Canadians Plead Guilty to Being Attached to Their Cell Phones
Feb 17, 2012
A new study reveals 74 per cent of Canadian cell phone users admit that they are unable to part with their smartphones.
Canada, our home and native land, and increasingly, the never-off society. Whether it is at a wedding, funeral, or even in a courtroom, Canadians tote their smartphones along so they can contact anyone, anywhere, anytime. As part of a commitment to provide customers with mobile solutions to fit every lifestyle, Future Shop partnered with Leger Marketing to determine if Canadians really are addicted to their phones. The results are loud and clear: 74 per cent of all cell phone users admit that not only are they unable to part with their smartphones, they are using the devices in the most bizarre places, including the bathroom (17 per cent), a place of worship (11 per cent) and even a job interview (nine per cent). In fact, texting has replaced communication with siblings (55 per cent), best friends (61 per cent), spouses (51 per cent) and kids (51 per cent).
The survey also found that half of Canadians (exactly 50 per cent) pled guilty to breaking cell etiquette when it comes to habits like texting someone in the same room or while in the middle of another conversation. According to the breakdown below, Maritimers were the guiltiest, while Albertans are sticking to the rules. Interestingly, all provinces hovered very close to the National 50 per cent score.
- British Columbia (47 per cent)
- Alberta (45 per cent)
- Manitoba/Saskatchewan (48 per cent)
- Ontario (49 per cent)
- Quebec (53 per cent)
- Maritimes (59 per cent)
Additional Survey Highlights
- Using cellular devices in the bathroom is highest in Ontario with 21 per cent who would admit to doing this, significantly higher than Quebecers with only 10 per cent.
- Quebecers are least likely to say they would use their cellular device at a wedding (3 per cent).
- Using cellular devices in the car is highest in Alberta. Albertans use their devices in the car (35 per cent) significantly more than those in Ontario (25 per cent).
- Albertans seem to be attached least of all to their apps. Nearly half (46 per cent) of Albertans respond "None" when asked to identify apps they could not live without; only 24 per cent of other Canadians would give the same response.
- Of those polled, only 62 per cent of British Columbians admitted to having used their cell phone in a place or situation they should not, versus a surprising 80 per cent in Quebec and 74 per cent in Ontario.
