Smartphone addiction taking over

More than a third of British adults who own a smartphone have admitted they are "highly addicted" to it and cannot bear to put it down, not even in the toilet.

Research for the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has found new evidence of how devices such as iPhones, Blackberrys and Androids affect our behaviour.

Smartphone users are more likely to have their phones switched on 24 hours a day and would wake up in the night to answer or use it.

Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have also lead to owners cutting down on their TV viewing and reading.

Six out of 10 smartphone users aged 12 to 15-years-old, or 60%, said they had a high level of addiction, compared to 33% with a regular mobile phone.

The Ofcom communications market report for 2011 says 18% of users will use their device in a theatre or cinema despite knowing it should be switched off – this compares to 10% of other mobile phone users. Facebook is taking up people’s time during the day.

The report also found evidence of smartphones blurring the divide between work and holidays with 30% regularly taking personal calls during working hours.

And using an iPhone or Blackberry at a social event or in the bathroom is also common. Almost half (47%) of teengers with a smartphone said they had used it in the toilet.

The top three activities used regularly by teenage smartphone owners were social networking, listening to music and playing games, with emails, internet surfing and social networking the most popular activities for adult smartphone owners.

More than a quarter of British adults, or 27%, are smartphone users, representing an estimated 12 million users, according to the Ofcom report.

The Apple iPhone is the most popular brand overall but BlackBerry or ‘Crackberry’ handsets are the most popular choice among younger consumers.

Are you an addict? I know I am.

Source: Sky News

Posted by James