Canadians get a failing grade in mobile manners

PC® mobile survey reveals that while parents are equipping children with mobile devices, mobile manners may be forgotten

TORONTO, Aug. 27, 2013 /CNW/ - More students are heading back to school with new mobile devices this year, but are parents setting a good example when it comes to mobile manners? According to a new national survey conducted by Leger for PC® mobile, 70 per cent of Canadian adult respondents admit to breaking at least one social rule when it comes to mobile phone courtesy.

While Canadians are known around the world for their politeness, the poll suggests we may need some remedial work when it comes to mobile manners. Among the missteps respondents admitted to:

• 32 per cent have checked emails/texts in front of others at social functions;
• 29 per cent have used their phones in a hospital when they're not supposed to;
• 28 per cent have talked or texted while walking;
• 11 per cent have left their ringers on in theatres or in meetings; and
• 41 per cent have used their phones in the bathroom.

But despite those questionable examples, 32 per cent of Canadians with children that were surveyed and who have mobile phones say that they have taken away their child's device as a form of punishment.  The most common reason was for bad behaviour (28 per cent), followed by grades being affected by too much phone time (12 per cent, and running up an enormous, unexpected phone bill (4 per cent).

"As a parent who uses her smartphone extensively, I understand the desire to be attached to your device 24-7, but there are times when you need to unplug as well," said noted author and parenting expert, Kathy Buckworth, Chief Family Advisor for PC Financial®. "While mobile phones are handy tools, parents still need to take steps to ensure that their kids aren't constantly distracted by their devices and know when to turn them off, such as at the dinner table or in the classroom."

Interestingly, setting ground rules on mobile usage has gone down year-over-year. In a similar mobile etiquette survey conducted by Leger for PC® mobile in 2012, 33 per cent of parents surveyed said they set mobile-device ground rules for their children compared with 26 per cent in 2013. Similarly, only three per cent of parents surveyed now say they set parental controls on their child's mobile, compared with nine per cent in 2012.

Mobile usage and satisfaction

While Canadians may like to complain about mobile phone companies, a surprising majority of users surveyed said they are satisfied with their current provider (87 per cent). Those who are not satisfied say they would be encouraged to switch for better rates (86 per cent), better service (56 per cent), or shorter contract terms (52 per cent).

The survey also found that the most popular uses for mobile phones among Canadians making telephone calls (68 per cent), text/photo messaging (54 per cent), and email (26 per cent). While popular, these features can often lead to unwelcome additional charges on monthly bills.

"No one likes to open their monthly mobile statement and find that they or their child has unknowingly run up a huge bill," said Maria Forlini, Senior Vice President of President's Choice Services.  "Our survey found that more than a quarter of respondents said that their mobile phone usage has led to large, unexpected charges on their mobile phone bills (27 per cent). PC® mobile monthly plans offer Canadian families an easy way to manage their mobile bills with unique features that provide cost certainty to guard against huge unexpected bills or roaming charges with the click of a button."

For more information on the latest PC® mobile offering, visit www.pcmobile.ca or Facebook at www.facebook.com/pcmobileca.

About the survey
The President's Choice Services Inc. survey was completed using Leger's online panel, LegerWeb, between July 29 and August 1, 2013 with a representative sample of 1,500 Canadians. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of ± 2.5%, 19 times out of 20.

About The Mobile Shop

The Mobile Shop, located in select Loblaw and banner store locations, is the destination for Canadians' wireless needs - through the delivery of exceptional customer service & support, great selection, and outstanding value.

About Loblaw Companies Limited (TSX: L)
Loblaw Companies Limited, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited, is Canada's largest food retailer and a leading provider of drugstore, general merchandise and financial products and services. Loblaw is one of the largest private sector employers in Canada. With more than 1,000 corporate and franchised stores from coast to coast, Loblaw and its franchisees employ more than 134,000 full-time and part-time employees. Through its portfolio of store formats, Loblaw is committed to providing Canadians with a wide, growing and successful range of products and services to meet the everyday household demands of Canadian consumers. Loblaw is known for the quality, innovation and value of its food offering. It offers Canada's strongest control (private) label program, including the unique President's Choice®, no name® and Joe Fresh® brands. In addition, the Company makes available to consumers President's Choice Financial® services and offers the PC® points and PC Plus™ loyalty program.

SOURCE: President's Choice Services Inc.