Do You Suffer From Smartphone Addiction?

Every time I drive down the freeway I see billboards for combatting drug, alcohol, tobacco, and prescription medication addictions.  These are serious addictions and they can cause great damage to self and those around you. Now there is a new addiction out there that needs more recognition.  I see more and more people consumed by it every day.  It is an addiction that I suffer from.  That addiction is smartphone addiction.  It’s time we start to recognize what smartphone addiction is and how it is disrupting our lives.  Maybe it is time to start putting up more billboards?

Decluttr.com is a site that allows you to buy and sell CDs, DVDs, games, books, cell phones and other tech items.  They recently did a survey of more than 1,000 individuals and put together some interesting statistics.  

One of the first questions they asked was, “In what situations do you look at your cell?”  The responses were telling.  67% of those interviewed said they check their phones before going to bed.  66% say it is the first thing they do upon waking up.  It was close, but more women checked their phones before bed and first thing in the morning.  Men also have a staggering sense of impropriety and are more than four times as likely to pull their phone out at a wedding or funeral.  Women are more likely to check their phones when they are with their partner.  Men are more likely to do it with family and friends.  Men were also more likely to use their phones in the restroom.  On an unrelated note, men are also less likely to wash their hands after using the restroom…

Another question they asked was, “what would you give up instead of saying goodbye to your phone?”  Men were overwhelmingly more likely to give up new clothes, while women were more likely to give up sex.  Women were also willing to say goodbye to sports, hanging out with friends, or vacations, rather than give up their phones.  Men were open to giving up coffee, their car, social media, and even sleep, before they would part with their phone.

The study was definitely an interesting read and it made me question how addicted I am to my phone, and the priority I place on it.  There’s a LOT more information in the original article by Decluttr and I would recommend checking it out.  You can find it here: “How Addicted Are We To Our Cell Phones?”

Source: Decluttr