New research portrays the UK as a smartphone-addicted country. Mobile data services have increased 40-fold in a three-year period in the country, and more than a quarter of adults and nearly half of teenagers own a smartphone.
The 341-page report, released by UK telecommunications regulator Ofcom, is sprinkled with nuggets of information about mobile data consumption among smartphone users, as well as larger telecommunications trends in Internet, radio and TV usage.
Here are some of the takeaways regarding smartphone usage:
- 37% of adults and 60% of teens admit they are highly addicted to their smartphones.
- 81% of smartphone users make calls every day compared with 53% of regular users.
- 23% of teenagers claim to watch less TV and 15% admit they read fewer books as a result of their smartphone use.
- 51% of adults and 65% of teens say they have used their smartphone while socializing with others.
- 23% of adults and 34% of teens have used their smartphones during mealtimes.
- 22% of adult and 47% of teens admitted using or answering their smartphone while in the bathroom.
- 58% of adult males owned a smartphone compared with 42% of females.
- Among teenagers, 52% of females use smartphones compared with 48% of males.
- The majority of adults (32%) identified Apple’s iPhone as their favorite device, while the majority of teens (37%) prefer the BlackBerry.
With increasing telecommunications options in an ever-connected world, addiction to mobile and Internet use is not uncommon. In South Korea, there are even clinics for treating Internet addicts.
How would you define smartphone addiction? Does taking a few calls from the toilet and texting during dinner make you an addict? Read more …