On road to quality time with the family
MOST Australian parents think the car is a great place for a family chat but 76 per cent say their kids are usually on a mobile device, a Galaxy poll has revealed.
Kids aged three to 16 typically used digital media on car trips, parents said, with mobile phones, tablets, computer games and television the most popular activities.
The poll, commissioned by Ford Australia, surveyed more than 1200 people and it also revealed it was not only children hitting their screens.
Adults said when the kids were not in the car the nondriver was most likely (63 per cent) to be using a mobile device to make calls, check social media, send emails or play games.
Psychologist Sabina Read said it was worrying people often seemed more connected to a virtual world than their families.
“Adults are behaving in the same way. We need to acknowledge our own behaviour as what we do, rather than what we say, speaks volumes,” Dr Read said.
“We’re all in the car every day so why not maximise this time in the day to listen.”
Despite the high use of mobile devices while on the move, parents said they typically had quality family time while in the car (40 per cent).
“Technology itself is not the enemy . . . families just need to find ways to disconnect from their devices and reconnect with each other,” Dr Read said.
The survey found time in the car could spark kids’ imaginations and get them chatting.
“The best conversations often happen in cars for a few reasons, providing a safe space for loved ones, especially children, to open up,” she said.