Newswise — SAINT LEO, FL – If mom takes your phone away before Christmas dinner this year, don’t be surprised.
Americans hate the proliferation of mobile phones and tablets at the dinner table, according to a new survey by the Saint Leo University Polling Institute. Whether they will do something about it is another question.
According to the Saint Leo poll, 84 percent of Americans say they agree with a policy of not allowing smart phones and other handheld devices at the table during family dinner. That number climbed to 87 percent when a family has guests joining them for dinner—with women even less tolerant than men (89 percent of women compared to 84 percent of women) of phones when guests are present.
The poll found support for such a “no technology” policy stayed steady whether meals are taken at home or at a restaurant.
But is this a sentiment more honored in the breach than in the observance? Smart phones and even the bulkier tablets have become common sights at dinner tables, whether at home or out at a restaurant.
“Just because we say we don’t like having mobile phones at the table doesn’t mean we don’t also like to check our email or the score of the football game during a meal,” said Drew Gold, director of the Saint Leo University Polling Institute.
About the Saint Leo Polling InstituteThe data is derived from the inaugural national survey conducted by the Saint Leo University Polling Institute. The online survey of 1,002 adults was conducted between December 1 and 6 and has a margin of error of about 3 percent. To view the national politics results, including methodology, visit the polling institute’s website, http://polls.saintleo.edu You can also follow the institute on Twitter @saintleopolls. Saint Leo’s main website is www.saintleo.edu
About Saint Leo University Saint Leo University (www.saintleo.edu) is one of the largest and most innovative Catholic universities in the United States, offering more than 40 academic programs. Chartered in 1889 in the town of Saint Leo, FL, about 30 miles north of Tampa, Saint Leo University enrolls more than 16,000 students.
RSS