Is smartphone addiction real?

In 2014, laptops were our most-used digital devices. Since then, however, smartphones have taken the lead, and it would seem we just can’t put them down!

Yep, smartphone addiction is becoming more and more common, largely due to the prevalence of superfast 4G broadband connectivity and how easy it is to get online wherever you may be.

We now use our smartphones for shopping, communicating, watching TV and video, banking, paying, listening to music, note- and picture-taking and more. There’s an app for everything, and we now spend more time on our phones than sleeping!

A recent Ofcom study revealed some astounding figures which demonstrate the state of smartphone addiction, finding that nearly half of adults admit they’re “completely hooked” on their smartphone. As James Thickett, Ofcom Director of Research, said: “[smartphones] are now the hub of our daily lives.”

How big an issue is this trend? Well…

Smartphone addiction?

• The average user now picks up their smartphone more than 1,500 times a week.
• Amongst under 24s, 61% admit to being hooked on their smartphone and 49% of the same age group urgently feel the need to check their phone within five minutes of waking up.
• Over a third of adults (34%) do the same.
• 40% of adults and teenagers check their smartphone in the night after it wakes them up.
• For 33% of internet users, their smartphone is their favourite way to access the internet.
• The average person uses their smartphone for 221 tasks each day.
• 60% of adults use their smartphone more than any other camera to take pictures, rising to 89% of 16-24 year olds.
• Although it’s frowned upon by most people, 42% of us admit to checking our phones at the dinner table.
• 45% of 16-24 year olds watch on-demand and catch-up programmes on their smartphones.
• On smartphones, short video clips (requiring minimal attention spans!) are even more popular than films or TV programmes: 42% of people say they watch short videos (on YouTube, Vine and Instagram, for example), compared to 21% watching films or TV programmes.
• A US study found that female college students spend on average 10 hours a day on their phones, with men spending eight.

Wowed by those smartphone addiction stats? It’s time to take control back from your smartphone! We recommend trying the 5:2 digital diet and showing your phone who’s boss.