HS Gallup | Parents must be responsible for their children's cell phone use, say the Finns

Clear the majority of Finns are worried about the excessive use of smart devices by minors.

The majority is of the opinion that a maximum of two hours of phone time per day would be enough for minors, and that children could have decision-making power over their phone time only when they are over 15 years old.

The biggest consensus is that limiting children's smartphone use is primarily a parent's task.

Score survive the survey conducted by HS in December.

At the beginning of December, a recent Pisa survey of schoolchildren was also published, in which the results of young Finns continued to deteriorate. At the same time, there was a lively discussion about the effect of smart devices on them.

95 percent of those who responded to the HS-gallup think that limiting children's smartphone use is primarily a parent's responsibility. Only two percent disagreed. Three percent had no opinion on the matter.

In all population groups, at least nine out of ten feel that it is primarily the parents' responsibility.

Under-age 81 percent of children's parents said that their children use a smartphone, tablet or similar device.

60 percent of these parents said that they limit their children's use of smart devices. 65 percent were worried about their children's excessive smartphone use and screen time.

However, respondents who do not have minor children themselves were more worried than parents of minor children. 74 percent of them said they were worried about how much time children generally spend in front of smart devices and screens.

All right the majority think that 15 years is the right age to give a child decision-making power over his own screen time.

This was the opinion of 72 percent of respondents to the HS poll and the majority in all population groups.

13 percent of the respondents felt that people over the age of 10 can decide their screen time.

1–2 hours a day is generally considered to be the appropriate smartphone time for school-aged children. 52 percent of those who responded to the survey thought so.

“

40 percent of those who responded to the survey said they wanted to reduce their own phone use.

In research the respondents were also asked about their own smartphone use: would they like to reduce their own phone time and have they already reduced it?

40 percent of those who responded to the survey said they wanted to reduce their own phone use. Young people in particular thought so.

66 percent of the 30-year-olds would like to spend less time on their smartphone. An almost equal share of students (63 percent) thought the same.

Only 20 percent of those over 70 would like to reduce their phone time.

Young people were also the ones who had already reduced their phone use the most. Every second person aged 30 or older said they use their phone less than before.

Of all respondents, one in three had reduced their phone use.