 39 percent of children reported that they would rather go without their summer vacation than give up their mobile device(s) for one month.
- 59 percent of children have witnessed their parents commit common mobile infractions, including: use of a mobile device while driving (59 percent), at dinner (46 percent) and during a movie or concert (24 percent).
- Nearly half of U.S. children (49 percent) say they don’t see anything wrong with using a technology device at the dinner table.
- Less than half of the parents surveyed are setting general guidelines for use of mobile devices during family time.
- When used effectively, mobile devices can better connect parents and children. According to the survey, 70 percent of teenagers and 75 percent of parents believe that their mobile devices allow them to connect with each other better and more often.
- 50 percent of parents feel guilty for using an Internet-enabled device when they feel they should be spending time with their children.