COMMUNITY INSIGHTS | STUDENT TECH USE
Swansea SAC | Digital Wellness Subcommittee
Why spend time on a survey?
The Digital Wellness Subcommittee grew out of parent and caregiver interest in ensuring that our children have a healthy relationship with technology, and that can look different for different families.
Swansea Jr & Sr Public School is a large community - which means a lot of families and a lot of perspectives!
Our survey works to make sure that we:
What’s the broader context?
Swansea’s School Advisory Council (SAC) is fortunate to be in a position to fund school needs and wants in a way that enriches the student experience.
With that shared goal in mind, community members come to the SAC with an incredible variety of skills, networks, and capacity to make this enrichment real.
With the guidance that we get from surveys like this, community members engaging through the SAC can feel confident that we’re hitting the right notes for our children when we:
Is this survey representative?
We received 251 responses to the survey. In a school population the size of Swansea, this response rate suggests that the results are strongly representative.
What’s more, parents and caregivers from all grades responded to the call. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
What about the limitations?
While we received an incredibly strong response, we have made deliberate efforts to consider that:
This survey, and our work overall, is a team effort.
Lots of data and insights are coming right up.
And none of it would be possible without the support of:
SMARTPHONES: WHAT SWANSEA PARENTS SAY
Survey Findings & Discussion
The Bad News: Parents are worried
Concern is nearly universal
Worries span a variety of effects
The Good News: Parents are aligned! ��Results show a strong appetite for collective action to change the current norms around tech use
The ideal age to give most kids a Smartphone: 73% say Grade 9 or later
From open text survey responses and anecdotal observation, we know that more than 27% of our students have smartphones before grade 9 - a clear mismatch between parent / caregiver beliefs and actions.
This suggests that many families are giving their children smartphones earlier than they would like to.
81% Willing to Delay if it were the Norm
"I would be willing to delay giving my child a smartphone until High School if I knew that most of the other families in my child's social group were doing the same."
Only 8% disagree
1 = STRONGLY DISAGREE
5 = STRONGLY AGREE
Unplugged Canada Parent Pledge to Delay Smartphones Until High School
With such consensus around delaying, Swansea could be a leader in changing the conversation around smartphone for children. We currently have 167 pledges.
Open conversation and awareness of options is critical to changing the norm.
We have a mandate to drive this conversation and continue highlighting the pledge and smartphone alternatives.
To help shift the norms, we need to address the underlying reasons why parents are giving their children smartphones earlier than they would like.
Top Reasons to Give a Smartphone
Safety & Practicality is by far the leading reason 🡪 which conflicts with the known dangers introduced by an online environment
Smartphone Alternatives �
Options like these are equally as practical, and far safer - not to mention often more affordable!*
*For more information on weighing the safety risks of smartphones, refer to the Canadian Pediatric Society’s Centre for Healthy Screen Use
Community Voices
“Thank you for your attention to the problem of smart phone addiction in children. This is one of the defining problems of our age and needs a robust response.”
“I got my kid a smart phone when the school wouldn't let them have lunch on school grounds and they were going to Bloor Street. That was a safety issue which required me getting a phone so that I could be in touch with my kid while they were unsupervised”
“Be careful not to shame folks who have given smartphones or games or computer access to their kids - this is my one fear with regard to being part of smartphone free initiatives- I guess I’m scared of being judged a bit?”
“Continue to push for fully phone free schools.”
CLASSROOM TECH / CHROMEBOOKS: WHAT SWANSEA PARENTS ACTUALLY SUPPORT
Survey Findings & Discussion
2/3 of respondents have a child who uses a school-issued device (e.g., Chromebook)
Concern about Classroom Tech �is Evenly Split
How respondents feel about the amount of time their child spends on school-issued device
Many respondents were unsure (or kids too young)
Amount of Time Spent on Chromebooks: �Unsure or N/A responses removed
Almost no one says “not enough time” – many feel it is too much time
Most families think things are ok, but there is concern about leisure use at school
A deeper dive uncovers nuance.
Few believe the devices should be used more often. And while a significant group believes it is too much time, a majority are comfortable with the status quo - in all quadrants but one.
This consistent majority disappears when considering the use of devices at school, for personal use.
Our comfortable majority recognizes that not all screen time is the same. Some uses are valued - others are vetoed.
There is strong support for academic uses like learning to type or code, or completing types of storytelling assignments.
Support for gamified learning, and supplemental at-home learning is split.
But there is clear opposition to non-educational use.
Community voices
This was a popular topic for commentary!
“My son is addicted to his computer thank you TDSB, and we find it hard for him to turn it off even when we are supervising him now.”
“I am not against any screen use at all, but want screen use for learning to be used with caution and supervision / controls (ie no capacity to end up watching several minutes of 5-second videos)”
41 comments expressed concerns, or a desire for less tech.
Only 2 expressed support, or a desire for more.
Community voices (cont.)
“A first step is blocking video games in school. Both my children have had access during class time and teachers do not prevent it or stop it.”
“TDSB lax policy to allow grade 3’s unsupervised access to internet (without parental controls) is in direct opposition to the way we parent and what we want for our child. This should not be allowed”
“Could we go back to workbook, books with curriculum. Stop doing everything online”
“My child does not learn well doing wrote learning on a device. Why is teaching and learning primarily dependent on digital platforms?”
FACTORING IN AGE DIFFERENCES
Survey Findings & Discussion
Parents of older children are more likely to have accepted smartphones and see less direct interpersonal risk. Still, support for waiting is strong.
There was greater alignment on concern for mental health and risk of harmful content. Plus, alignment on support for our work!
COMMUNITY APPETITE FOR A DIGITAL WELLNESS MANDATE
Survey Findings & Discussion
We’re on the right track with our initiatives.
Highest interest:
Community Voices
“Definitely interested in the topic, but generally not able to come to anything in person due to conflicts. Happy to receive resources asynchronously. Thanks for your work on this!”
“The pledge for collectively delaying kids smart phones is a good initiative that I support.”
“Written resources have been helpful - we recently purchased a voip phone for home after seeing this group’s resource on the topic”
Your Suggestions!
“Could the topic of AI be part of this sub committees topics please”
“Strong regulation is required to enable change. Parents and families cannot do this without the backing of schools and administrators”
“Continue involving the school community in reflecting on and planning for this important topic”
“I feel that learning how to coach our kids about how to use technology safely and effectively would be the most valuable support.”
WHAT’S NEXT
Survey Findings & Discussion
Survey results have already led to action.
Free Play Fridays!
Weekly Shark Byte!
This conversation!
Flyers and handouts!
And there is much more in the works.
“Big Kid” IRL events!
Parent & family events!
Advising admin!
Teacher survey!
HOW PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS CAN HELP
Survey Findings & Discussion
What can you do?
Together we can shift the norms around tech and kids!
Discussion & Next Steps
• What stands out most from these findings?
• What school or parent-community norms should we consider?
• How can we continue supporting healthy digital habits together?