Sunday, May 4, 2014

Two Quick Questions: Are You Addicted to your Cellphone? Are Your Kids Addicted?

Are you addicted your smartphone?  Are you texting/messaging or checking emails all the time? Is it with you all the time?
Some interesting cell-phone statistics:
    According to Mobile Mindset Study conducted by security app Lookout:
    • 58% of U.S. smartphone owners check their phones at least every hour - and a large share check their phones while in bed or in the bathroom ;
    •  63% of women and 73% of men ages 18-34 say they don't go an hour without checking their phones (Mobile Mindset Study conducted by security app Lookout);
    • 94% of those surveyed were concerned about losing their smartphones, 73% said they'd panic, and 38% are most concerned about the cost and hassle of replacing a lost phone.
    From: https://www.lookout.com/resources/reports/mobile-mindset


    From: https://www.lookout.com/resources/reports/mobile-mindset


     
    From: https://www.lookout.com/resources/reports/mobile-mindset


    From: https://www.lookout.com/resources/reports/mobile-mindset

    According to a Time magazine survey:
    • 84 percent of respondents said that they could not go a single day without their cellphones.
    • 50 percent of Americans sleep with their phone next to them like a teddy bear or a spouse, a number that includes more than 80 percent of persons18-24 years old.
    • 20 percent of respondents check their phone every 10 minutes.
    • 24 percent said they had used text messages to set up a rendezvous with someone they were having an affair with, a number that includes 56 percent of Chinese respondents. 
    And just in case you want to see more, here's another infographic, "Unplugged: A Smartphone Detox" which found that 66% of people surveyed said they couldn't last one day without their smartphones:






    Unplugged: A Smartphone Detox
    From: http://dailyinfographic.com/
    How addicted are you? The answer may in part be a generational one. That said, there are a lot of concerns and issues:
    • Driving and texting/talking/checking
    • Finding time to read and interact more socially with others
    • Finding "life" away from the smartphone
     These issues and questions are (at least for now) out of the scope of this post so please help continue this discussion by leaving your thoughts and questions in the comments below.

    As always, thank you for your visit. 
    Don't forget to leave your thoughts and/or perspectives in the comments below.

    10 comments:

    1. Dear Meryl,

      I LOVE your article and am looking forward to savoring it and sharing it this week!

      I recently became a new smart phone owner. Prior to that, I barely touched my barebones "emergency only" cell phone. It was functional but boring - I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about.

      Now, I am so hooked on my new phone that I have named her (yes, she's a girl) - brought her a fancy new wardrobe (she wasn't happy with her original case so I got her a few changes of outfit to reflect her moods) - and am feeding her all of the time. She's app-happy. A few weeks ago, I didn't even know how to turn the darn thing on. Now - I am finding her insatiable!

      I'm not addicted (but I'm pretty darned enamored!) My husband thinks I've morphed into a 14-year old girl. My cat is so jealous that he tried to take her out... he kept biting into her artery (her charging cord) until he killed her - or so he thought. She spent several days in the ICU (on emergency back-up power) while she waited for her new organs to arrive from E-Bay so she could get a new leash on life!

      I can easily see - from just my short time of owning one of these devices - how easy it is to get consumed. There are SO many wonderful things about them - but at the end of the day, we have to keep things in perspective and balance. They are there to enhance our lives - not to rob us of them.

      Sending the link to husband now - I'm sure we'll have lots to chat about tonight! :-)







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    2. I could go 1 day without it, but see that I've become somewhat of an addict. Great infographics.

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    3. I guess I live under a rock or something....
      Don't have a smart phone and really don't want one. Have my simple phone which I forget to charge a lot of the time.....
      I really am afraid it would consume me and most of the time I really don't need it in my retired world.
      I have to admit that FaceBook can occupy too much of my time though.
      Fascinating article and I do see how smartphones really do cut down on true social interaction.

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    4. My android stopped working, and while I miss it occasionally, it ain't a big deal.

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    5. When I travel there are some countries that I do not have any cell phone service - makes me quite happy actually!

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    6. My samsung S3 battery exploded right before me. I use a dumb phone now and I am quite happy. :)

      PhenoMenon, ABC Wednesday Team
      http://throodalookingglass.com/2014/05/a-z-reflection/

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    7. Happy Mother's Day to you Meryl!
      Congratulations - you are one of my featured guests this week at Inspired Me Monday at Create With Joy! :-)

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    8. Secure your kids phones by using this application and monitor their whereabouts.

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