A third of Cardiff residents check their phone 50 times per day and are glued to their mobile for 17 hours a week
-Cardiff residents spend an average of 2 hours 32 minutes per day on their phone
-Almost a fifth even check their phone while on the loo
-Over one in ten would sacrifice time with their loved ones rather than lose their phone
The mobile report commissioned by comparethemarket.com to mark the launch of its new mobile tariff comparison service has found that we are a nation of phone addicts who can rarely go for more than 15 minutes without checking our phone for messages, news and updates.
Eat, sleep, phone repeat
Nearly a fifth of Brits (18%) wake up and check their mobile as their first priority, and a quarter of the nation go on to look for updates on their phone a further 50 times before the day is done. In bed, rather than snuggling down with a book or partner, almost 1 in 3 (29%) Brits admit they use their mobile phone before nodding off. And should people wake during the night, 14% admit they’ll check their mobile again before drifting back to sleep.
Daily dose of data
Brits spend an average of 2 hours and 13 minutes using their phone every day, totalling nearly 16 hours per week.
On average only 31 minutes of this is spent on traditional phone calls and texts per day, or a total of 1 hour 52 minutes across the space of a week. Over an hour a week is spent using mobile phones as a mirror and taking selfies.
1.Social media (2 hrs)
2.Phone calls (1hr 52)
3.Texting (1hr 45)
4.Emails (1hr 45)
5.Music (1 hr 38)
6.Shopping (1 hr 31)
7.News sites (1 hr 10)
8.Checking sports results (50 minutes)
9.Online banking (56 minutes)
10.Look back over old photos (42 minutes)
11.Take selfies (35 minutes)
12.Use the reverse camera as a mirror (35 minutes)
13.Dating sites (35 minutes)
Always on
As a nation we are so committed to the online world we access through our mobiles that a fifth of Brits (20%) even use their phones on the loo. 29% of Brits juggle their virtual connections alongside those they spend physical time with – 18% while at the pub with friends or 11% in a restaurant. The mobile report found respondents also used their phones in conjunction with watching TV (49%), eating (19%) and working out at the gym (7%).
Mobile nation
Behind the constant updates, emails and posts, our mobile phone usage is being driven
by FOMO (fear of missing out) (22%), a desire to be entertained (22%,) the need to be connected (25%) and the belief that there is an expectation to keep on top of messages and emails (20%).
Brits will go to extreme lengths to avoid mobile black spots, with 6% of the nation claiming they actively avoid areas where they know the phone signal is bad. An average of 16% of Brits also admit that they feel anxious if their mobile phone runs out of battery or they don’t have signal.
Prized possession
One in ten Brits rate their mobile phone as their most prized possession, with 5% believing their social life depends on their phone. Over in four people, 26%, would give up sweet treats in order to keep their mobile phone and a fifth would give sacrifice alcohol rather than access to their phone. 12% of people would forgo lie ins and 8% would even give up sex rather than take a mobile detox.
James Padmore from comparethemarket.com said: “We are more dependent than ever on our mobile phones which it why it’s so important to shop around to make sure you’re on the most cost efficient tariff for your needs. We hope our new mobile phone tariff comparison service will help consumers save money on the best mobile deals.”
