Wait: 25% of Canadians still don’t have ANY kind of mobile phone?
Everyone has a mobile phone now, right? Nope. Look at this chart from Statista.
Okay, I get it why 35% of India and 29% of Indonesia don’t have any sort of mobile phone. But look which country comes next: Canada.
According to this graph, a full 25% of Canadian adults still aren’t part of the cell phone collective. Meanwhile, another 9% are happy with a dumb feature phone (I’m looking at you, Dad.)
Canada is way, way behind the UK where only 5% or mobile-phone free and the US (6%). Even Russia is doing better.
Why? Is it because the cost of ownership of any cell phone is too high? Is it because so many of us still insist on having land lines? Any other theories?
These stats have other implications. For example, it could explain the slower-than-other-countries adoption of streaming music.
Or (see the comment below), the this data could be completely wrong.
I’m not shocked at all. Way to expensive to own a smart phone with Bell and Rogers having a monoply.
Our data rates are insane compared to other countries. For a lot of elderly people, it just isn’t worth the switch. Plus, have youever tried to explain how a modern smart phone or tablet works to a tablet? Holy moly…
There’s something odd about their data, because Stats Canada said 76% of people had a smartphone… in 2016. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/171114/dq171114a-eng.htm?HPA=1
I thought it was weird, too.
It is certainly way too expensive. I actually have one only because I need it for medical emergencies. . I don’t want to be connected to people or work 24/7. My own time is just that- my own. The last time we had a power outage our cells ran out of power but out landline kept on working.
In USA and I do not use a smartphone. Does anyone figure the part about the slave labor that goes into making those ‘smartphones’? Am I one of the ultra-sensitive to elecro-magnetic frequencies? Doesn’t anyone know that there is cancer, aging, drying out of soft tissues and loss of memory associated with cell phones? I am happy to have a landline. Cell phone towers, and wifi hot-spots make me nauseous. Oh yeah, only a few people recognize the bad health effects including harm to reproductive organs, eyes and lower immune systems from being near the signals. Right they’re everywhere. Watch out for 5g, we’ll all be fried. Look up ‘effects of cell phone towers’. Maybe that’ll give you a hint.
I have no need for a mobile or cell phone of any kind. As a matter of fact, I don’t even drive. I live in a big city with public transportation 24/7.
My sister is happily mobile-free. I only ‘carry’ to keep in touch with time sensitive jobs. She used one while elder care issues were in the forefront. Now that era of her life is done (and well done I should say) she figures she has earned the right to retire properly away from constant contact. Leave a message on what she calls her ‘steam-driven’ ansaphone land line and she’ll get back to you when she feels like it. It all works for us without the spectacular cost of a mobile in Canada.
Personally, I like my ‘Me’ time and don’t want to be hassled while I’m getting my hair done or shopping for groceries or sitting at a CFL game. Hubby and I don’t have kids to keep an eye on or pickup from daycare or soccer practice or check in with the babysitter on. As far as I’m concerned, the whole world can just leave me alone while I’m enjoying the weekend or visiting with friends and family. We still have a landline, so call me at home and leave a message. I’m 57 years old now, and at this point, I can’t see myself ever owning a cellphone—ever.
I don’t have a SmartPhone, I have a smart brain. The last thing I want is being interrupted by anyone. I don’t have a landline either but I do have an iPad — I find a lot of the functions useful, especially when travelling — and I use skype to call out the odd time when a call it the only option available. Otherwise I use e-mail, it provides a document trail and I can attend to things in my own time. Cell phones are stupidly intrusive.
I had to medically retire at 39, I threw away my cellphone that day and haven’t missed it since. I see it as an albatross around people, it’s a harm not a help in most cases. People have forgotten how to be social in person, I don’t know how many times I have left meeting friends for lunch or coffee and inevitably the cell phone comes out, 5 people madly punching little buttons while I walk out to go on and enjoy the rest of my day. I’m so glad I haven’t fried my brain rushing to get the new everything.
I don’t go out much, spend 95% of my time at home next to a land line. If I go out, I’m usually driving and can’t answer the telephone – it’s against the law. So why do I need the expense of a cell phone, one more thing to carry around (and potentially lose)?