Do you lie in bed at night scrolling through your Facebook timeline? Is Twitter the first thing you do before when you wake up?
There are 40 million smartphone owners in Britain and the devices have become invaluable to the day-to-day lives of many users so we surveyed 2000 Brits to find out exactly how people are using the devices.
Our survey found that 73% of smartphone-owning Brits become anxious when they don’t have access to their mobile phone.
The average Briton uses their phone 2 hours and 54 minutes a day, though paling in comparison to the average 18 to 24-year-old who racks up a huge 6 hours 17 minutes a day.
We also found out what people use their phones for. Facebook takes up most people’s time with an average of 23 minutes a day on the social media platform, followed by 17 and a half minutes spent texting, 17 minutes listening to music and 13 minutes making calls.
People are so addicted to their mobile that one in ten admitted to checking their social media while at the cinema and 12% browsing their timeline when they were on a date.
Almost half (44%) of respondents said they would be worse off without their smartphone with 15% saying they couldn’t live without it.
Despite being so reliant on their devices, a third of those surveyed admitted they never back up their data and two thirds don’t have their phone insured.
The data also found that Brits acknowledge the ways their phone addiction is inhibiting their life with an estimated 5,000,000 Brits saying checking their phone stops them from getting a good night’s sleep.
The figures suggest almost two and a half million Brits’ gadget usage is getting in the way of housework, preparing food or caring for themselves and their children, and over 700,000 Brits believe it has also gotten in the way of their sex life.
Thomas Stewart, chartered psychologist with the British Psychological Society said the phenomenon will "only get worse" as we become more reliant on the technology to function in modern society.
However his prognosis is not all doom and gloom, he said: "Calling it a phobia is a bit over dramatic, the truth is today phones have invaluable technology which we need on a day-to-day basis.
"Not having access to Facebook so you can't see someone's pointless post is one thing but not being able to access emails, look at your bank account, book flights or hotels on the fly - that can be cause of concern."
People said they were most anxious when they left their phone at home or the battery dies and they were unable to use it. Limited signal was next on the list followed by when someone else is using their phone and when they run out of data.
The most common reason for feeling anxious was not being able to contact friends and family (52%) followed by being unable to be contacted (43%), being unable to check social media (18%), being unable to check the news (15%) and being unable to take photos and videos (8%)
Where people use their phones
Watching TV | 58.3% |
At work | 54.5% |
Talking to friends | 50.9% |
Travelling | 49.0% |
Eating | 34.9% |
Commuting | 34.7% |
Going to bed | 32.4% |
Using toilet | 29.3% |
Driving | 19.8% |
Washing | 13.7% |
On a date | 13.5% |
At the cinema | 12.6% |
At the gym | 11.3% |
*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.