Majority of Ontario parents surveyed say children should have a cell phone by age 13

After “Mama” or “Dadda,” the first words out of a child’s mouth in this day and age might be “I want a cell phone.”

So, at what age should parents oblige?

A recent survey by The Mobile Shop finds 78 per cent of parents in Ontario agree cell phones have safety benefits for school-aged children, and 70 per cent think kids should have their phone by the time they are 13.

The poll also found that more than two-thirds of Canadians agree cell phones are beneficial for high schoolers, while one-third think cell phones are helpful for elementary grades.

Finally, 96 per cent of Canadians agree parents are responsible for teaching their children smart cell phone habits.

“Cell phones are such a valuable tool for education – for instance, some post-secondary students in Ontario can use their student cards on their phones instead of a physical card,” a spokesperson said.

“Back-to-school is quickly approaching, which means Canadians are evaluating how they’ll stay connected to family, friends, information and resources throughout the school year ahead.”

An older survey by SlickText in 2019 determined that 76 per cent of teachers surveyed responded saying cellphones in the classroom are distracting, while a majority of parents studied at the time, 46.4 per cent, said they wish schools incorporated educational apps or smartphones into more lesson plans.

Their results are in line with The Mobile Shop’s findings. A majority of parents surveyed in 2019 said they gave their child a cellphone between the ages of 11 to 13. Their primary reason for doing so was safety.

Ontario’s government released its back-to-school plan last week with students set to attend in-person learning daily for the entire school day (5 days) in elementary and secondary schools.

With files from 680 NEWS assignment editor Charlene Close