A young Ottawa woman who is almost constantly glued to her iPhone won鈥檛 be getting her driver鈥檚 licence anytime soon.
The 19-year-old鈥檚 father says he won鈥檛 allow her to get behind the wheel until she tackles her cellphone 鈥渁ddiction,鈥� which has begun to affect her sleeping patterns and attention span.
And Chantal Menard seems to have taken the first step towards rehabilitation: admitting she has a problem.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 really put my phone down,鈥� she told CTV Ottawa.
According to a 2013 report from Google, Canadians heavily rely on their smart phones -- sometimes to a fault. Of 1,000 Canadians surveyed, about eight in 10 said they didn鈥檛 leave the house without their mobile device. About 35 per cent said they鈥檇 sooner give up television than lose their smart phone.
Chantal says her iPhone is almost always within arm鈥檚 reach, which is the prime reason her father won鈥檛 let her drive.
鈥淚f her phone just went off, not necessarily texting, but she would look for it or get distracted. It just takes that split second,鈥� said Pierre Menard.
Ottawa psychologist Eva Fisher says she鈥檚 seen a growing number of patients suffer from social isolation due to their reliance on smart phones.
In one instance, Fisher says she saw a mother let go of a baby stroller to check her phone, sending the stroller rolling down a hill.
鈥淭hat to me is an addiction,鈥� Fisher said.
Chantal says she鈥檚 taking earnest steps to regain control over her life, such as doing chores without her phone nearby.
Still, agrees that she鈥檚 not ready to drive just yet.
鈥淚鈥檓 easily distracted and I find it dangerous right now,鈥� she said.
With files from CTV Ottawa and the Canadian Press
