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According to a new report released by the Pew Research Center, Americans currently lead the world in buying children french fries so they’ll shut up for a minute.
The report indicated that as compared to parents in other countries, parents in the U.S. are up to three times more likely to turn into a McDonald’s or Wendy’s while walking with their kid in order to get a single uninterrupted minute of peace and quiet, adding, “Is that so much to ask?” In addition, Americans proved more capable than comparable citizens elsewhere of getting their kids to actually shut their mouths for 60 seconds.
According to the Pew Research Center, many Americans employ such tactics as staring in silence at their kids as they eat the fries, and suggesting they “have some more” whenever their kid shows signs of a thought they want to share. This led to a 90% success rate of getting that one minute of silence, according to the study.
“It’s not that I don’t want to talk to my son, but sometimes after a long day at the office all I need is a bit of peace and quiet," said father Matthew Jones, who also admitted to occasionally turning up the TV volume to discourage his son from voicing more of his never-ending childish thoughts. “I know it’s not the healthiest food, but I’m at the end of my rope.”
The report also indicated Americans lead the world in letting their parents’ calls go to voicemail.
