Sara Tiboni, 44, lives in Winterthur, Canton of Zurich, with her daughter Annica, 15, and her son Mathis, 12. She is separated from the children's father.
Sara: “Mathis just can't seem to stop – I've seen that before with gaming. We had a lot of arguments about that too, until we set out exactly when he was allowed to play each individual game. That's why I'm very strict about his mobile as well, even though it isn't that important to him yet. It was different with Annica at the start.”
Annica: «Actually, everyone in my class suddenly found themselves in some sort of class or group chat. I couldn't use them on my iPad, but I could on my mobile.»
Sara: «As a parent, you do feel under pressure. It stressed me out. I didn't actually want to give her a mobile phone just yet, but I didn't want her to feel left out in class either.»
Annica: «When everyone in the class got new mobile phones, there was already loads of spam in the class chat – there were often hundreds of messages. It really stressed some of my classmates out, but it didn't really bother me. I just didn't read everything. And things soon calmed down.»
Sara: «But I've just set WhatsApp so that the app can't be used after a certain time in the evening. I reckon at some point you just need to get a good night's sleep.»
I've broken the rule that mobile phones have no place in the bedroom. It's a bad habit – one that I'm guilty of too.
Sara, mother
Annica: «But sometimes it's really annoying, like when someone asks me late at night which train we're taking to school the next day, and I can't read it any more.»
Sara: «But we've actually removed the restrictions on some apps again, and in some cases you've said of your own accord: ‹Put them back on, otherwise I'll spend too much time on my phone.› I found that interesting. To be honest, though, I've also failed to introduce a rule at home that mobile phones have no place in the bedroom. That's a bad habit – one I'm guilty of too; I often spend too much time on my phone.»
Mobile phones keep us in touch – even when we're apart
Annica: «But I'm fine with you using your mobile more – after all, you use it to organise lots of important things and you're not constantly on Insta, like I am.»
Sara: «But I am too!»
Annica: «Oh, well, I don't really have much sympathy for that anymore. What really gets on my nerves about my mum is that she just can't multitask. When she's on her mobile and I ask her something, she can't answer at the same time – she just stares at the screen.»
Sara: «That's true, you're better at that. The older I get, the fewer things I can do at the same time. But I also think it's important to focus on just one thing. That's why I don't use my mobile whilst eating. And in the summer, I went hiking with Mathis; there was a time when we had no signal for two days, and it was brilliant – wasn't it, Mathis?»
Mathis: «Yes, that was actually quite nice. When I've got nothing to do at home, I quickly end up playing video games or on my mobile.»
Sara: «Oh yes, I'd love to do it straight after getting up… But I also think that mobile phones bring a lot of good things for us as a family. I'm separated from the children's father; they spend half their time with him. Since both children have had a mobile, we've been in much closer contact when they're not here. Or they text their gran too , which I think is absolutely lovely.»
