Americans are completely obsessed with their smartphones, with 75.4% saying they are “addicted,” according to a new report from Reviews.org. The obsession runs deep, and shockingly so, with 45% choosing giving up sex over giving up their phone.
Reviews.org wanted to take a close look at what appears to be a growing dependence on smartphones and how the average American balances screen time with other activities.
SEE: 5G: What it means for IoT (ZDNet/TechRepublic special feature) | Download the free PDF version (TechRepublic)
Of those polled, 58% reported that they spend more than three hours on their phone each day. For anyone who wants to monitor their phone use, there are apps installed on phones, or which can be downloaded, to reveal exactly how much time is spent staring at the screen.
Health safety (and gross factor) be damned, a startling 73.4% use their phone while on the toilet and then put those same phones in their mouths.
Texting while driving more dangerous than DUI
Despite the abundance of stories reporting on the dangers and potential of a fatal accident, 55.4% of those surveyed admitted they use or look at their phone while driving, despite the long-accepted warning that it affects reaction time.
Mobile phones are responsible for 1.6 million car crashes annually, causing half a million injuries and 6,000 deaths, according to the United States Department of Transportation (USDT).
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) cites texting as the most alarming distraction in the plague of distracted driving. Sending or reading a text takes a driver’s eyes off the road for five seconds. If you’re driving 55 mph, “that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed,” reports NHTSA.
Reviews.org asked respondents how often they look at their phones while driving, and they reported the following responses
- Always 7.4%
- Sometimes 48%
- Never 35.2%
- I don’t drive 9.4%
Big Brother may be watching. Since 2018, in New South Wales, cameras capture people who text and drive.
Phone addiction: a real thing?
Bear in mind that the survey is reliant upon honest self-awareness and self-reporting among the 500 men and women (older than 18) polled. One of the questions was, “How many people consider themselves addicted to their phone?”
- 24.6% said they consider themselves “not at all” addicted to their phone.
- 56.4% said they consider themselves “somewhat” addicted to their phone.
- 19% said they consider themselves “very” addicted to their phone.
My phone is more important than …
The report’s “additional findings” tackled miscellaneous, albeit no less fascinating findings:
- 17.3% of parents said they spend more time on their phones than with their children.
- The average price an American would have to be paid to trade-in their current phone for a flip phone without “smart” features is $2,150.20.
- 36% said they would be willing to go without their phone for “one week or less” if it meant they could erase all of their debt.
- 45% said the private information on their phones (photos, contact information, text messages, apps, etc.) was worth less than $500 to them.
Also see
- Wi-Fi 6: A cheat sheet (TechRepublic)
- IT pro’s guide to the evolution and impact of 5G technology (TechRepublic download)
- VPN usage policy (TechRepublic Premium)
- The 10 best smartphones you can buy right now (ZDNet)
- Why I may dump Apple in 2020… and why you should consider it too(ZDNet)
- Best mobile VPN services for 2019 (CNET)
- The 10 most important iPhone apps of all time (Download.com)
- Smartphones and mobile tech: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard)
Image: reviews.com
