Smartphone Addiction is Real (and Growing)
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. CREDIT: Smartphones via Shutterstock |
Smartphone addiction has turned into a real problem for a majority of Americans, new research has found. However, most people in the United States also acknowledge and admit to the issue, saying they spend every waking moment with their smartphones or tablets.
At its root, the smartphone attachment problem comes down to people not having enough to do, researchers found. Sixty-four percent of respondents say they primarily use their smartphones to keep from getting bored.
Researchers also found that this attachment has caused significant behavioral changes for Americans. In particular, 69 percent of smartphone and tablet users say it has been one day or less since they had a meal without checking their device. Surprisingly that number was highest among Baby Boomers, who checked their devices at meals more frequently than did the younger Gen Xers and Millennials.
Smartphones have done more than simply become dinner guests, though. The devices also dole out guidance. Fifty-five percent of mobile users say that they trust advice from the Internet more than they do tips from their parents.
However, increased use of smartphones has also created some problems, the research of 1,000 smartphone and tablet owners in the United States says. In particular, more than half of respondents say they feel people overshare photos and videos on their smartphones. Additionally, in the study, Americans say they have become less patient as a result of smartphone usage. Thirty percent of respondents say they will wait only 8 seconds for websites to load on their phones.
"These survey findings confirm suspicions that most of us are rendered completely helpless when separated from our mobile devices, perhaps even more than when we are pulled apart from our best friends," said Mick Hollison, vice president of integrated marketing and strategy for software company Citrix, which conducted the research.
"As our attachments to smartphones and tablets continue to grow deeper and more intimate, companies must respond with new ways to empower people to use their favorite devices across their personal and professional lives. This will enable all of us to reach new levels of productivity and prosperity."
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