• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer, September 19, 2014

According to the results of the BabyCenter U.S. Mobile Mom 2014 Report, there is a sharp rise in moms’ reliance on mobile devices to help them through the day. The report says that smartphones are increasingly critical for moms, with 46% saying they would return home if they forgot their cell phone but not if they forgot their wallet. This marks a 26% increase over similar responses in 2013.

An overwhelming majority of moms currently have a smartphone (88%) and a tablet (83%) by their side. This may represent a plateau for mobile-device adoption by mothers, but the survey reveals that moms’ firm embrace of mobile usage is growing. In an average day, a typical mom uses her smartphone or tablet to:

• Send 26 text messages
• Send 14 instant messages
• Use social media platforms 15 times

Texting and social media are the most common activities for moms on their smartphones. Playing games and watching videos take the number three and four spots, respectively, with participating in online parenting communities rounding out the top five. In addition, moms’ smartphones are the number #1 tool for social media, whether on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or the BabyCenter Community.

Instant messaging is also making an impact, though 27% of moms say that texting on their smartphone has actually decreased due to their use of an IM app instead. The most popular IM apps cited are:

• Facebook (35%)
• What’s App (22%)
• Google Hangout (9%)
• Kik (5%)
• Yahoo (4%)

When it comes to moms’ downtime, mobile usage is on the rise. Short clips for entertainment are her top smartphone video picks, followed by how-to/tutorial videos. More than half use their mobile phones while watching television, and 47% bring their tablet along when they sit in front of the TV set.

The study also shows that moms’ connection to their smartphones transcends their own use of the device, with over two-thirds saying that they use their smartphone to entertain their children,more than double the amount who did so in 2013says the report. The second most popular way for moms to use their mobile phones when it comes to their kids is shopping for them. Getting parenting information via a smartphone follows closely behind, and represents a nearly tenfold increase in this activity over last year.

Julie Michaelson, Vice President of Sales, BabyCenter, says “… Millennial moms are more likely than their Gen X counterparts to live their lives on mobile… (and we expect) the mobile movement will continue to gain momentum with moms… “

And Linda Murray, Senior Vice President and Global Editor-in-Chief, BabyCenter, adds “… today’s moms are always on the move… (meaning) that smartphones are the single most important tool for communicating with them… “

To review more findings from the BabyCenter U.S. Mobile Mom 2014 Report: Mobile Powers Mom’s Life, please visit here. visit: