Smartphoneoholics

So I said I was going to mainly write about sports on this blog.. but after being the seventh wheel to my roommates and their iPhones at dinner last night I decided to change things up. Also, while scrolling through Twitter this morning (yes, on my smartphone) I saw an article posted by PR Daily news about eye-opening stats that reveal the dependency of people on their smartphones. I knew my roommates were bad about this, (literally I could tell them a story about how I was abducted by aliens last night and they took me to a planet run by apes, and if they were on their phones while I was talking they would look up after I stopped talking, nod their heads and say "oh really? that's crazy" that's how engrossed they can be while they're on their phones) but I didn't realize the extent of how many other Americans are with their smartphones. Here are some of the numbers from the article... and yes I am guilty of a few of these.. I treat my smartphone social media apps like they're the morning newspaper, but hey that's how I found this article so it can't be that bad!

49 percent of the entire U.S. population uses a smartphone, according to previous research from IDC. By 2017, the percent of smartphone users is expected to reach 68 percent. 

132 minutes is the average amount of time each day that smartphone users spend communicating and using social media on their phones. Over the weekend, Friday through Sunday, that number increases to 163 minutes. Monday through Thursday, it drops to 87 minutes. 

70 percent of smartphone users check Facebook on their phones; 61 percent check it every day. The average number of times respondents check Facebook on their phones is 14. 

50 percent of smartphone users check Facebook at the movies. 

Four out of five smartphone users check their phones within the first 15 minutes of waking up. Among them, 80 percent say it’s the first thing they do in the morning. 

79 percent of smartphone users have their phone on or near them for all but two hours of their waking day—63 percent keep it with them for all but one hour. One-fourth couldn’t recall a time of the day when their phone wasn’t in the same room as them.

When asked which activity on a smartphone makes them feel most “connected,” 49 percent said text messaging, 43 percent indicating talking on the phone, 40 percent said messaging on Facebook. 

61 percent said their smartphones keep them connected to their friends. Nearly the same, 60 percent say it connects them to their spouse/significant other. 

7.4 is the average number of social/communication apps that smartphone users have on their phones. 

The 10 most popular apps on smartphones are: 

1. Email
2. Web browsing
3. Facebook
4. Maps/directions
5. Games
6. General search
7. Share/post photos
8. Read news, sports
9. Local search
10. Watch TV/video

The most common sentiment regarding smartphone is one of “connectedness,” far surpassing “overwhelmed,” “stressed out,” “burdened/anxious,” or “lonely.”

While it can be annoying to be trying to talk to someone that's on their phone, it's like talking to an infant, at least smartphone users aren't feeling depressed and lonely, right? I find it interesting that most people say they feel connected while using their phones.. really? You may be connected to your phone but you are disconnected to what's going on around you! I'm guilty of reaching for my phone right when I wake up, like I'm still closing one eye because the light of my phone feels like staring into the sun that early in the morning. However, I don't feel like I depend on my phone that much.. I could go a day without it... well maybe not a whole day but like, half of one! 

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/29156550-005e-4cf7-bcbc-81c8f9898b4e.aspx?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#