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During a recent executive program, we conducted a micro-experiment. Participants opted to surrender their mobile phones for one evening and get them back the next morning. During the experiment, they reflected on their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. The next morning was full of discussion: Some had noticed themselves reaching for their phones mindlessly, coupled with jolts of “panic” when finding it missing; some felt irritable or frustrated about not being able to look things up on demand; some were nervous to wander the city’s streets without their GPS

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The first mobile phone weighed 2.5lbs

Mobile phones in today's world weigh around 200g, with new models becoming more lightweight by the day.

The first ever mobile phone however, weighed around 2.5lbs. And for those of you who just think about babies when lbs are mentioned, 2.5lbs is almost the same as a toaster.

Imagine carrying the weight of a toaster in your pocket - you'd need to start increasing your weights at the gym!

Euaggelia M.T.

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Many young people prefer texting someone in the same house rather than walking over to talk. Even between rooms just 10 feet apart!

A U.K. survey of over 2,800 adults found that 32% of family members text each other while in the same home, a figure that rises to 45% in households with children.

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Constant texting and scrolling have led to conditions like smartphone thumb (pain from repetitive swiping and typing).

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The average young person is estimated to take more than 25,000 selfies in their lifetime!

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Some studies suggest that pets, especially dogs and cats, can feel jealous when their owners spend too much time on their smartphones instead of paying attention to them!

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 pets, especially dogs and cats, can feel jealous when their owners spend too much time on their smartphones instead of paying attention to them!

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This Instagram reel is titled "Where Does Your Time Really Go?" It analyzes how time is spent over a 90-year lifespan, breaking it down into activities such as sleeping, schooling, working, driving and scrolling.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEpWp-1zKyI/?igsh=Nms0a3FuN2dsa2R2

⏳ Where Does Your Time Really Go? 🤯

If you live to 90, you’ll have 1,080 months on this planet. Ever wondered where they actually go? Let’s break it down:

🛏 318 months sleeping
🏫126 months in school & working

🚗18 months driving
🍽 36 months cooking & eating
🧹 36 months doing chores & errands
🛁 27 months in the bathroom & self-care

That leaves 330 months… but people are spending a lot of that behind a screen distracted.. doom scrolling 😳

https://www.projectreboot.school/post/are-you-overpaying-for-social-media

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10. 69% of people believe phone calls lead to better personal relationships at work

In this era of hybrid and remote work, phone calls do more than merely allow you to ask a question or exchange information. Whether a cloud based phone system or not—a phone is a key tool for fostering connection and camaraderie between colleagues.

A whopping 69% of workers say the phone helps them have better relationships with coworkers, and 76% believe that colleagues who use voice communication are more connected to each other, according to research conducted by RingCentral.  Eleni sakkou

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National Telephone Day: 10 mind-blowing facts about phones

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Whether you’re the talk-it-out type or you prefer to send your calls straight to voicemail, there’s no denying the massive role the phone plays in our

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In Finland, throwing mobile phones is a sport

But wait, the best part is that it is also organised annually, since the year 2000, a world championship in throwing mobile phones is held. The distance record, to date, is set at 97 meters for men and 40 meters for women.

Thanos D.

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12 mobile phone facts that will shock you, keep reading to find out

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Do you know that there is a mobile phone out in space? Find out about this and some other mobile phone facts that will shock you. Get ready, here we go!

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A shocking fact about smartphone addiction 

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A shocking fact about smartphone addiction 

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More people died by taking selfies in 2015 than by shark attacks.

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𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗖𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘!

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𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗖𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘!

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Smartphone addiction is more severe than many realize, affecting mental, physical, and cognitive health in shocking ways. On average, people check their phones 96 times a day, often unconsciously, with many suffering from Nomophobia—the fear of being without a phone. Excessive phone use has been linked to brain shrinkage in areas responsible for memory and impulse control, while constant doomscrolling increases anxiety and depression. The blue light emitted from screens disrupts melatonin production, leading to chronic sleep issues. Physically, prolonged use can cause "text neck", "phone claw", and even temporary blindness from staring at bright screens in the dark. Some people even experience Phantom Vibration Syndrome, where they "feel" their phone buzzing when it isn't. Alarmingly, studies show that just having a smartphone nearby lowers IQ and problem-solving skills, while texting while driving is six times more dangerous than drunk driving. Social media apps are intentionally designed to be addictive, exploiting dopamine responses much like gambling. Even more disturbing, smartphone addiction can rewire brain chemistry, making real-life interactions feel less rewarding, leading to social withdrawal. Some researchers suggest smartphone addiction may lead to early cognitive decline, similar to early-onset dementia. With technology increasingly embedded in daily life, breaking free from this addiction is becoming harder than ever.

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Smartphone addiction was associated with physical health leading to sleep disorders and musculoskeletal and neurological problems. Academic performance, procrastination, impulsivity, self-esteem, reduced social interaction, solitude, and suicide were also negatively associated with smartphone addiction.

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SHOCKING FACTS ABOUT SMARTPHONE ADDICTION

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SHOCKING FACTS ABOUT SMARTPHONE ADDICTION

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Compared to teens who only spend an hour on electronic devices daily, teens who spend five or more hours a day on electronic devices are 71% more likely to exhibit suicide risk factors.

52% of teens sit for long periods of time in silence, on their smartphones, while hanging out with friends.

https://www.slicktext.com/blog/2019/10/smartphone-addiction-statistics/

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How big is our addiction with smartphones?

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How big is our addiction with smartphones?

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Technology addicts suffer same withdrawal symptoms as heroin addicts, therapist finds.

Georgios Ri.

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Really addicted to smartphone. More realistic.

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56.9% of Americans admit they’re addicted to their phones

The average American checks their smartphone 144 times per day

71% of people spend more time on their phone than with their romantic partner

Almost two-thirds of children spend 4 hours or more per day on their smartphones

44% of American adults admit that not having their phones gives them anxiety

Cell phones cause over 20% of car accidents

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57+ Incredible Smartphone Addiction Statistics for 2024

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What’s the state of smartphone addiction? Here’s how much and how often we use our smartphones, and how smartphone addiction impacts our lives.

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The average adult looks at his or her cell phone 110 times per day. That works out to be about 9 times per hour.Also 84% of adults cannot go an entire day without their phones in their hands.

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HOW YOUR SMARTPHONE AFFECTS YOUR COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR FRIENDS

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HOW YOUR SMARTPHONE AFFECTS YOUR COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR FRIENDS

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teens with smartphones do not communicate

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Phone addiction works like a slot machine—unpredictable notifications keep you hooked.

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HOW YOUR SMARTPHONE ADDICTION CHANGES YOUR BODY 

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HOW YOUR SMARTPHONE ADDICTION CHANGES YOUR BODY 

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Paulos P

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κάνε μου έναν άνθρωπο μου είναι εθισμένος στο κινητό του και ο εθισμός του τον έχει κάνει παχουλό 

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Annual time with your smartphone device.

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Annual time with your smartphone device.

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Individuals spend over 4 hours a day on smartphones, totaling nearly 1,456 hours annually.

Georgios Ri.

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Individuals spend over 4 hours a day on smartphones, totaling nearly 1,456 hours annually.

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The rapid increase in internet usage has brought both benefits and risks. While it enhances communication, learning, and entertainment, excessive use can lead to dependency and addiction.

https://kiath.gr/%CE%B5%CE%B8%CE%B9%CF%83%CE%BC%CF%8C%CF%82-%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF-%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%B1%CE%B4%CE%AF%CE%BA%CF%84%CF%85%CE%BF/

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ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΑΣΤΥΝΟΜΙΑ ΔΙΕΥΘΥΝΣΗ ΥΓΕΙΟΝΟΜΙΚΟΥ

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Η χρήση του διαδικτύου έχει αυξηθεί κατακόρυφα τα τελευταία χρόνια. Το 1995 μόλις το 1% του παγκόσμιου πληθυσμού ήταν χρήστες διαδικτύου ενώ το 2016 έχει φτάσει πάνω από το 40%. Στην Ελλάδα έχει πρόσβαση στο διαδίκτυο το 65% του πληθυσμού. Το διαδίκτυο έχει την θετική του πλευρά. Προσφέρει αμεσότητα στην ενημέρωση και αναζήτηση πληροφοριών, παρέχει πληθώρα γνώσεων, εκμηδενίζει τις αποστάσεις, συμβάλλει στη μάθηση , στην εκπαίδευση και στην εργασία. Συνεισφέρει στη ψυχαγωγία, τη διασκέδαση και την επικοινωνία μας. Προσφέρει τη δυνατότητα να μπορούμε να μην χάνουμε ούτε λεπτό από τι συμβαίνει στο κόσμο. Η χρήση του διαδικτύου μπορεί να είναι τυπική με θετικά σημεία, η υπερβολική χρήση όμως οδηγεί στην κατάχρηση, την εξάρτηση και στον εθισμό.
Τι μας οδηγεί στην υπερβολική χρήση;

Εξοικείωση, ευκολία επικοινωνίας και πρόσβασης

Δημιουργία καινούργιας προσωπικότητας

Ανωνυμία

Άρση αναστολών και οικειότητα

Ικανοποίηση αναγκών

Αλλοίωση πραγματικότητας και χρόνου

Για να κατανοήσουμε την κατάχρηση του διαδικτύου, δίνουμε ένα σύντομο ορισμό. Είναι ένα επαναλαμβανόμενο μοντέλο χρήσης για ένα μεγάλο χρονικό διάστημα που οδηγεί σε μείωση της λειτουργικότητας και χαρακτηρίζεται από:

Μη εκπλήρωση ολοκλήρωσης υποχρεώσεων στο σχολείο, στην εργασία και στο σπίτι

Διαπροσωπικά και κοινωνικά προβλήματα

Αλλαγές στη συμπεριφορά ( διατροφή, επικοινωνία)

H εξάρτηση του διαδικτύου χαρακτηρίζεται από καταναγκαστική χρήση του, απώλεια ελέγχου και τη συνέχιση της χρήσης, πιστεύοντας πως χωρίς αυτή δεν μπορεί να λειτουργήσει το άτομο φυσιολογικά .Η εξάρτηση στη διάρκεια ενός χρονικού διαστήματος διαφαίνεται από τα ακόλουθα:

Αυξανόμενη χρήση

Συμπτώματα 'στέρησης'

Ανάπτυξη 'ανοχής'

Αδυναμία μείωσης ή ελέγχου χρήσης

Αποφυγή κοινωνικών εκδηλώσεων ( φιλικών, μαθητικών επαγγελματικών)

Συνεχής χρήση παρά την εμφάνιση βιολογικών-ψυχολογικών προβλημάτων

ΔΙΑΤΑΡΑΧΗ ΕΘΙΣΜΟΥ ΣΤΟ ΔΙΑΔΙΚΤΥΟ (Internet Addiction Disorder
Είναι η κατάσταση στην οποία γίνονται εμφανή τα χαρακτηριστικά της εξάρτηση. Αποτελεί τη συνήθης συμπεριφορά του χρήστη με μεγαλύτερη και σοβαρότερη αποδιοργάνωση της καθημερινότητας του. Ο εθισμένος επιθυμεί τη χρήση του Διαδικτύου με ορισμένους τρόπους, οι οποίοι αποτελούν κίνδυνο για τον ίδιο και τους γύρω του. Η παρόρμηση του να επαναλάβει τη συγκεκριμένη συμπεριφορά που αφορά τη χρήση , τον οδηγεί σε αδιαφορία για τις συνέπειες που θα έχει.Η πρώτη χώρα που αναγνώρισε τον εθισμό στο διαδίκτυο ως ψυχική διαταραχή καθώς και μορφή απειλής της δημόσιας υγείας ήταν η Κίνα (2008). Το 2013 ο εθισμός στα διαδικτυακά παιχνίδια (Internet Gaming Disorder) συμπεριλήφθηκε στο διαγνωστικό και στατιστικό εγχειρίδιο ψυχικών διαταραχών της Αμερικάνικης Ψυχιατρικής Εταιρείας (DSM-V ). Ορίζεται ως ''Η ψυχολογική κατάσταση ενός ατόμου, που περιλαμβάνει πνευματικές και συναισθηματικές αντιδράσεις, καθώς οι εκπαιδευτικές, επαγγελματικές και κοινωνικές δραστηριότητές του παρεμποδίζονται από την υπερβολική χρήση του μέσου.'' Η χρήση του διαδικτύου καταλαμβάνει κυρίαρχη θέση στη ζωή, στα συναισθήματα και στη συμπεριφορά του χρήστη με τα εξής χαρακτηριστικά:

Αλλαγές στη διάθεση

Ανοχή

Σημάδια στέρησης

Διενέξεις στη καθημερινότητα

Υποτροπή

ΕΘΙΣΜΟΣ ΣΕ ΠΑΙΔΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΕΦΗΒΟΥΣ
Η Ελλάδα , η Κίνα, η Ν.Κορέα και η Ταϊβάν έχουν τον υψηλότερο δείκτη αριθμού εθισμών σε νέους. Στην Ελλάδα το 10% παιδιών ηλικίας 15χρόνων κάνει χρήση διαδικτύου πάνω από 20 ώρες εβδομαδιαίως και 5 στα 10 χρησιμοποιούν το διαδίκτυο καθημερινά. Η χρήση στο διαδίκτυο ξεπερνάει το 90% σε ηλικίες 13-24 χρονών και ο μέσος όρος χρόνου ενασχόλησης είναι 41,4 ώρες (min 10-max 100 ώρες την εβδομάδα). Σε έρευνα 28 ευρωπαϊκών χωρών για τη χρήση του διαδικτύου, η Ελλάδα βρίσκεται στις πρώτες θέσεις για τα διαδικτυακά παιχνίδια και τα μέσα κοινωνικής δικτύωσης. Αντίστοιχη έρευνα σε παιδιά ηλικίας 9-16 χρονών, ποσοστό που ανέρχεται σε 50%, έχει επικοινωνήσει με άγνωστο χρήστη.

Ας αναφέρουμε μερικά από τα αίτια του εθισμού:

Άγνοια-περιέργεια-μίμηση

Νέα τεχνολογία

Ρίσκο- αδιαφορία κινδύνου (μοιάζει με παιχνίδι)

Έλλειψη ενημέρωσης επιπλοκών

Ο υψηλότερος βαθμός διάδρασης της εφαρμογής επιφέρει μεγαλύτερο κίνδυνο εθισμού

ΣΥΝΕΠΕΙΕΣ ΕΘΙΣΜΟΥ
Από ερευνητικές μελέτες παρατηρείται σημαντική μείωση σε:

Ώρες ύπνου και ξεκούρασης

Οικογενειακού χρόνου

Ωρες διαβάσματος και επιδόσεων

Κοινωνική συναναστροφή

Αθλητικές δραστηριότητες και χόμπι

Απώλεια ενδιαφέροντος

Σωματοποίηση άγχους

Παρορμητικότητα

Αύξηση Επιθετικότητας

Αίσθημα μοναξιάς

Καταθλιπτική διάθεση

Εμφάνιση πονοκεφάλων-ξηροφθαλμία-αύξηση μυωπίας,

Σύνδρομο καρπιαίου σωλήνα, μυοσκελετικά άλγη

ΕΙΜΑΙ ΕΘΙΣΜΕΝΟΣ?

Σε απασχολεί στη καθημερινότητα σου τι δραστηριότητες έκανες όταν ήσουν στο διαδίκτυο και περιμένεις με ανυπομονησία την επόμενη φορά;

Νοιώθεις ότι πρέπει να περνάς όλο και περισσότερη ώρα στο διαδίκτυο για να νοιώσεις ικανοποιημένος ;

Έχεις κάνει ανεπιτυχείς προσπάθειες να ελέγξεις ή να περιορίσεις το χρόνο στο διαδίκτυο ;

Είσαι συνδεδεμένος περισσότερη ώρα απ'ότι φαντάζεσαι ;

Νοιώθεις ανήσυχος, ενοχλημένος και δυσαρεστημένος όταν πρέπει να ''βγεις από το διαδίκτυο'' ;

Έχεις βάλει σε κίνδυνο να χάσεις μία σημαντική σου προσωπική σχέση, μια επαγγελματική ή μαθησιακή επαφή ή ευκαιρία ;

Έχεις πει ποτέ ψέματα σε φίλους και συγγενείς για να μην φανερώσεις το πραγματικό χρόνο ενασχόλησης σου στο διαδίκτυο ;

Χρησιμοποιείς το Διαδίκτυο ως ένα τρόπο διαφυγής από τα προβλήματα σου και βελτίωση της ψυχικής διάθεσης που βρίσκεσαι ;

Αν απαντήσατε ναι στις περισσότερες ερωτήσεις , πρέπει να προβληματιστείτε αν έχετε εθιστεί

Θα παραθέσουμε μερικές χρήσιμες συμβουλές για γονείς καθώς και στρατηγικές αντιμετώπισης
ΤΙ ΠΡΕΠΕΙ ΝΑ ΠΡΟΣΕΧΟΥΝ ΟΙ ΓΟΝΕΙΣ

Πολύωρη ενασχόληση του παιδιού με το Διαδίκτυο

Αδιαφορία υποδείξεων από τους γονείς και οικογενειακού περιβάλλοντος

Απώλεια ελέγχου ενασχόλησης

Απομόνωση στο δωμάτιο

Επαναλαμβανόμενη απόκρυψη δραστηριοτήτων στο Διαδίκτυο

Συχνές οικογενειακές συγκρούσεις για το περιορισμό της χρήσης

ΠΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΜΕΤΩΠΙΖΕΤΑΙ

Κοινή στάση γονέων απέναντι στο παιδί

Ένδειξη πραγματικού ενδιαφέροντος και όχι τιμωρίας

Εγκατάσταση ειδικών προγραμμάτων

Τοποθέτηση του υπολογιστή σε ένα κοινό δωμάτιο ή ορατό σημείο

Συνεργασία γονέων και παιδιού με εκπαιδευτικό χαρακτήρα (ανταλλαγή γνώσεων)

Καλλιέργεια και υιοθέτηση εναλλακτικών δραστηριοτήτων

Προσωπική εκπαίδευση και ενημέρωση

Προσπάθεια προσέγγισης χάσματος γενεών

Ενημέρωση κινδύνων διαδικτύου ώστε το παιδί να μην καταφύγει σε εναλλακτικές λύσεις ( κινητά, υπολογιστές φίλων, internet cafe)

Αν συνεχίζεται η χρήση πρέπει οι γονείς να απευθυνθούν σε έναν ειδικό (ψυχολόγο-ψυχίατρο)

Όχι αδιαφορία και κάλυψη προβλήματος γιατί μπορεί να αποβεί μοιραία όπως κρούσματα βίας και επιθετικότητας προς άλλους

Θα πρέπει τονίσουμε την ιδιαίτερη θέση και ευαισθησία που έχει αναπτύξει η σύγχρονη κοινωνία στη πρόληψη και αντιμετώπιση του προβλήματος.
ΤΡΟΠΟΙ ΠΡΟΛΗΨΗΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΑ

Eυαισθητοποίηση, και συνεργασία μεταξύ κοινωνίας, σχολείων -πανεπιστημίων και περιβάλλοντος ( οικογένεια, φίλοι)

Ημερίδες ενημέρωσης από εμπλεκόμενους φορείς ( Μ.Κ.Ο., δήμοι-περιφέρεια, σχολεία, πάροχοι υπηρεσιών)

Επαφή με ειδικούς ( ιατρούς, ψυχολόγους) για συμβουλή και υποστήριξη

Επικοινωνία με εθελοντικούς οργανισμούς και ομάδες στήριξης

Επικοινωνία με εξειδικευμένα κέντρα απεξάρτησης

Επικοινωνία με φορείς υποστήριξης

ΤΡΟΠΟΙ ΑΝΤΙΜΕΤΩΠΙΣΗΣ

θεραπεία (Ομαδική, Οικογενειακή, Γνωστική -Συμπεριφοριστική )

Συμβουλευτική

Ημερολόγιο ( καταγραφή και παρακολούθηση ημερήσιου προγράμματος)

Κίνητρα για άλλες δραστηριότητες

Τόνωση αυτοπεποίθησης

Ενθάρρυνση κοινωνικών επαφών

Βελτίωση οικογενειακών σχέσεων

ΠΟΥ ΜΠΟΡΩ ΝΑ ΑΠΕΥΘΥΝΘΩ?

Ειδικούς

Ανώνυμες τηλεφωνικές γραμμές υποστήριξης

Δήμους και Κέντρα Ψυχικής Υγείας

Κέντρα απεξάρτησης

Νοσοκομεία

To σημαντικότερο μέρος της θεραπείας είναι η πρόληψη.

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Εθισμός στο Διαδίκτυο - ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΑΣΤΥΝΟΜΙΑ

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Η χρήση του διαδικτύου έχει αυξηθεί κατακόρυφα τα τελευταία χρόνια. Το 1995 μόλις το 1% του παγκόσμιου πληθυσμού ήταν χρήστες διαδικτύου ενώ το

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10 interesting facts about smartphone addiction

Although a smartphone, tablet, or computer can be a highly productive tool, the compulsive use of these devices can interfere with work, school, and relationships. When you spend more time on social media or playing games than interacting with real people, or you can't stop yourself from repeatedly checking text messages, emails, or apps—even when it's having negative consequences in your life—it may be time to reevaluate the use of your technology.

Smartphone addiction, sometimes colloquially known as “nomophobia” (fear of being without a mobile phone), is often fueled by an internet overuse problem or internet addiction disorder. After all, it's rarely the phone or tablet itself that creates the compulsion, but rather the games, apps, and online worlds it connects us to. We will list ten facts, among which you may find yourself in.

Group of people addicted to internet

1. According to the survey, 22% of smartphone users between the ages of 18 and 29 admit to checking their devices every few minutes. What indicates phone addiction if that does not?

2. 52% of teenagers use their smartphones silently when spending time with friends for extended periods of time.

3. 66% of the users give indications of nomophobia, the fear of going out without your telephone.

4. Within an hour of going to sleep or waking up, 87% of smartphone users check their devices.

5. Within the first five minutes of waking up in the morning, 69% of smartphone users check their smartphones.

6. More than 50% of smartphone owners never turn off their devices.

7. On an average night, 71% of smartphone owners sleep with or close to their devices.

8. 44% of adults will check work-related email while on vacation.

9. The average smartphone user checks their phone 63 times a day.

10. 86% of smartphone users will check their devices when conversing with friends and family, according to statistics gathered in 2019.

Marianthi M.

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Socking facts about smartphones (or smartphones addiction )

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Socking facts about smartphones (or smartphones addiction )

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Fun Facts About Smartphones:

Some more eye-opening facts about smartphones.

1. Smartphones have 18 times more bacteria than toilet handles.

2. More people in the world have smartphones than toilets.

3. The technology in your smartphone relies on up to 250,000 separate patents.

4. More people died by taking selfies in 2015 than by shark attacks.

Smartphones And Sleep:

Sleep experts have been warning for years that constant exposure to blue light from mobile devices is leading to declining sleep quality across the population.

1. We are on screen for longer than we are asleep. The average person spends 8 hours and 41 mins on electronic devices, which is about 20 minutes more than the average night’s sleep.💡 Interesting Fact!

2. The smartphone is the last thing most people look at before going to bed at night.

3. Mobile technology is perceived to cause negative effects to sleep. Of the respondents, 44% had been woken up by the noise, and 41% by the light from a mobile phone in the bedroom

– Together in Bed?

4. 74% of the respondents used mobile technology, i.e. a smartphone or tablet, in the shared bed at least once a week. However, only 18% reported using a shared smartphone or tablet together in bed.

5. 1 in 3 People check their smartphones in the middle of the night.

– Deloitte Global Mobile Consumer Survey

6. One-third of 18 to 24-year-olds sleep with their phones right next to them. For people who have their phones right next to them while they are sleeping, the first and last thing they do after they wake up and before they go to sleep, is usually to check their smartphones.

7. 1 in 4 people will not put their smartphones on silent before going to bed.

8. 1 in 2 people say that if they wake up in the middle of the night without any reason, they will check their phones.

9. 63% of people who use gadgets before their bedtime stated that they did not get proper sleep during the week.

10. Exposure to blue light from LED screens after dark reduces melatonin production, which makes it harder to fall asleep.

11. More than half of smartphone users never switch off their phones and 65%, or about two in three people, sleep with or next to their smartphones.

– Psychology Today

12. 47% of adults miss out on sleep due to internet usage.

Smartphones And Car Accidents:

Distracted driving is making our roads less safe to drive.

1. 1 out of every 4 car accidents in the United States is caused by texting and driving.

2. Texting while driving is 6x more likely to cause an accident than driving drunk.

3. Answering a text takes away your attention for about five seconds. Traveling at 55 mph, that’s enough time to travel the length of a football field.

4. The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year.

– National Safety Council

5. In 2015, 3,477 people were killed and 391,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.

6. Pedestrians who text are 4x less likely to look before crossing the street, cross in crosswalks, or obey traffic signals.

7. 11 teens die every day on the roads as a result of texting while driving in the United States.

– Cambridge Mobile Telematics

Foteini.M

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Smartphone Addiction Statistics 2025 (Top Picks)

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Smartphone Addiction Statistics 2025 (Top Picks)

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57% of Americans say they are addicted to their phones.

44% of adults in the United States say they feel anxious when they don’t have their phones with them.

67% of teenagers report that late-night phone or internet use has caused them to lose sleep.

Americans check their phone an average of 144 times a day.

88.60% of Americans said they checked their phones within the first 10 minutes of waking up.

An average person globally checks their phone 58 times a day.

53% of Americans claim they have never gone without their phone for over 24 hours.

Katia M

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Watches and alarm clocks will disappear.   

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Watches and alarm clocks will disappear.   

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At one point in our lifes we all have wore a watch on our wrists or had those alarm clocks that used to be on our bedside table. Today we have almost forgotten about them, and its not impossible for them to soon completely disappear. Statistics say that around 60% of users have stopped using these classics gadgets and have replaced them with the clock and the alarm clock features included in those smartphones.

Xristoforos P.

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12 mobile phone facts that will shock you, keep reading to find out

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Do you know that there is a mobile phone out in space? Find out about this and some other mobile phone facts that will shock you. Get ready, here we go!

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Aphrodite x.

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**Award Winning** CGI Animated Short Film: "Like and Follow" by Brent & Tobias | CGMeetup

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1)Social Media and Body Image,2)Social Media and Relationships,3)Social Media and Self-esteem

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1)Social Media and Body Image,2)Social Media and Relationships,3)Social Media and Self-esteem

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1)Social Media and Body Image

53% of women report feeling pressured to look perfect on social media.

31% of men say they feel pressure to have a perfect body due to social media.

41% of people have edited their photos before posting them on social media to fit in with societal beauty standards.

2)Social Media and Relationships

35% of people admit to feeling jealous or envious after seeing others' lives on social media.

42% of couples argue about overuse of social media in their relationships.

24% of people have ended a friendship or relationship due to social media-related issues.

3)Social Media and Self-esteem

60% of people report feeling inadequate after comparing themselves to others on social media.

50% of people have experienced a decrease in self-esteem due to social media.

45% of people say that they feel more confident on social media than in real life.

Source:

https://www.niagararecovery.com/blog/social-media-addiction-statistics

Aphrodite X.

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75 Social Media Addiction Statistics, Facts & Demographics

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Discover the latest social media addiction statistics, revealing the impact on mental health, relationships, productivity, and more.

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SILENCING PHONES ACTUALLY INCREASES THEIR USE

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SILENCING PHONES ACTUALLY INCREASES THEIR USE

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Most people believe that silencing their mobile phones or turning off the notifications is actually the best solution to stay focused on an activity and not be distracted. But as a recent studie points out the majority of those who implement this widely known solution check their phones many more times than those who just ignore the notifications they receive.

But why this happen? This is because they are addicted to their phones in such an extent that they experience what is called FOMO. FOMO means the fear of missing out something their friends may have sent them or a new post uploaded by their favorite influencer.

Source: https://explodingtopics.com/blog/smartphone-addiction-stats

Nikos P.

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53% of Millennials Wake Up at Least Once Every Night to Check Their Phones

You know that sleep is important to having a productive workday. But more likely than not (if you’re a Millennial), you’re interrupting your own rest to check your phone—in the middle of the night!

According to a survey, 79% of Millennials put their phones right by them when they sleep and 53% wake up at least once every night to check them.

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Shocking Statistics That Will Make You Think Twice About Grabbing Your Phone

The numbers illustrating the dangers of cell phone use while driving are downright startling. In fact, at any given time throughout the day, approximately 660,000 drivers are attempting to use their phones while behind the wheel of an automobile.

Smartphones have made it easy for us to stay connected at all times. But that can pose serious safety risks if someone decides to check his or her text messages, emails, phone calls, or any other mobile applications while driving.

Cell phone distraction rates are alarmingly high. We hope with a little information, you'll make the right decision when you're on the road. The following figures were the most up-to-date statistics at the time of our latest research. If you have any questions, or require more recent information, please refer to our sources at the bottom of this page for more information.

General Cell Phone Statistics

The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year.

Nearly 390,000 injuries occur each year from accidents caused by texting while driving.

1 out of every 4 car accidents in the United States is caused by texting and driving.

Texting while driving is 6x more likely to cause an accident than driving drunk.

Answering a text takes away your attention for about five seconds. Traveling at 55 mph, that's enough time to travel the length of a football field.

Texting while driving causes a 400 percent increase in time spent with eyes off the road.

Of all cell phone related tasks, texting is by far the most dangerous activity.

94 percent of drivers support a ban on texting while driving.

74 percent of drivers support a ban on hand-held cell phone use.

Teen Driver Cell Phone Statistics

According to a AAA poll, 94 percent of teen drivers acknowledge the dangers of texting and driving, but 35% admitted to doing it anyway.

21 percent of teen drivers involved in fatal accidents were distracted by their cell phones.

Teen drivers are 4x more likely than adults to get into car crashes or near-crashes when talking or texting on a cell phone.

A teen driver with only one additional passenger doubles the risk of getting into a fatal car accident. With two or more passengers, they are 5x as likely.

2017 U.S. Cell Phone and Driving Statistics

Parents with young children were more 13 percent likely to be distracted while driving than adults with no small children

3,166 people were killed by distracted driving in 2017

In 2017, there were 34,247 distracted driving accidents

15,341 drivers aged 15-29 were involved in fatal crashes due to distraction or cell phone use

2016 U.S. Cell Phone and Driving Statistics

Fatalities in distraction-affected crashes decreased from 3,526 in 2015 to 3,450 in 2016, or a decrease of 2.2 percent.

263 teens (age 15 to 19) were killed as a result of distracted driving in 2016.

10 percent of all teen motor vehicle crash fatalities in 2016 involved distracted driving.

The NHTSA estimates that every day 660,000 drivers use electronic devices while behind the wheel.

2015 U.S. Cell Phone and Driving Statistics

In 2015, 3,477 people were killed and 391,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.

2013 U.S. Cell Phone and Driving Statistics

In 2013, 3,154 people were killed in distraction-related crashes.

About 424,000 people were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver.

In 2013, 10% of all drivers ages 15 to 19 involved in fatal accidents were reported to be distracted at the time of the crash.

2012 U.S. Cell Phone and Driving Statistics

In 2012, 3,328 people were killed in distraction-related crashes.

About 421,000 people were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver.

In 2012, 11% of drivers under age 20 involved in fatal accidents were reported to be distracted at the time of the crash.

One-fourth of teenagers respond to at least one text message every time they drive and 20% of teens and 10% of parents report having multi-text message conversations while driving.

2012 National Survey on Distracted Driving Attitudes and Behaviors

Nearly half (48%) of drivers admit to answering their cell phones while driving.

Of those who answered their phones while driving, 58% of drivers continued to drive while talking on the phone.

In the survey, 24% of drivers reported that they are willing to make a phone call while driving.

One in 10 drivers surveyed said that, at least sometimes, they send text messages or emails while driving.

Of the drivers surveyed, 14% said they read text messages or emails while driving.

A majority of respondents supported laws that banned talking on cell phones, texting, or emailing while driving.

2012 Texting Pedestrian Study

Researchers from the University of Washington monitored 20 of Seattle's busiest intersections and observed the following:

Pedestrians who text are 4x less likely to look before crossing the street, cross in crosswalks, or obey traffic signals.

They also found that texting pedestrians take an average of two seconds longer to cross the street.

For statistics from 2011 and before, check out our Past Cell Phone and Driving Statistics.
Injured By a Texting Driver? Contact Us Today

As cell phone use and driving becomes a national problem, the chances of being involved in a car accident with a distracted driver increase. If you're ever injured by the carelessness of another driver, contact our law firm for a free consultation.

There's never a fee to call and speak with us, and you're never obligated to hire our law firm after you call. Get the answers you need.

Some statistics taken from:

2019 Poll by The Zebra

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

"Teen Distracted Driver Data" NHTSA."

2016 Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes: Overview" NHTSA.

"Driver Electronic Device Use in 2010." Traffic Safety Facts: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. December 2011.

‍"State lawmakers try to curb driver distractions." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 2007. ‍

‍"Teen texting is OTT, even at wheel." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. July 2007. ‍

‍"Bill would require motorists to unhand their phones." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 2006.

‍ "PennDOT Teen Driver Safety Week News Release." Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. October 22, 2008.

‍"Cellphones and Driving." Insurance Information Institute. October 2008.

‍ "AMA acts against trans fats, texting while driving." Washington Post. November 10, 2008.

"Teen Texting is OTT, Even at Wheel." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. July 17, 2007.

"Distractions Challenge Teen Drivers." USA Today. January 26, 2007.

"Distracted Driving 2009." National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. September 2010.

"Driver Electronic Use in 2009." National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. September 2010.

"Distracted Driving and Driver, Roadway, and Environmental Factors." National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. September 2010.

"Most U.S. Drivers Engage in 'Distracted' Driving Behaviors." USAToday.com. December 1, 2011.

"2012 Distracted Driving Attitudes and Behaviors Survey." NHTSA.

"2011 National Occupant Protection Use Survey on Driver Electronics Use." NHTSA.

"2011 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Distracted Driving 2011." National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

"Distracted Driving - What Research Shows and What States Can Do." Governors Highway Safety Association. 2011.

National Safety Council.

"New Pennsylvania law not yet putting a dent in texting while driving." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. April 11, 2013.

"What is Distracted Driving? Key Facts and Statistics" NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Schroeder, P., Meyers, M., & Kostuniuk, L. (2013, April). National survey on distracted driving attitudes and behaviors - 2012. (Report No. DOT HS 811 729). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "Distracted Driving 2013." National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. April 2015.

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Texting and Driving Accident Statistics - Distracted Driving (Updated 2022)

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The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year. Learn more about distracted driving facts here.

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How much time of smartphones usage is wasted by kids and teenagers?

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How much time of smartphones usage is wasted by kids and teenagers?

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On average, children 8-18 spend 7.5 hours a day in front of screens for entertainment alone — which amounts to 114 days a year.

To break that down further, children ages 8-10 spend around 6 hours per day in front of a screen. That number increases with age, as children 11-14 spend about 9 hours a day on screens, and teenagers 15-18 have an average screen time of 7.5 hours. Watching television accounts for around half of that time in all age groups.

https://www.slicktext.com/blog/2023/01/30-key-screen-time-statistics-for-2022-2023/#:~:text=To%20break%20that%20down%20further,screen%20time%20of%207.5%20hours.

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Every different country’s average screentime on a daily basis

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Every different country’s average screentime on a daily basis

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Philippine: 5 hours 47 mins+ 2 hours 4 mins↑ 35.7%

Thailand: 5 hours 28 mins+ 1 hour 45 mins↑ 32%

Brazil: 5 hours 25 mins+ 1 hour 42 mins↑ 31.4%=4ColombiaSouth America5 hours 9 + 1 hour 26 mins↑ 27.8%

South Africa: 5 hours 9 mins+ 1 hour 26 mins↑ 27.8%

Argentina: 5 hours 4 mins+ 1 hour 21 mins↑ 26.6%

Nigeria: 5 hours 4 mins+ 1 hour 21 mins↑ 26.6%

Indonesia: 4 hours 56 mins+ 1 hour 13 mins↑ 24.7%

Italy: 2 hours 45 mins- 58 mins 38.5%

Greece: 2 hours 37 mins- 1 hour 6 mins 42%

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by Josh Howarth
September 16, 2022

In a relatively short period of time, smartphones have grown to a near-ubiquitous status.

With each passing new release, smartphones are becoming more powerful and all-encompassing. Understandably, this is leading to increased user adoption and a surge in daily screen time.

We'll explore the statistics around smartphone screen time, breaking things down into these subcategories:

Time Spent on Smartphone Stats 2022 (Editor's Picks)

Here are some highlights from this smartphone stats page:

On average, people spend 3 hours and 15 minutes on their phones per day.

Individuals check their phones an average of 58 times each day.

Filipinos spend the highest amount of average time on their phones each day.

Japanese citizens spend under half of the global average time on their smartphones.

3 in 4 Gen Zers claim to spend too much time on their smartphones.

For further context and more data, keep reading.

Time Spent Using Smartphones in 2022

According to recent data, the average person spends 3 hours and 15 minutes on their phone each day. And 1 in 5 smartphone users spends upwards of 4.5 hours on average on their phones every day.

Perhaps surprisingly, weekdays average more smartphone use than weekends. On average, people check their phones 58 times per day. And almost 52% of phone checks ( 30 per day) occur during work hours.

Picking your phone up can become a habit as data shows that half of all screen time sessions begin within 3 minutes of the last.

Here's a breakdown of time spent on smartphones by pick up:

Across the day, the mean time spent on a smartphone per pick-up is around 1 minute 15 seconds.

Time Spent Using Smartphones by Region

Data from Q3 2021, shows that citizens of the Philippines spend over 5 hours 30 minutes per day on their smartphones.

Here's the full breakdown of each nation's daily smartphone use in hours and minutes:

Smartphone Use in the US

Almost half ( 46%) of Americans believe they spend an average of 4 to 5 hours on their smartphones each day.

A 2021 survey of 3,000+ Americans found that Mississippi had the highest average time spent on smartphones per capita at 5.67 hours ( 5 hours 40 mins).

On the other end of the spectrum, Ohio had the lowest average screen time per person each day at 3.6 hours ( 3 hours 36 mins). All 48 states with sufficient data total a higher average screen time than the Q3 2021 DataReportal research above.

Mississippi experienced the largest change in smartphone use between 2019 and 2021, increasing by more than 130% in those two years.

Here are the top five states by increased smartphone use between 2019 and 2021:

Mississippi - ↑ 132.8%

Oklahoma - ↑ 132.1%

Alaska - ↑ 128.3%

Kentucky - ↑ 120.2%

New Hampshire - ↑ 107.1%

And these are the bottom five states by increased smartphone use between 2019 and 2021:

The general trend of increased phone use is expected to continue to increase in the US.

Back in 2019, the average time spent on non-voice activities on smartphones in the US totaled an average of 3 hours 45 minutes.

Smartphone Use by Nation Over Time

Thailand

Thailand has one of the highest average smartphone use duration per capita per day in the world.

UK

Similarly, phone usage in the UK has experienced a notable surge.

In 2019, the reported daily average hours spent on cell phones was 3 hours. This increased to 3.7 hours ( 3 hours 42 minutes) in 2020. And grew further to 4 hours in 2021.

China

eMarketer data spanning almost a decade shows the consistent increase in smartphone daily usage year-over-year in China.

Back in 2011, the average person in China used their smartphones just 22 minutes per day.

By 2020, this figure had increased around 8x to 3 hours 16 minutes. And in 2022 average daily smartphone use is expected to total 3 hours 34 minutes.

As of 2023, the average daily smartphone screen time in China is set to hit 3 hours 50 minutes.

Time Spent Using Smartphones by Demographic

Around 3 in 4 Gen Zers admit to spending more time on their smartphones than they would like each day. By comparison, just over half of the Baby Boomers feel the same way.

In fact, 24% of Gen Z respondents claimed that smartphone overuse had become a problem in their lives. And 41% of Gen Zers claim to be actively taking steps towards reducing their screen time.

Here is the generational breakdown of smartphone use:

This corroborates findings from a 2022 paper that asked respondents if they spend more time on their smartphones than their partners.

In total, 78% of females claim to spend more time on their smartphones than their partners.

And although the majority of males asked also believe they spend more time on their smartphones than their partners, a lower proportion claimed to do so ( 64%).

How Time is Spent on Smartphones

Unsurprisingly, using smartphones to access the internet has become increasingly commonplace.

In 2014, just under 1/3rd of time on smartphones was spent using the internet. By 2019, internet usage accounted for more than half of the time spent on smartphones. And this figure continues to grow.

Here's a look at internet usage as a share of total time spent on smartphones since 2013:

The raw minutes spent accessing the internet via smartphones have also risen year-over-year during the last decade.

In 2011, this figure accounted for just over half an hour ( 32 minutes). By 2014, this had almost doubled, reaching 1 hour 3 minutes. And as of 2021, the average daily time spent using the internet on a smartphone was approximately 2 hours 35 minutes.

This rise coincides with the steady decline of internet usage via desktop.

Here's a closer look at internet usage by the device since 2011:

*Projected figures

Social media is a huge part of both smartphone and internet use.

According to research, the main reason people use social media apps is boredom ( 51.8%).

Other reasons for using smartphones to access social media include:

Curiosity - 18.6%

Information - 16%

Loneliness - 9.4%

Necessity/Work - 3.8%

Health purposes - 0.4%

Smartphone Use Perceived Effects

Despite increasing daily smartphone use, only around 1 in 10 people ( 10.3%) believe screen time has a positive effect on mental health.

By contrast, 68.6% of those surveyed believe that screen time affects mental health negatively.

The same study asked respondents what things they associate with screen time. The response with the highest proportion of agreement ( 54.7%) was that screen time is associated with eye strain.

Results show a mixed bag of both positive and negative associations:

Smartphone Use Projections

The $1 trillion+ global mobile industry continues to grow each year.

Smartphone users have risen year over year since 2016 and are projected to continue on that upwards trajectory for at least another half-decade.

There were approximately 3.67 billion smartphone subscriptions worldwide as of 2016.

This number has increased by between 300 million and 800 million each year. And is predicted to hit 6.57 billion in 2022.

By 2027, there are expected to be 7.69 billion smartphone subscriptions - just 200 million shy of the current global population.

Given these projections and the above data, increased smartphone screen time for the foreseeable future appears almost inevitable.

Conclusion

Screen time is evidently on the rise.

Whether that's positive or negative is debatable, but globally it is an undeniable fact.

Naturally, we will reach a plateau, but there is little to indicate that this will arrive in the coming years.

For more related content check out 14 Mobile App Development Trends and 30 In-Demand Mobile App Startups.

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Time Spent Using Smartphones (2022 Statistics)

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by Josh HowarthSeptember 16, 2022 In a relatively short period of time, smartphones have grown to a near-ubiquitous status. With each passing new release, smartphones are becoming more powerful and all-encompassing. Understandably, this is leading to increased user adoption and a surge in daily screen time.

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The answer to how much screen time is too much varies depending on your age. Generally speaking, the younger you are, the less screen time you should have.Doctors and healthcare experts have differing opinions on the recommended screen time for children and young adults. For instance, the American Academy of Pediatrics advocates zero screen time for children under two years and a maximum of two hours per day for children over this age. Another group of experts from All About Vision propose the following screen times for different age groups:                                                                                              

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How many hours of screen time is healthy (or too much)? 

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How many hours of screen time is healthy (or too much)? 

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If you're struggling to pull yourself away from your screen this way, try to gradually lower your daily limit until you reach an acceptable usage level. You could also:

Take regular breaks to detox – e.g. put your smartphone out of sight in a drawer or switch to a feature phone occasionally if you feel an urge to keep checking it.

Try to stay physically active while sitting in front of a screen – stretch regularly while watching a movie or use an under-desk pedal bike while working.

Explore physical hobbies that don’t involve screens – instead of creating digital art, grab a canvas and oil paints or play sports in a nearby park with friends rather than gaming.

Go back to physical catchups – encourage face-to-face meetings with friends at a local bar or restaurant instead of over a video call.

Follow the 20-20-20 rule – which involves looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds for every 20 minutes you spend on a screen.

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 TOP 10 SHOCKING facts about smartphone addiction !!!

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 TOP 10 SHOCKING facts about smartphone addiction !!!

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80% of teens feel that they are addicted to their mobile devices.

75% of parents believe that their teens are addicted to their phones.

80% of teens check their phones at least once an hour

75% of them feel a need to immediately respond to text messages and other alerts.

50% of parents argue with their children every day about cell phone use.

85% of adults cannot go an entire day without their phones in their hands.

Half of all adults in the United States sleep with their phones next to them.

40% of adults check their phones while they're in the bathroom.

65% of people text on their smartphones while they're driving.

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Phone addiction is quite commonplace in the United States. Many people are addicted to their smartphones and don’t realize it.

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So, maybe you spend a little too much time on your phone. Or a lot too much time. And you know you do. But does that mean you've stopped? I'm going to guess. Probably not.

You may also feel like you'll never find enough time in the day to get all your work done and fit in family, friends, exercise, hobbies, and all the rest. But maybe, just maybe, if you weren't on your phone so much, you could take a few steps toward that elusive state of work-life balance people say exists.

Now, just because you've realized that your small screen's become your most loyal companion or the object of your most unconditional devotion-and even if you've realized that might not be the best thing for you or anyone around you-doesn't mean you've done anything to change it yet.

If that gnawing awareness isn't enough, maybe these facts will help motivate you to finally make a change.

1. iPhone Owners Unlock Their Devices an Average of 80 Times Per Day

I'd bet that your phone is within arm's distance (if not finger distance) of you right now-even if you're at your desk at work. So it's not surprising that you'll probably end up unlocking it dozens upon dozens of times a day.

Apple revealed this statistic in 2016 while expounding on the security and user benefits of its Touch ID feature. Spread over a 24-hour period, that'd mean the average owner unlocks their phone every 18 minutes. But when you account for the hours you're asleep, that means it's even more frequent.

2. 89% of Undergraduates in a Study Experienced Phantom Vibrations

Have you ever thought your phone was vibrating only to realize it wasn't? The vast majority of the 290 undergrads who participated in a study conducted at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne and published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior in 2012 did.

3. 53% of Millennials Wake Up at Least Once Every Night to Check Their Phones

You know that sleep is important to having a productive workday. But more likely than not (if you're a Millennial), you're interrupting your own rest to check your phone-in the middle of the night!

According to a survey by Qualtrics and Accel Partners, 79% of Millennials put their phones right by them when they sleep and 53% wake up at least once every night to check them.

Not only that, but nearly 60% check their phones even before they use the bathroom in the morning. The same study found that close to half (42%) haven't spent more than five waking hours without taking a look at social media.

4. The Average Person Spends Hours on Their Phone Each Day

A 2017 report from comScore found that the average US adult spent two hours and 51 minutes on mobile- per day. Other studies have found similar or higher usage. Nielsen, for example, found in a 2018 report that U.S. adults spent an average of 2.4 hours a day on apps or web on a smartphone. Flurry put the number way higher, saying in a 2016 report that "the average U.S. consumer spends a whopping 5 hours a day on [mobile] devices."

5. 89% of Mobile Phone Owners in a Survey Said They Used Their Phones During Their Most Recent Social Gathering

Let's dive into that whole work-life balance conundrum. Whether or not you're getting enough of the -life part, there's a good chance that you're not taking advantage of your off-time even when you have it.

You probably agree there are situations outside the office when you should put that phone away. Here's what percentage of adults said it was "generally OK" to use a cell phone in various settings in a 2014 Pew Research Center survey:

"At church or worship service" (4%)

"At the movie theater or other places where others are usually quiet" (5%)

"During a meeting" (5%)

"At a family dinner" (12%)

"At a restaurant" (38%)

"While waiting in line" (74%)

"On public transportation" (75%)

"While walking down the street" (77%)

And yet, 89% of the adults who own a cell phone also said they'd used them during their most recent social gathering: 61% "read a message such as text or email"; 58% "took a photo or video"; 52% "sent a message such as a text or email"; 52% "received an incoming call"; 34% "checked to see if you've received any alerts"; 33% "placed a call"; 29% "used an app"; and 25% "searched or browsed the web."

6. Americans Use Phones While Driving, on Dinner Dates, in Church, and Even During Sex

And the bleak you're-not-really-present-when-recharging-outside-of-work stats continue! The 2013 Mobile Consumer Habits study, conducted by Harris Interactive for Jumio, found that Americans use their phones:

"During sex" (9%)

"In the shower" (12%)

"While at church/place of worship" (19%)

"In a movie theater" (35%)

"On a dinner date" (33%)

"At a child's/school function" (32%)

7. Cell Phones Carry 10 Times the Bacteria Found on Most Toilet Seats

If none of that worked to convince you, I leave you with this one. It's truly disgusting. But it's also the truth. Scientists at the University of Arizona have seen phones that had 100,000 bacteria on them. Microbiologist Charles Gerba asks: "When's the last time you cleaned your cellphone?"

So, now that you now these seven things, what do you think about spending a little less time on that phone? But actually? Put it down and step away.

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You may also feel like you'll never find enough time in the day to get all your work done *and* fit in family, friends, exercise, hobbies, and all the rest. But maybe, just maybe, if you weren't on your cell phone so much, you could take a few steps toward that elusive state of work-life balance.

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Teenagers spend an average of 9 hours a day on their smartphones. 66% of teenagers feel anxious when they don't have their smartphones. 34% of teenagers say they have "excessive" smartphone use. 47% of teenagers say they are "constantly" checking their phones.  -Mobile phones are dirtier than toilet handlesThis mobile phone fact might gross you out a tad. For those of you who have your mobile glued to your hand, you might be changing your ways.Our mobiles go just about everywhere with us… which means that it picks up a bunch of germs along the way.A used mobile picks up around 18 more types of bacteria than a toilet seat. One to think about next time you're on the loo. So, remember to clean your mobile phone regularly and safely!

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Answering a text message takes your eyes off the road for an average of five seconds, according to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. The distance covered in that time when a car is traveling at 55 miles per hour is equal to the length of a football field. When answering a text becomes a compulsion, as it is with many addicted teens, it can lead to a much higher risk of auto accidents.

47% of Americans admit they’re addicted to their phones.

The average American checks their smartphone 352 times per day.

71% of people spend more time on their phone than with their romantic partner.

Almost two-thirds of children spend four hours or more per day on their smartphones.

44% of American adults admit that not having their phones gives them anxiety.

Cell phones cause over 20% of car accidents.

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Apple were originally designing an apple shaped flip phone

before the first iPhone.

Before the original design for an iPhone, Apple patented a phone design in the shape of an actual apple. It was a flip phone that, when closed, would look like the Apple logo.

Nokia used to sell toilet paper.

Before Nokia sold mobile phones, they manufactured a range of other items, such as; toilet paper, tires, computers, and other electronics.

More people have mobile phones than toilets.

Out of the 7.7 billion people in the world, more than 6 billion people have access to a mobile phone. Compared to only 4.5 billion people who have access to a working toilet.

Here are some fun facts about technology that we found interesting.

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Bluescope Technologies | IT Support & Websites

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Fun and Interesting Facts about Technology | Bluescope Technologies | IT Support

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Learn about some fun and interesting facts from the world of Technology. Follow us on Social Media to stay up to date.

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Most addictive and harmful substances are either highly regulated and taxed, or straight out illegal. But something intentionally designed to be just as addictive as cigarettes and cocaine is used by teenagers and adults every day. Julie M. Albright argues why smart phone use is just as harmful as the drugs we ban.
I am a digital sociologist. I've spent my career tracking the growth and proliferation of digital devices and communications. At the beginning, I kind of poo-pooed talk of addiction, thinking: We stare at television screens, what's the difference between that and a computer screen? With the invention of the iPhone though, where the Internet goes with you in your pocket (or hand) - my views on the addictive nature of digital technologies have changed. App developers have become savvy, learning how to manipulate your behavior and get you hooked. Our attention is being grabbed and held against our will, often without us even realize it.

While the severe health risks of smoking and cocaine use are well-documented, phone addiction - particularly among teens - is an emerging crisis with wide-ranging consequences that may prove to be even more detrimental - yet it's often unseen. The constant connectivity facilitated by smartphones has ushered in a new era of compulsive behavior that mirrors the psychological patterns observed in substance addiction. Teens, whose brains are still developing, are especially vulnerable to this form of addiction. According to Pew Research, teenagers are now online "almost constantly," a trend that correlates with rising rates of depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders among this age group. Unlike the more overt physical damage caused by smoking and cocaine, the harms of phone addiction are insidious, infiltrating mental health, disrupting sleep, encouraging sedentary lifestyles, and eroding the quality of face-to-face human interactions. As this generation of digitally-immersed adolescents matures, we must grapple with the prospect that the societal toll of phone addiction could surpass the grim legacies of smoking and cocaine use.

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According to Pew Research, teenagers are now online "almost constantly," a trend that correlates with rising rates of depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders among this age group.

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Comparing past and current rates of smoking and cocaine use with the increasing prevalence of phone addiction paints a startling picture. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cigarette smoking among U.S. adults has significantly declined from 20.9% in 2005 to 14.0% in 2019. Similarly, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reported a decline in cocaine use among young adults in the U.S., with the percentage of people aged 18-25 who had used cocaine in the past year dropping from 6.2% in 2007 to 5.1% in 2019. In stark contrast, screen time has been on a dramatic rise. A report from Common Sense Media revealed that, in 2019, American teens spent an average of more than seven hours per day on screen media for entertainment, not including time spent on schoolwork - a figure that was up nearly 45 minutes from 2015. For younger children, aged 8 to 12, the screen time average was nearly five hours per day, representing a substantial increase as well. As such, while public health initiatives have made progress in reducing the prevalence of smoking and cocaine use, screen time - a proxy for phone addiction - has been increasing alarmingly across different age groups.
The Design of Addictiveness
Social media apps, such as Instagram and TikTok, are meticulously engineered to be addictive, employing techniques akin to those used in slot machines and other forms of gambling. At the heart of this design is something psychologists call random reinforcement - a variable reward system that leverages unpredictability to keep users engaged - sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. Just as slot machines offer the allure of a potential reward with each pull of the lever, apps now employ features like "pull-to-refresh" and randomized notifications to create a sense of anticipation and excitement. For example, each time users refresh their Instagram feed or receive a notification from TikTok, they are presented with new and engaging content, akin to a gambler feeling a rush when a slot machine lights up with a win. This constant stream of new content, likes, and social validation triggers the release of dopamine, the brain's reward chemical, reinforcing the user's behavior and encouraging continuous engagement with the platform. Such features are not incidental; they are baked into the software with the express purpose of encouraging constant use and maximizing the time users spend within the app. The design of these applications, as Tristan Harris, a former design ethicist at Google, has pointed out, exploits human psychology to make these platforms hard to resist, highlighting the deliberate tactics employed to capture and sustain user attention.
The Psychological Effects of Phone Addiction
Social media platforms and constant notifications are specifically designed to activate the brain's dopamine-driven reward system, creating a loop of habitual and addictive behavior. Similar to the pleasure experienced from eating, sex, or receiving a compliment, successful social interactions - including receiving a 'like' or 'share' on social media - trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that signals pleasure and reward to the brain. This dopamine release reinforces behavior, encouraging individuals to continue seeking out those rewarding social interactions, just as the 'high' of cocaine or the instant gratification from smoking prompts repeated use. A study by Volkow et al. (2017) elucidates this parallel, showing similar neurobiological changes - specifically in dopamine release - between drug addiction and behavioral addictions like excessive smartphone use. Importantly, the constant striving for social rewards via smartphones has been linked to significant mental health consequences. For example, research by Twenge and Campbell (2018) revealed a strong correlation between heavy screen time and increased rates of depression and anxiety, especially among young people, highlighting the tangible mental health toll associated with phone addiction. College administrators are now struggling with the fallout: amongst college students, anxiety and depression have hit a 30 year high.

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The design of these applications, as Tristan Harris, a former design ethicist at Google, has pointed out, exploits human psychology to make these platforms hard to resist, highlighting the deliberate tactics employed to capture and sustain user attention.

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Physical Health Consequences
Constant phone use inherently promotes a sedentary lifestyle, as individuals often spend hours seated or in a fixed position while engaging with their devices. This sedentary behavior is associated with a range of health risks, including obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes, reminiscent of the well-documented health risks of smoking, such as lung cancer and heart disease, and the systemic harm induced by cocaine use. Moreover, phone addiction has been linked to its own unique set of physical health consequences. Emerging studies indicate that excessive phone use, particularly before bedtime, can lead to significant sleep disruption, partly due to the blue light emitted by screens, which suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. In addition to sleep issues, constant phone use is associated with digital eye strain, a condition characterized by symptoms such as dry eyes, headache, and blurred vision, as documented by the American Optometric Association. As phone use continues to increase, these physical health issues are becoming more pervasive, highlighting the necessity for public health interventions similar to those employed to combat the health risks of smoking and cocaine or other drug use.

Social and Societal Consequences

Phone addiction, marked by excessive and compulsive use of smartphones, can significantly diminish face-to-face social interaction. Engaging with screens for prolonged periods naturally reduces the time and energy individuals allocate to direct interpersonal relationships, leading to a preference for digital communication over personal contact. As a societal concern, growing up in an environment dominated by screens poses risks for a generation's capacity for deep, focused work and the cultivation of meaningful relationships. Constant phone notifications, for instance, have been linked with reduced attention span and an increased likelihood of distraction in professional and academic settings. This contrasts sharply with the more "individual" nature of harm caused by smoking and cocaine use, which, although having significant societal costs, primarily manifests as direct physical harm to the user. Phone addiction, conversely, is reshaping fundamental aspects of human interaction and cognition on a societal level, altering how a generation communicates, forms relationships, and engages with the world - a process I've called "coming untethered" - which is further driving the mental health crisis amongst the young.

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Phone addiction, particularly among teens, represents a burgeoning crisis that, based on current evidence, may pose a threat potentially more severe than that of smoking and cocaine use.

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The Response to Phone Addiction
The response to phone addiction has been notably subdued when compared to the extensive public health campaigns launched against smoking and cocaine use. For decades, governments and health organizations have employed aggressive tactics, including graphic warnings, educational programs, and substantial policy changes to combat smoking and drug abuse. In contrast, phone addiction, despite emerging evidence highlighting its serious mental and physical health consequences, has not elicited a comparable level of public health response. Given the demonstrated association between excessive phone use and issues such as anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, and impaired social interaction, there is a compelling case for a more aggressive public health approach. This could encompass educational initiatives that raise awareness about the risks of phone addiction, policy interventions that encourage responsible design by tech companies, and the development of resources to help individuals manage their screen time more effectively. As our society becomes increasingly digital, the urgency of addressing phone addiction as a legitimate and significant public health issue is clear, warranting action that is commensurate with the scale and depth of the problem.
Conclusion
In conclusion, phone addiction, particularly among teens, represents a burgeoning crisis that, based on current evidence, may pose a threat potentially more severe than that of smoking and cocaine use. Its insidious nature - manifesting in mental health issues, sleep disruption, physical strain, diminished social interaction, and altered cognitive abilities - signals the urgency of this problem. Yet, despite the mounting evidence, societal response remains significantly muted compared to the extensive public health campaigns waged against smoking and cocaine use. It is imperative that comprehensive studies are undertaken to further understand the full spectrum of phone addiction's impact, and that these findings catalyze robust public health initiatives aimed at tackling this modern epidemic. From my perspective, this is not merely an issue for parents, educators, or health professionals - it is a societal issue that demands acknowledgment and urgent, substantive action. Filmmaker David Donnely has made a film inspired by my book which will debut soon, called The Cost of Convenience; it is my hope that we will be able to screen the film on college campuses - to spark discussions on striking a healthier balance between our offline lives and devices and digital connectivity. As our world becomes ever more digitized, the time to address and prioritize the mental and physical health of our digital natives is now.

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Phone addiction is worse than smoking or cocaine

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Most addictive and harmful substances are either highly regulated and taxed, or straight out illegal. But something intentionally designed to be just as addictive as cigarettes and cocaine is used by teenagers and adults every day. Julie M. Albright argues why smart phone use is just as harmful as the drugs we ban.

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According to the CDC, 9 people are killed and over 1,000 people injured EVERY DAY from distracted driving. Cell phone users who are addicted to their devices are more likely to use them while driving, increasing their risk of being involved in a car accident. A current study reported that 40% or drivers use or look at their phone while driving. Another study shows that drivers make more mistakes when talking on a cell phone than when talking with a passenger.

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When Does Cell Phone Addiction Become Deadly? - Horn Law

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There is no doubt about it- all of us are highly dependent upon our cell phones. Day and night, at work and at home, our cell phones allow us to make connection to the outside world that we never thought would be possible. Itâ€™s no wonder that almost half of all Americans consider their cell [...]

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-Nearly 300billion emails are sent every day – that’s about 42 for every person in the world. Roughly 90% of them are spam. How many of the rest come from actual Nigerian princes who have run into genuine short-term financial difficulties I couldn’t tell you

-Approximately 90% of the data the world has ever produced has been created in the last two years

-A new domain name is registered every 0.85 seconds

-The most popular book searched for on Google is the Bible and pizza is the No. 1 food. That’s two thirds of the way towards everyone’s favourite Friday night in at UWP Towers – happy days

-According to Google, there are 30 trillion (30,000,000,000,000) unique pages of content on the Internet – compared to a measly trillion just five years ago. It would take roughly 50 million years to read it all. Probably not worth it to be fair

-A farmer in Essex has started connecting his cows to the Internet by implanting sensors that help him tell when they become ill

True Story

Some drivers were forced to slow down for the distracted pedestrians, and one woman even squeezed between two double-decker buses while looking at her smartphone.

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Problematic smartphone use is associated with elevated negative effect and lower positive effect. Moreover, subjects who are addicted to smartphones are more likely to have health problems, such as physical ailments (e.g., craniocervical posture, dry eyes, carpal tunnel syndrome, and headaches) and mental issues (e.g., fear, sadness, anger, psychopathological symptoms, depression, and anxiety).

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Abstract

Background and aims

The smartphone is one of the most popular devices, with the average smartphone usage at 162 min/day and the average length of phone usage at 15.79 hr/week. Although significant concerns have been made about the health effects of smartphone addiction, the relationship between smartphone addiction and accidents has rarely been studied. We examined the association between smartphone addiction and accidents among South Korean university students.

Methods

A total of 608 college students completed an online survey that included their experience of accidents (total number; traffic accidents; falls/slips; bumps/collisions; being trapped in the subway, impalement, cuts, and exit wounds; and burns or electric shocks), their use of smartphone, the type of smartphone content they most frequently used, and other variables of interests. Smartphone addiction was estimated using Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale, a standardized measure developed by the National Institution in Korea.

Results

Compared with normal users, participants who were addicted to smartphones were more likely to have experienced any accidents (OR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.26-2.86), falling from height/slipping (OR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.10-3.91), and bumps/collisions (OR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.16-2.87). The proportion of participants who used their smartphones mainly for entertainment was significantly high in both the accident (38.76%) and smartphone addiction (36.40%) groups.

Discussion and conclusions

We suggest that smartphone addiction was significantly associated with total accident, falling/slipping, and bumps/collisions. This finding highlighted the need for increased awareness of the risk of accidents with smartphone addiction.

Keywords: smartphone addiction, accident, falling, slipping, bumps, collisions

Introduction

The use of smartphones has been exponentially increasing worldwide, and they have become an integral part of our everyday lives ( Kim et al., 2016; Monacis, de Palo, Griffiths, & Sinatra, 2017; Wu, Cheung, Ku, & Hung, 2013). In addition to the phone and text services, smartphones allow users to make real-time broadcasts, send/receive emails, utilize global positioning system (GPS) services, and play games ( Rosen, Whaling, Carrier, Cheever, & Rokkum, 2013). Furthermore, smartphones include powerful technology that allows continuous interaction with online services, thus allowing users to consume a wide range of content, including that unrelated to their present time and location ( Park & Lee, 2014).

Due to these attractive functions/applications and easy access, smartphone users have become dependent on such devices or develop the habit of excessively checking their phones without conscious self-control. Then, how does a smartphone user become a smartphone addictive user? In light of the principles of operant conditioning, smartphone users (triggered by internal or external cues) constantly gain "rewards" such as information acquisition, social interactions, and pleasure. Consequently, they are far more likely to use their smartphones with little conscious awareness ( Lin & Huang, 2017). For example, commuters in bus stations generally experience dead time and, due to the constant stimuli provided by smartphones, the condition response is to immediately use such devices. Therefore, such "rewards" from smartphone use can lead to repeated or excessive use of these devices, which can ultimately cause smartphone addiction ( Benowitz, 2008; Duke & Montag, 2017). Regarding frameworks on the smartphone addiction pathways, Billieux ( 2012) suggested four pathways: (a) impulsive pathway, indicating poor self-control and maladaptive emotions; (b) relationship maintenance pathway, indicating overuse for reassuring an affective relationship; (c) extraversion pathway, indicating the desire to communicate with others and build new relationships; and (d) cyber addiction pathway, indicating the excessive enjoyment of online activities ( Billieux, 2012). Another model of smartphone addiction has shown that genetic and environmental effects can increase the risk of smartphone addiction by influencing dysfunctional conditions ( Duke & Montag, 2017).

Problematic smartphone use is associated with elevated negative effect and lower positive effect. Moreover, subjects who are addicted to smartphones are more likely to have health problems, such as physical ailments (e.g., craniocervical posture, dry eyes, carpal tunnel syndrome, and headaches) and mental issues (e.g., fear, sadness, anger, psychopathological symptoms, depression, and anxiety), compared with normal smartphone users ( Demirci, Akgönül, & Akpinar, 2015; Kee, Byun, Jung, & Choi, 2016; Kim, 2013; Kwon, Lee, et al., 2013; Montag, Sindermann, Becker, & Panksepp, 2016; Wegmann, Stodt, & Brand, 2015). Smartphone use at night or overuse of smartphone has been shown to affect sleep quantity and quality, depleting the following day's productivity ( Demirci et al., 2015; Lanaj, Johnson, & Barnes, 2014). The realm of family communication between parents and their children or of social participation also gets affected by the overuse of smartphones or mobile devices ( Kuss & Griffiths, 2011; Radesky et al., 2014). Another emerging issue related to smartphone uses is the occurrence of accidents. In the USA, non-fatal pedestrian injury rates have increased with the steady rise in use of mobile phones ( Byington & Schwebel, 2013). In Korea, recent data have shown that accidents associated with smartphone use among pedestrians have increased by 1.9 times over 4 years compared with the increase of only 1.1 times in the total number of accidents ( Lim, Lee, Choi, & Joo, 2016). This may be explained by transportation safety issues (e.g., high road/traffic fatalities and injuries) among distracted pedestrians and drivers ( Kong, Xiong, Zhu, Zheng, & Long, 2015; Nasar & Troyer, 2013). Many researchers have also expressed concerns regarding increased accident risks among those talking, texting, or listening to music on their phones while on the road ( Brodsky & Slor, 2013; Nemme & White, 2010; Redelmeier & Tibshirani, 1997; Schwebel et al., 2012).

These accident risks particularly apply to excessive use of smartphones. Smartphone-addicted users can be highly preoccupied with their contents while performing other tasks ( Lin et al., 2015). Dual- or multitasking (e.g., performing two or more tasks simultaneously), even among people on the move, often requires too much attention, thus resulting in reduced performance ( Jansen, van Egmond, & de Ridder, 2016) and increased accidents both indoors as well as outdoors ( Chaparro, Wood, & Carberry, 2005; Haigney & Westerman, 2001; Merchant, 2012; Strayer & Drew, 2004). However, although smartphone addiction can increase the risk of accidents, it has received limited attention from scholars.

Based on circumstantial evidence linking smartphone use to increased risk of accidents, this study hypothesized that, since it is difficult to switch one's attention away from a smartphone in potentially dangerous situations, smartphone-addicted users have met with more number of accidents (including traffic accidents) than normal smartphone users. In addition, if the accident risks of smartphone users are attributable to dual- or multitasking, then there may be a difference in the content accessed over smartphones between those who experience accidents and those who do not.

This study aims to examine the association between smartphone addiction and the occurrence of accidents among Korean university students. For this purpose, it compared the frequencies and types of accidents as well as contents accessed over smartphones between a smartphone addictive group and a normal user group.

Materials and Methods

Study population

An online questionnaire-based survey was conducted by a professional research agency from August to September 2016. The platform for the survey was the Do-it Survey Solution ( http://www.dooit.co.kr/), which was designed using the Hypertext Preprocessor/Linux web operating system and a database system based on MySQL product. The study included 608 Korean university students who owned smartphones and had agreed to participate. The online questionnaire was designed so that it could not be submitted unless every question was answered; therefore, there were no missing data, and all respondents were included in the analysis.

The participants responded to self-reported questionnaires that covered the following: their use of smartphones; sociodemographic characteristics including age, sex, monthly income (≤2,000,000, 2,000,000-5,000,000, or ≥5,000,000 KRW), housemate status (with family or with others but not family), and their major field of study (natural science, social science, or arts); and health behaviors, including smoking status (current, ex-, or never smoker) and current alcohol consumption status (yes or no).

Smartphone addiction

Smartphone addiction has not been included in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Thus, smartphone addiction is not an officially recognize diagnosis. In this study, smartphone addiction has been assessed using the Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale (SAPS), which was developed by the National Information Society Agency of South Korea ( Kwon, Lee, et al., 2013). Since the SAPS has high internal consistency, with a Cronbach's α of .880, it is suitable for screening subjects who are at risk of smartphone addiction ( Kim, Lee, Lee, Nam, & Chung, 2014; Korean National Information Society Agency, 2011; Shin, Kim, & Jung, 2011).

The scale comprises four subcomponents: tolerance (four items; e.g., "Having tried to shorten smartphone use time but fails all the time," Cronbach's α = .828), withdrawal (four items; e.g., "Won't be able to stand not having a smartphone," Cronbach's α = .797), virtual life orientation (two items; e.g., "Feeling empty when not using my smartphone," Cronbach's α = .691), and disturbance of adaptive functions (five items; e.g., "Having performance degradation in class or office due to smartphone use," Cronbach's α = .873) ( Kim et al., 2014). These are rated on a 4-point Likert scale (1 = "not at all," 2 = "disagree," 3 = "agree," and 4 = "always"). Based on this scale, the participants were classified into three groups according to their risk of smartphone addiction: the high-risk group (total score, ≤45; disturbance of adaptive functions, ≤16; withdrawal score, ≤13; and tolerance score, ≤14); the potential-risk group (total score, 42-44; disturbance of adaptive functions, ≤14; withdrawal score, ≤12; and tolerance score, ≤13); and the normal user group (those not belonging to either of the other groups). For this study, we designated the high-risk and potential-risk groups as the "smartphone addiction group" and the remaining group as the "normal user group."

The most used smartphone content

The participants were asked which type of smartphone content they used the most. The options included the following five group: (a) web-surfing (news searching and general web-surfing); (b) study/work (studying and searching for study or work); (c) entertainment (games, music, web-toons, gambling, movies, and TV); (d) social network services (SNSs) (e-mail, messenger, blogs, and SNSs, including Facebook); and (e) other (pornography, online-shopping, GPS, and banking).

Experiences of accidents

The participant's experience of accidents was assessed from self-reports in which a multiple-choice question was administrated asking whether the respondent had experienced any of the following six types of accidents while using a smartphone: "a traffic accident;" "a fall from a height or a slip;" "a bump or collision;" "being trapped in the subway;" "impalement, cuts, and an exit wound;" or "burn or electric shock." The total number of accidents indicated that the participant had experienced at least one of the above six types of accidents. The responses were coded as a dichotomous variable ("yes" or "no").

Statistical analysis

Differences in the characteristics of the participants in the two smartphone user groups and their experience of accidents were evaluated using the χ 2 test and Mann-Whitney U test. Point-biserial correlation analysis was performed to determine relationships of smartphone addiction with the total number of accidents and with the six types of accidents. To investigate the association between smartphone addiction and experience of accidents, we performed unadjusted and multivariate adjusted logistic regression analysis. The model was adjusted for potential covariates, including age, sex, major field of study, monthly income, residence, smoking status, and alcohol consumption. Finally, Figures 2 and ​and3 3 show the results of the χ 2 tests of differences in smartphone content use for the two smartphone user groups and the two groups who had and had not experienced accidents. All analyses were performed using the SAS 9.2 software (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA), and statistical significance was set at 0.05.

Ethics

The study procedures were carried out in accordance with the Institutional Review board of Seoul National University Hospital. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Seoul National University Hospital.

Results

Table 1 presents the characteristics of the study population ( N = 608) based on smartphone addiction. The mean ( SD) ages of the smartphone-addicted group and the normal users group were significantly different ( p = .010): 22.54 (2.05) years versus 23.01 (2.32) years. Overall, the female participants were more likely to be addicted to their smartphones ( p = .002). In addition, the proportion of addicted students, including those with the lowest monthly income (43.41%), those living with their families (36.55%), those majoring in the arts (40.98%), those currently smoking (45.16%), and those currently drinking (37.57%), was higher than their counterparts. However, no significant differences were found in monthly income ( p = .1836), residence ( p = .9770), major field of study ( p = .6916), smoking status ( p = .3113), or alcohol consumption ( p  = .1428) between the two groups.

Table 1.

Smartphone addiction (N = 222)

Normal (N = 386)

p value*

N or mean

% or SD

N or mean

% or SD

Age

Sex

Monthly income (KRW)

Residence

Major field of study

Smoking status

Alcohol consumption

The point-biserial correlation analysis showed significant correlations between smartphone addiction scores and total accidents ( r = .17, p < .001), falling/slipping ( r = .13, p = .001), and bumps/collisions ( r = .15, p = .0003), but not for other types of accident ( p > .05). There was no significant correlation between the total score of smartphone addiction and age of the participants ( r = .07, p  = .1080).

Figure 1 shows the prevalence of the experience of accidents in the two groups. A greater proportion of smartphone addiction group experienced an accident of some type (28.38%) as well as bumps and collisions (22.37%). However, no significant differences were observed in the number of accidents: falls from a height and a slip; being trapped in the subway; impalements, cuts, and exit wounds; and burn and electric shocks. Regarding the gender differences in accident experiences among smartphone-addicted students, the male participants were more likely to experience only traffic accidents (18.0% vs. 8.1%; p  = .0440) than female participants.

Table 2 shows the multiple logistic regression model's estimates of the association between smartphone addiction and the experience of accidents, with odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) indicating the increased experience of accidents among addicted users compared with that among normal users. A significant association was observed between the total number of accidents experienced and smartphone addiction both before (OR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.30-2.85) and after (OR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.26-2.86) adjusting for age, sex, major field of study, monthly income, residence, smoking status, and alcohol consumption, although OR decreased following adjustment. Smartphone-addicted users were more likely to suffer bumps or collision (OR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.18-2.80; adjusted OR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.15-2.84). Furthermore, after adjusting for potential covariates, smartphone addiction was significantly associated with an increased experience of slips (OR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.00-3.67).

Table 2.

Unadjusted model

Adjusted model

Odds ratio (95% CI)

Odds ratio (95% CI)

Total accident

Traffic accident

Falling/slipping

Bumps/collisions

Trap in the subway

Stab/cut/exit wound

Burn/electric shock

Figure 2 displays the prevalence of accidents according to the smartphone content type mainly used by the participants. A significantly higher proportion of participants who mostly used their smartphones for entertainment had experienced an accident (38.76%) than those who mostly used their smartphones for other content types. No significant difference was observed between the proportions of participants who mostly used their phones for web-surfing, study/work, or social networking, and had experienced an accident.

Figure 3 shows the prevalence of smartphone addiction according to the mainly used content types. A significantly lower proportion of smartphone-addicted users (20.27%) than normal users (30.57%) most frequently used their phones for web-surfing. Conversely, a significantly higher percentage of smartphone-addicted users (36.04%) than normal users (28.24%) used their phones most frequently for entertainment.

Discussion

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between smartphone addiction and the occurrence of accidents by examining the differences between smartphone-addicted users and normal users. Overall, participants who were addicted to smartphone were more likely to have experienced accidents. More specifically, smartphone addiction was associated with a higher likelihood of falling or slipping and of experiencing bumps or collisions, even after adjusting for any covariates. In addition, those who were addicted to smartphones or had experienced accidents were more likely to use entertainment-related content than normal users. The findings suggest that safety among university students may be jeopardized by their addictive behaviors regarding smartphone usage.

Little research has focused on the safety of smartphone-addicted users and on accidents in their everyday lives, although previous studies have shown that road/traffic accidents tend to occur when using cell phones while driving or walking. For instance, many studies have identified the negative effects of hand-held devices on visual behaviors (e.g., minimal glances at traffic lights), vehicle performance, reaction time, and reduction in speed ( Alm & Nilsson, 1994; Harbluk, Noy, Trbovich, & Eizenman, 2007; Salvucci, Markley, Zuber, & Brumby, 2007). Moreover, such mobile technology can affect pedestrian safety through the impairment of looking behaviors and detection of roadside events or through the inability to maintain a certain direction while navigating obstacles ( Byington & Schwebel, 2013; Lin & Huang, 2017; Schabrun, van den Hoorn, Moorcroft, Greenland, & Hodges, 2014). Although these studies did not investigate what types of accidents are related to smartphone addiction, they suggest that the use of mobile devices can cause distractions and trigger the occurrence of accidents. Based on the results of this study, smartphone-addicted users might be more prone to accidents, due to their inability to recognize potentially dangerous or unsafe conditions. One of the most important factors in accidents related to mobile device usage is dual- or multitasking ( Weksler & Weksler, 2012). With smartphones now being capable of integrating various functions, it is common to see users focusing on multiple tasks ( Brasel & Gips, 2011). For example, some users may be listening to music, watching a movie, or playing games, while simultaneously maintaining their social connections through SNS and performing other personal tasks ( Ralph, Thomson, Cheyne, & Smilek, 2014). As stated earlier, users are also prone to using hand-held devices in potentially risky situations ( O'Connor et al., 2013). As the recent term "smombie" (i.e., combination of smartphone and zombie) indicates, smartphone addiction not only denotes the excessive use of such devices but also addictive behaviors in which users are unintentionally absorbed into their phones and fail to focus on anything else ( Kwon, Kim, Cho, & Yang, 2013). In this regard, they ultimately fail at multitasking and increase their risk of accidents using such devices in potentially dangerous situations.

With recent concerns about smartphone-related accidents, actions related to smartphone usage have been implemented in public by the stated countries. In the state of New Jersey (United States), city planners decided to anchor traffic lights to the road so that smartphone users can be more visually aware of the changing lights as they stare at their devices. In Chongqing (China), a walking lane was especially created for pedestrians glued to their smartphones. Finally, Korea initiated a pilot project in which safety signs were installed to warn the public about the danger of smartphone-related accidents ( Benedictus, 2014; Chang, 2016; Duke & Montag, 2017).

In general, using smartphones while walking or driving leads the user's eyes away from the real-world environment ( Young, 2012), thereby reducing the detection of visual cues or information (e.g., causing visual distraction) ( Lin & Huang, 2017). Moreover, the use of aural-related contents, such as listening to music, disrupting auditory signals, or aural cues, is crucial for judging one's safety (e.g., causing auditory distraction) ( Barton, Lew, Kovesdi, Cottrell, & Ulrich, 2013; Schwebel et al., 2012). The demanding manual process of using a smartphone also impairs a driver's performance by removing one or both hands from the steering wheel (i.e., manual distraction) ( Head, Helton, Russell, & Neumann, 2012). Finally, these three types of distractions can be accompanied by cognitive interferences that take the user's mind off of his/her current activity (e.g., causing cognitive distraction) ( Lennon, Oviedo-Trespalacios, & Matthews, 2017; Young, 2012). Furthermore, due to the multi-functioning features of smartphones, using a smartphone can concurrently produce these distractions, thereby increasing the risk of accidents ( Shah, 2002; Young & Salmon, 2012).

This was the first exploratory study to examine the association between smartphone addiction and the occurrence of several types of accidents. The findings of this study support and extend the existing evidence by showing that smartphone-addicted users face increased risks of accidents that can occur in everyday life. However, several limitations should be considered. First, because of the cross-sectional study design, causality cannot be inferred. Second, the subject sample was limited to young adult university students. In this regard, adolescents are more vulnerable to smartphone addiction and they are more likely to walk instead of using any other means of transportation. However, elderly people may have weak cognitive and sensory functions. Thus, this demographic could make another group vulnerable to smartphone-related accidents. Third, it is difficult to analyze the different types of distraction mechanisms due to the lack of information regarding the contents accessed over smartphone during the accident and the location where the accident occurred. Furthermore, there is no information regarding no frequency of accidents. Fourth, since the number of participants was relatively small, the analysis was limited to a simple comparison of the different types of content accessed over smartphone. Hence, a future study should investigate the types of content assessed in direct relation with each accident. Fifth, the data included in this study were limited to determine the characteristics of the study population. As a result, it is impossible to rule out the possibility of unmeasured confounding. Finally, the status of smartphone addiction could be inaccurate, since it was likely to be under- or overestimated on the self-reported questionnaire. Therefore, psychoinformatics, a new discipline that uses digital technology and information science to develop the collection, organization, and synthesis of psychological data, can be helpful for predicting smartphone addiction and helping those affected by such addiction ( Montag et al., 2016; Yarkoni, 2012).

In conclusion, this study showed that the smartphone-addicted university students were more likely to have experienced accidents. Furthermore, the findings highlighted the potential for future research to investigate whether using entertainment-related contents may be a crucial risk factor for accidents to occur. Although the results of this study must be validated and clarified through additional research, the findings have established an academic basis regarding accident risk among smartphone-addicted users.

Funding Statement

Funding sources: This work was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (grant nos. 2015R1D1A1A01059048 and 2015R1D1A1A01057619). This work was also supported by the Education and Research Encouragement Fund of Seoul National University Hospital (2017).

Authors' contribution

H-JK and J-YM planned this study, and K-BM managed this study. H-JK, J-YM, H-JK, and K-BM analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript, and J-YM finally reviewed the manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

Benedictus L. (2014, September 15). Chinese city opens 'phone lane' for texting pedestrians. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2014/sep/15/china-mobile-phone-lane-distracted-walking-pedestrians

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Articles from Journal of Behavioral Addictions are provided here courtesy of Akadémiai Kiadó

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Accident risk associated with smartphone addiction: A study on university students in Korea

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The smartphone is one of the most popular devices, with the average smartphone usage at 162 min/day and the average length of phone usage at 15.79 hr/week. Although significant concerns have been made about the health effects of smartphone ...

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60% of U.S. college students consider themselves to have a cell phone addiction.4

71% of people sleep with or next to their cell phones.5

35% of people think of their cell phones when they wake up while only 10% of people think of their significant others.5

44% of 18-24 year olds have fallen asleep with their phone in their hand.5

36% of people check their phones constantly, while 54% of young adults are checking constantly.5

Nearly 40% of people never disconnect from cell phones, even while on vacation .5

44% of Americans say they couldn’t go a day without their mobile devices.5

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I am tethered to my mobile phone as if it's the placenta sustaining life for me.

I am tethered to my mobile phone as if it's the placenta sustaining life for me. For the better half of the day, I sit at the corner of my bed and continue to either scroll, watch videos, listen to songs, read something, play games, write notes, or check emails on it. This excessive use has caused cervical spondylolysis, as revealed by my recent X-ray report.

Excessive mobile phone use is affecting my attention span, changing my personality, and playing havoc with my sleep - and my overall health. I am aware of it all. Yet I spend eight hours a day on my mobile phone, as calculated by my activity app.

It all began during the Covid-19 lockdown, with watching "harmless" cooking shows, travel stories, and comedy skits. But now, all I devour is nonsensical content. I am processing way too much surface-level information, without delving deep into anything, and we all know that deep thinking is an exercise that is required for an old-age brain like mine.

I am hooked on social media handles for entertainment and what I consume is hogwash content at best. My favourite Instagram hero is Coconut Rice Bear, a fluffy Samoyed dog who can apparently communicate in full sentences with his howls and barks.

In a desperate attempt to cut the umbilical cord and return to normalcy, I have uninstalled all gaming and social media applications from my mobile phone, and I am trying to use the phone just for making or receiving calls.

The Korean mukbang star Hamzy, another favourite of mine, is a skinny, pretty girl, cooking up a storm by stuffing herself with a full-course meal that could feed four people.

I have no clue why these entertain me.

My friends have similar stories to share. They, too, spend a better portion of their time consuming such mindless content. They all say that this addiction is the cause of our absentmindedness and brain fog. And I think it's true.

I am always on another imaginary, (apparently happy) plateau that is not in sync with reality. I cannot concentrate on work, and my attention span has been vastly reduced. I am not interested in keeping my home or talking to family - not even giving time to my lonely mother. Instead, I am always looking for distractions or amusement on social media to keep me happy.

Wondering why I am checking my phone so frequently, I read up on this compulsion of mine. I found out that reels or short videos are created for the sole purpose of entertainment that is addictive. It makes for a distraction from real life.

An easily digestible, upbeat, fun 10- to 15-second video clip gives our brains a hit of dopamine, the neurotransmitter and hormone that our brains love and take in as a reward. As in the case of many addictions, this creates a feedback loop that pushes us to redo the things that give us pleasure. So, when a user does not like a video, they will constantly scroll to achieve the desired reward. This results in a significantly diminished attention span.

I checked with my therapist and came to know that even children are prey to this condition. This is particularly worrying because at the stage of cognitive development (10-14 years of age), all meso-ecological factors like social media can influence a child's personality.

When I see little children hooked on smartphones, I wonder how right that is. If an adult can get obsessed with the things you can do with this device, what influence will it have on children? I shudder to think of it. In fact, the debate should be about whether children should be allowed phones to play and stay occupied with, even before going to school.

The answer is: not at all. They should get a phone when they can handle it responsibly. It is such a harmful thing that affects their cognitive growth. It distracts the children and youth, decreases their attention span and patience, and makes them hyperactive.

In a desperate attempt to cut the umbilical cord and return to normalcy, I have uninstalled all gaming and social media applications from my mobile phone, and I am trying to use the phone just for making or receiving calls.

One does not need a smartphone to stay abreast of trends, latest information, and important news. I have vowed not to seek cheap entertainment that these social media platforms push me to consume. There are good and bad sides to the whole enchilada called the mobile phone. But from now on, I have made it a point to use my laptop for work, and not my phone. Let's see how that goes!

Raffat Binte Rashid is features editor at The Daily Star.

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excessive mobile phone use and attention span

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Excessive mobile phone use: Excessive mobile phone use is affecting my attention span, changing my personality, and playing havoc with my sleep - and my overall health.

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Cell Phones Carry 10 Times the Bacteria Found on Most Toilet Seats

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Cell Phones Carry 10 Times the Bacteria Found on Most Toilet Seats

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The Most Shocking Phone-Related Stats 2024

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The Most Shocking Phone-Related Stats 2024

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During intimate moments—including time between the sheets—with their partner, 17% of women and 7% of men will happily check their smartphones.

Almost half, or 49.6%, of people can’t resist sneaking a peek at their phones during a date or dinner with their partner.

https://www.sellcell.com/blog/most-shocking-phone-related-stats/#:~:text=This%20could%20explain%20why%2048,person%20is%20without%20their%20phone.

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53% of Millennials Wake Up at Least Once Every Night to Check Their Phones

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53% of Millennials Wake Up at Least Once Every Night to Check Their Phones

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71% of people spend more time on their phone than with their romantic partner. Almost two-thirds of children spend four hours or more per day on their smartphones.Cell phones cause over 20% of car accidents.

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71% of people spend more time on their phone than with their romantic partner. Almost two-thirds of children spend four hours or more per day on their smartphones.Cell phones cause over 20% of car accidents.

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2017/12/11/phone-addiction-is-real-and-so-are-its-mental-health-risks/?sh=35e8a7e913df

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Phone Addiction Is Real -- And So Are Its Mental Health Risks

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Smartphones may be our latest vice. The effects on young people are especially concerning.

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What is a negative fact about cell phones?

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What is a negative fact about cell phones?

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Overuse of cell phones can act as a barrier to quality interactions and conversations, leading to decreased satisfaction in our relationships. Excessive device use can lead to feelings of being disconnected when we spend time with friends and family. Concentration and learning issues.

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52% of teens sit around in silence, staring at their smartphones for extended periods when they are together with friends

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52% of teens sit around in silence, staring at their smartphones for extended periods when they are together with friends

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https://techjury.net/blog/smartphone-addiction-statistics/

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There's no need to involve Google in this. If you haven't heard the term, I'll explain it in a minute.

So why did I call you nomophobes?

Well, since we'll be talking about mobile device addiction, we should use the correct term, right? And it is nomophobia - no- mobile- phone-pho bia. Simply put - it's the fear of not having your phone with you.

Jaw-Dropping Smartphone Addiction Statistics

The average smartphone owner unlocks their phone 150 times a day.

Using smartphones for longer intervals of time changes brain chemistry.

66% of the world's population shows signs of nomophobia.

71% usually sleep with or next to their mobile phone.

Smartphone use and depression are correlated.

75% of Americans use their mobile phones in the toilet.

20% of people would rather go without shoes for a week than take a break from their phone

So is it a common phenomenon, or just a term, created by psychologists to keep themselves busy? We at looked deep into the smartphone addiction stats , double-checked them and we can share what we've found.

Key Smartphone Addiction Statistics for 2021

If you thought that smartphone addiction isn't a "thing", the following numbers will prove otherwise.

1. 66% of the population shows signs of nomophobia.

2. There was a 39% increase in the number of hours people spent on their smartphones in 2020.

Nomophobia reached its peak in 2020.

As you may know, Cambridge Dictionary's online fans voted nomophobia as the word that stood out most in 2018.

Even in 2020, it still had a massive impact on people's lives - especially during the pandemic when people had nothing better to do than scroll through their phones. As a result, daily smartphone usage in terms of average hours went up by 39%.

3. The average smartphone owner unlocks their phone 150 times a day.
(Source: Internet Trends)
We laugh roughly 15 times a day. And we check our phones ten times more than that.

4. 57% of smartphone users in the US have increased their smartphone screen time during the COVID-19 lockdown.
(Source: Compare Camp)
According to smartphone addiction stats in 2021 , more than half of American smartphone users claim that they have increased their screen time by one hour, due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown. This is not far-fetched as many people have little or nothing to do during this period.

Smartphones have become a permanent factor in our daily lives in the last decade. Even now you are probably reading this on a mobile. We take them for granted, but do we stop, even for a second to ask ourselves:

How Often Do I Use My Smartphone?

Cell phone use statistics show that:

5. Users spend on average 2 hours and 51 minutes a day on their smartphones.

6. 58% of smartphone users don't go for 1 hour without checking their phones.

Of course, younger people find it harder ( 68% of people of age 18-34) to keep their hands off their smartphones for an hour.

7. Brazilians spend 4 hours and 48 minutes online via a mobile device.

Chinese are second in terms of their mobile phone usage - 3:03 hours and Americans are third with 2:37.

8. The average user touches their phone 2617 times a day.

9. More than half of smartphone owners never switch off their phones.
(Source: Psychology Today)
10. 71% usually sleep with or next to their mobile phone.
(Source: HuffingtonPost)
3% of them sleep with their phone in their hand. I will not comment on that.

11. 40% check their phones in the middle of the night.

When waking in the middle of the night, 40% of people grab on their phone first. This definitely illustrates how addicted we are to our phones.

12. 80% of smartphone users check their phone within 1 hour of waking or going to sleep.

...and more than one-third of said 80% will do so within 5 minutes.

13. 41% of all adults check their phone a few times an hour.

Even if you didn't realize it so far, this stat clearly illustrates how phone addiction works.

14. In 2021, people check their smartphones 58 times per day.
(Source: Elite Content Marketer)
According to smartphone addiction statistics for 2021 , phone owners check their phones close to 60 times daily. Half the time it happens is during work hours.

Wondering how long the sessions last?

Well, 70% of the sessions last less than two minutes, while only a quarter last up to 10 minutes.

15. 75% of users admit that they have texted at least once while driving.

Actually, cell phone addiction studies show smartphone use is more dangerous on the road than alcohol abuse.

Now that we've seen how much we use our smartphones, we can ask some questions. Do we master our technology, or is it the other way around? How do these numbers affect our physical life and relations? Let's see.

16. A single phone pick-up can set up a chain reaction that lasts the entire day.
(Source: Elite Content Marketer)
Mobile usage doesn't happen during a single block of time.

Checking notifications once could open up a string of constant checks throughout the day.

That's not all:

Half the screen time happens within short breaks of up to three minutes.

How Teens and Their Parents Cope with Smartphone Addiction

We will also review the mental problems caused by nomophobia.

17. Screen time is the third most frequent source of conflict between parents and teens.
(Source: Common Sense Media)
Parents argue with their teens mostly about chores (35%), bedtime (33%), and phone usage (31%). Thankfully, there are numerous ways parents can limit their kids' screentime. They should consider getting parental control software to limit their kids' screentime. This can help because...

18. 89% of parents blame themselves and caregivers for their children's cellphone addiction.
(Source: Bank My Cell)
Reports show that 47% of parents think that their children are addicted to their smartphones. What's more, stats on smartphone addiction show that 5% of parents blame the children themselves, while 3% blame the smartphone manufacturers for this addiction.

In spite of all these, 50% of parents are concerned about the impact of this addiction on their children's mental health.

19. 58% of teens feel that people generally expect them to respond immediately to notifications.
(Source: Screen Education)
And therefore:

20. 41% of teens feel overwhelmed by the number of notifications they receive daily.
(Source: Screen Education)
This is just one of the teenage cell phone addiction symptoms that can lead to some psychological problems.

Still, teens aren't the only ones.

21. 46% of parents in the UK feel addicted to their mobile devices.
(Source: Common Sense Media)
22. 63% of parents feel teens are addicted to their devices.
(Source: Common Sense Media)
Teens' smartphone addiction doesn't worry only the moms and dads in the UK. 61% of parents in Japan feel their kids have acquired some sort of technology addiction , according to statistics . Third are the US parents (59%).

23. 78% of teens check their devices at least once an hour.
(Source: Common Sense Media)
Well, teens surely can manage their time better than having the phone glued to their hands.

24. 48% of teens use a mobile device 5 minutes after they wake up.
(Source: Common Sense Media)
The excessive phone use for almost half of teens starts at the beginning of their day.

Unfortunately, this leads to other problems, such as:

25. 33% of teens spend more time socializing with close friends online, rather than face-to-face.
(Source: Screen Education)
69% of teens wish they could spend more time socializing with their close friends face-to-face.

26. 52% of teens sit around in silence, staring at their smartphones for extended periods when they are together with friends.
(Source: Screen Education)
If you didn't know this already, these statistics might be an eye-opener. Let me build upon that with some scientific data.

27. In 2020, 84% of parents were worried that their children could stumble upon inappropriate content online.

The pandemic forced most kids to attend online classes in most countries around the world.

According to technology addiction statistics , over 80% of parents were concerned that more screen time could put their children in danger. Since the lessons happen over the internet, it's more than likely that a child could get bored and decide to drift into other sites. Some could be inappropriate.

Shockingly, nearly 60% of parents in a survey never took any safety measures, like using a smartphone monitor app such as Bark or Qustodio . However, the good news was that 61% of the respondents said they kept a keen eye on what their youngsters were doing online.

How Smartphone Addiction Affects Teenagers?

I will just let the smartphone addiction stats speak for themselves.

28. 11 teens die from distracted driving due to smartphones daily.
(Source: Compare Camp)
According to teenage cell phone addiction statistics , 26% of teenage and adult accidents around the world are caused by the use of mobile phones while driving. Reports further show that those looking at their phones while driving are four times more likely to have an accident than those who don't.

29. 35% of teenagers do not feel that using smartphones in class during a lecture is rude.
(Source: Compare Camp)
Teenage cellphone addiction statistics indicate that every day, see their classmates watch videos, surf the internet, 72% of teenagers play games, and use social media apps in class.

30. Teenagers who spend 5 hours a day on electronic devices are 71% more likely to have suicide risk factors than those with one-hour use.

Smartphone dependency statistics also show that:

31. 8th graders who are heavy users of social media are 27% more likely to have depression.

This is one of the most alarming phone usage statistics for parents. Depression itself is bad, but it also leads to other issues. 3 out of 4 teens with depression have anxiety, and 47.2% of them also have behavior problems.

32. Teens that spend 5 hours a day on electronic devices are 51% more likely to get under 7 hours of sleep.

The lack of sleep can lead to dozens of other problems, including obesity. Researches show the average teenager needs 8-10 hours of sleep.

33. 80% of teens typically spend time on their phone after they go to bed.
(Source: Screen Education)
Thankfully, if you are a parent, you have multiple options to limit your kid's screen time. There's a variety of apps that can do that, and even the best antivirus tools come with built-in parental controls.

34. Smartphone use and depression are correlated.

Except it wouldn't really be fair to point that out. You wanna know why?

Adults are even worse than teens.

In the next section of this article, we'll try to understand

How Smartphone Addiction Influences Our Daily Lives?

Before we step into the adult world of smartphone zombies, let's define the word "addiction" first.

The word "addict" was used first in 1909 to describe morphine addicts. It derives from the Latin word "addico", one of the meanings of which is "enslaved".

Are adults "enslaved" by smartphones, like teens are?

35. An average smartphone user checks his phone every 12 minutes from when they are awake till when they sleep.
(Source: DIY Genius)
Smartphone addiction statistics show that this is even more predominant in young people between the ages of 18 to 21. They check their phones every 8.6 minutes from when they wake up until they go to sleep.

36. 85% of smartphone users will check their devices while speaking with friends and family.

Arguably, revising our smartphone habits might prove useful if we want to improve our social life.

37. We spend on average 144 minutes per day on social media.
(Source: Broadband Search)
Let it sink in for a while...

144 minutes...

Hopefully, the adults are happy as well.

For comparison, in 2012 we spent an average of 60 minutes on social media.

38. We'll spend an average of 5 years and four months of our lifetimes on social media.

To avoid becoming a part of smartphone addiction statistics on social media and save five years of your life, maybe it would be wise to leave the phone for a while.

I'm not saying you should delete your social media account. But maybe slowing down a bit can pay off, though.

While we are on the topic let's see how...

Smartphone Addiction Changes Our Work Habits

39. 84% of US working adults use their personal phones during working hours.

Probably 16% of them didn't have phones or didn't admit to using them, because show your phone has the potential to keep you distracted. It can provide some rest (or an escape) from the work process. And we aren't talking everyone I know uses their phone during working hours. Phone stats BYOD here, only as a distraction.
US workers aren't the only ones:
40. 75% of workers in the UK check their phones while at work.

41. 36% of millennials say they spend 2 or more hours per workday looking at their phones for personal activities.

Cell phone statistics show that companies are losing millions because of their "distracted" workforce. That said, businesses should consider choosing an employee monitoring system to keep their employees productive.

42. 59% think that personal use of technology is more distracting than work tools.

And guess who the biggest thief of attention is? It's really easy to guess - Facebook. The social network is the biggest distraction according to 86%.

43. "Being constantly interrupted by alerts and notifications may be contributing towards a problematic deficit of attention."
(Source: Silence Your Phones)
We can't skip the psychological signs in this list of smartphone addiction stats. You might want to address this for you and your loved ones.

44. A study observed people experiencing changes in heart rate and blood pressure.
(Source: The Extended iSelf)
The participants in this study were separated from their phones and experienced higher blood pressure and increased heart rate. Body changes like these suggest an answer to the question " are phones addictive ?"

So why do people get addicted to their phones? Using smartphones for longer intervals of time makes the brain increase the production of dopamine. Dopamine is a part of the reward system in the brain. And the more rewards we receive, the more we want. Which can lead to a well-established habit.

So do you think we should do something about it?

45. 63% of consumers try to limit their phone usage.

Unfortunately, cell phone usage statistics show only 30% of them are successful.

46. 43% of workers turn off their phones to cope with distraction.

Well, at least almost half the workers have found a way to be productive.

47. 60% of 18-to 34-year-olds and nearly 40% of all consumers say they use their phones too much.

The good news is that more and more people realize they need to address their smartphone issues.

How Do I Beat My Phone Addiction?

First things first - take it slow. Don't lock your phone in a safe somewhere. It doesn't work like that.

There are two places you can start with:

1. The Bedroom

You can buy yourself a normal alarm clock and make the bedroom a phone-free zone. You don't actually the phone in your bed.

2. The Table

Leave the phone away while eating or socializing with friends. That way you'll be able to enjoy both the conversations and the meal itself. It's refreshing to talk to people face-to-face, instead of chatting with them online. Most people don't bite.
*fun fact - Human bites account for 0.3% of ER visits.
By now you should realize that smartphone addiction is real, and there are stats to prove it.

Here's another tip on how to avoid it:

Turn off Your Notifications

By limiting the urge to see what's happened, in time you will let go of the need for your phone. All you need it to do is to shut the little voice in your head, that shouts like a crazy person:

"HEY! HEEEY! HELLLOOO! Your phone's light is blinking. Something's happened. COME ON! HURRYY. PICK IT UUUP!"

If you've read any of my other articles like " What is a cyber attack? ", or " How to create a strong password " you already know that I always "spice up" my texts with some interesting facts.

While researching the topic I stumbled upon some really...

Interesting Statistics About Smartphone Addiction

We can all agree that smartphone addiction is an alarming trend. Still, this shouldn't stop us from knowing the fun side of it.

48. 45% of people in the United States will rather give up sex for one year than give up their phones.
(Source: Small Business Trends)
That is almost half of the cellphone users in the United States!

Smartphone addiction rate statistics go further to inform us that 32.7% of Americans spend lesser time with their partners than with their phones.

49. 75% of Americans use their mobile phones in the toilet.

I can relate to that. Not proud of it, but I do. I defend castles on my toilet. I have a throne, why not be a king as well?

Bad jokes aside, 93% of Gen Z and Y are toilet texters.

When we already have the term "toilet texter", things aren't looking good.

However, not everyone manages to text because:

50. 19% of them drop their phone down the toilet.

Been there. Done that. Had to buy a new phone. Now I'm more careful. I suggest you are too.

Smartphone addiction stats show not all smartphone users have this issue, because...

51. More people have smartphones than toilets worldwide.

Nothing can compare to the feeling of peeing in the woods (or in a hole), while checking your email or playing a game. Priceless.

52. 20% of people would rather go without shoes for a week than take a break from their phone.
(Source: Psychology Today)
I wasn't going to comment on that, but I can't help myself.

Just imagine the psychologist doing the survey: Okay now, what do you prefer? To go around barefoot for seven days or leave your phone on this table for a while?

53. 20% of people aged 18-34 have used their smartphones during sex.

I had to research a whole new topic to be able to explain this stat. And the most common reason for grabbing the phone is... filming. Or taking a picture of the act.

Conclusion

Most of us get anxious when our phone is not around, so it might pay off to learn to let go of it for a change. It could be good for us to go out and socialize without the addiction in our pockets.

The smartphone addiction statistics I presented aren't just numbers. They represent actual human beings and you probably recognized yourself in some of these stats. Who knows, maybe it would be a good thing to put the phone down? After all, it's alright to allow yourself to enjoy life for a bit.

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51+ Alarming Smartphone Addiction Statistics for 2021

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There's no need to involve Google in this. If you haven't heard the term, I'll explain it in a minute. So why did I call you nomophobes? Well, since we'll be talking about mobile device addiction, we should use the correct term, right? And it is nomophobia - no- mobile- phone-pho bia.

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A study indicated that parents who spend more time with their phones have a greater tendency to shout at their children. 

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A study indicated that parents who spend more time with their phones have a greater tendency to shout at their children. 

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25 Surprising Facts About Phone Addiction - Addiction Tips

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The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year.

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The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year.

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https://www.diygenius.com/smartphone-addiction-factsheet/

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Smartphones have taken over our lives.

If current trends continue, we will soon be wearing them on our faces for convenience and eventually may even merge with the digital machines that captivate our attention for so much of our days.

In just a few years, smartphones have led to a massive drop in attention spans and the rise of a psychological phenomenon of continuous partial attention, where most people struggle to pay attention for long periods of time.

Given that the knowledge-based economy requires exactly this kind of focused concentration on cognitively demanding tasks for long periods of time, smartphone addiction is both a threat to our career and personal satisfaction.

Enjoy these mind-blowing statistics about just how much we are using our smartphones in 2021...

How Much Do We Use Our Smartphones:

Here's how much smartphones have come to dominate our leisure time.

1. The average adult in the United States will spend 3 hours, 43 minutes per day on their mobile devices last year (just above the 3 hours, 35 minutes spent watching TV).

- eMarketer Study

2. The average American now spends 60 hours on screens per week including television, smartphones and computer use at home and at work.

- Neilsen U.S. Digital Consumer Report

3. The typical smartphone user checks their smartphone every 12 minutes from when they wake up until they go to sleep. For young people below the age of 21, they check their phone every 8.6 minutes.

- A Decade of Digital Dependency Study

4. 40% of adults look at their phone within five minutes of waking up, rising to 65% of those aged under 35. And 37% of adults check their phones just before switching off the lights for bed, increasing to 60% for those under 35.

- A Decade of Digital Dependency Study

5. The average smartphone user will tap, swipe, click their smartphone 2,617 times a day while the top 10% do this about 5,427 times a day.

- Dscout's Mobile Touches Report

6. 1 in 3 mobile owners would rather give up sex than their phones.

- Wired Magazine

7. 72% of regular smartphone users state that there is very little chance that they will ever move 5 feet away from their smartphone because if they do they will start feeling anxious.

8. Young people who gave give up their smartphones performed worse on mental tasks when they were in "withdrawal," and felt physiological symptoms, like increased heart rate and blood pressure. They also felt a sense of loss, or lessening, of their extended self-their phones.

- The Extended iSelf

9. The number of mobile phone users worldwide is 5.1 billion, with 3.2 billion regularly using social media.

- We Are Social

10. More than half of teens (54%) say they spend too much time on their cellphones, and 41% say they overdo it on social media.

- Pew Research

11. The average American adult checks social media 17 times each day.

- Mobile Marketing Watch

12. It is estimated that 40% of the American population is addicted to their smartphones. On top of this, 58% of men and 47% of women suffer from Nomophobia, which is the fear of being without a smartphone.

- Psychology Today

Smartphones And Sleep:

Sleep experts have been warning for years that constant exposure to blue light from mobile devices is leading to declining sleep quality across the population.

1. We are on screen for longer than we are asleep. The average person spends 8 hours and 41 mins on electronic devices, which is about 20 minutes more than the average night's sleep.

- The Daily Mail

2. The smartphone is the last thing most people look at before going to bed at night.

3. Mobile technology is perceived to cause negative effects to sleep. Of the respondents, 44% had been woken up by the noise, and 41% by the light from a mobile phone in the bedroom

- Together in Bed?

4. 74% of the respondents used mobile technology, i.e. a smartphone or tablet, in the shared bed at least once a week. However, only 18% reported using a shared smartphone or tablet together in bed.

- Together in Bed?

5. 1 in 3 People check their smartphones in the middle of the night.

- Deloitte Global Mobile Consumer Survey

6. One-third of 18 to 24-year-olds sleep with their phones right next to them. For people who have their phones right next to them while they are sleeping, the first and last thing they do after they wake up and before they go to sleep, is usually to check their smartphones.

7. 1 in 4 people will not put their smartphones on silent before going to bed.

8. 1 in 2 people say that if they wake up in the middle of the night without any reason, they will check their phones.

9. 63% of people who use gadgets before their bedtime stated that they did not get proper sleep during the week.

10. Exposure to blue light from LED screens after dark reduces melatonin production, which makes it harder to fall asleep.

11. More than half of smartphone users never switch off their phones and 65%, or about two in three people, sleep with or next to their smartphones.

- Psychology Today

12. 47% of adults miss out on sleep due to internet usage.

Smartphones And Car Accidents:

Distracted driving is making our roads less safe to drive.

1. 1 out of every 4 car accidents in the United States is caused by texting and driving.

- Edgar Snyder & Associates

2. Texting while driving is 6x more likely to cause an accident than driving drunk.

- Edgar Snyder & Associates

3. Answering a text takes away your attention for about five seconds. Traveling at 55 mph, that's enough time to travel the length of a football field.

- Edgar Snyder & Associates

4. The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year.

- National Safety Council

5. In 2015, 3,477 people were killed and 391,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.

- Edgar Snyder & Associates

6. Pedestrians who text are 4x less likely to look before crossing the street, cross in crosswalks, or obey traffic signals.

- Edgar Snyder & Associates

7. 11 teens die every day on the roads as a result of texting while driving in the United States.

- Cambridge Mobile Telematics

What The Internet Is Doing To Your Brain:

One of the most informative (and funny) videos demonstrating how constant multitasking and interruptions have rewired our brains.

Want to break free from instant gratification and find your mental "zone of genius"? Watch the free Flow Masterclass.

Smartphones And Learning

Multitasking and context switching has been shown to dramatically decrease both sustained concentration and memory recall.

1. 60% of U.S. college students consider themselves to have a smartphone addiction.

- The Invisible Addiction

2. 71% of U.S. college students sleep with (or next to) their smartphones.

- The Invisible Addiction

3. 44% of 18-24 year old's have fallen asleep with their phone in their hand.

- The Invisible Addiction

4. As technology has played a bigger role in our lives, our skills in critical thinking and analysis have declined, while our visual skills have improved.

- UCLA Children's Digital Media Center

5. A link has been found between excessive social media use and poor academic performance.

- BMC Psychology

6. The average adult consumes five times more information every day than their counterpart 50 years ago.

Smartphones And Working:

The best thing you can do for your productivity is to put your smartphone in another room when you want to get focused work done.

1. Nearly 3 out of 4 workers (70 percent) admit they feel distracted when they're on the job. The problem is biggest for Millennials and Gen Zers, with 74 percent reporting feeling distracted.

- Udemy's Workplace Survey

2. 60% of people say a traditional vacation/holiday does not relieve their stress with many admitting to checking emails and taking phone calls while away, sometimes multiple times a day.

3. 15% of UK adults say being constantly connected makes them feel they are always at work.

4. Checking work emails decreases your focus, as well as making you more stressed.

5. New research by Google has shown that 79% of people in the UK want to find a better balance with their smartphone usage. Of the 3,000 British adults surveyed, 47% believed that their phone negatively affects their work, saying they would be more efficient if they could master control over their device.

- TechCrunch

Smartphones And Relationships:

The hours of time we spend staring at our smartphones each day can reduce the quality of our face-to-face interactions.

1. 40% of Americans report experiencing chronic loneliness (even before covid-19 hit).

2. We now spend much more time staring at our phones than making eye contact.

- Bank Of America

3. Of the 75,000 married couples surveyed, 79 percent admitted technology distracts them from connecting with each other. On top of that, just 22 percent reported being satisfied with how much intentional "couple time" they spend together.

- Lasting App

4. 85% of smartphone users will check their device while speaking with friends and family.

- BankMyCell's

5. Thirty-four percent admitted to answering their cell phone during intimacy with their partner.

6. The average user logs 2 hours and 15 minutes a day on social media alone.

Smartphones and Mental Health:

As people become more lonely and absorbed in the digital reality on their smartphones, mental health seems to decline.

1. A study has shown that as mobile phone use increases, so does anxiety and depression.

- BMC Psychiatry

2. New research by Nottingham Trent University finds that a third of the smartphone notifications we receive worsen our mood.

3. Human average attention spans have declined significantly in the 11 years since smartphones existed and are now lower than that of a goldfish.

4. Neuroimaging research has shown that excessive screen time actually damages the brain. (Structural and functional changes have been found in brain regions involving emotional processes, executive attention, decision making, and cognitive control).

5. A research study interrupted thousands of people randomly throughout their days (via notifications on their iPhones, ironically) and asked them 1) how happy they felt, 2) what they were doing, and 3) what they were thinking about. They found that it pretty much didn't matter what people were doing; if their minds were wandering and they weren't focusing on whatever task was right in front of them, they were less happy at that moment and in the near future.

- A Wandering Mind Is An Unhappy Mind

6. Tech has become one of the leading causes of anxiety according to a Leeds University study.

Heavy smartphone users tend to be "more prone to moodiness, materialism and temperamental behavior, and are less able to focus their attention on the task at hand".

- Baylor University Study

"Much like a variety of substance addictions, cell phone addiction may be an attempt at mood repair... Incessant checking of emails, sending texts, tweeting, and surfing the web may act as pacifiers for the unstable individual distracting him or herself from the worries of the day and providing solace, albeit temporarily, from such concerns."

- Baylor University Study

The Importance of Unplugging:

One of the best things you can do for your mental health is to unplug and do regular digital detoxes.

1. 2/3s of Americans say that they "somewhat or strongly agree that periodically 'unplugging' or taking a 'digital detox' is important for their mental health

- The APA's Stress in America

2. 47% of smartphone users have attempted to limit their usage in the past - only 30% of which feel they were successful

- BankMyCell's

3. Smartphones are causing ADHD-Like symptoms in adults

- Silence Your Phones UBC Study

4. The act of just receiving a notification, even if you don't reply to it, is enough to severely distract you.

Smartphones And Children's Development:

We are only beginning to learn how smartphones and tablets are changing the wiring of children's brains.

1. Top technology leaders, including Steve Jobs and Bill Gates among others, confirmed they restrict or limit their children's screen time.

- New York Times

2. "Walter Isaacson, who ate dinner with the Jobs family while researching his biography of Steve Jobs, told Bilton that, "No one ever pulled out an iPad or computer. The kids did not seem addicted at all to devices." It seemed as if the people producing tech products were following the cardinal rule of drug dealing: never get high on your own supply."

- Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology

2. 6 out of 10 Americans wish their family members would unplug from technology more often.

3. 60% of UK parents believe their child spends too much time on their mobile devices at home.

4. A US survey found that more than 73% of young adults (under 30) suffer from symptoms of digital eye strain from screen overuse, including dry, irritated eyes, blurred vision, neck and back pain, and headaches.

5. The default postural position of using a smartphone or tablet massively increases neck strain. Many chiropractors argue today's digital natives will reach their middle years and there will be an epidemic of chronic pain from neck strain and lower back problems.

6. 21% of UK children feel their parents don't listen to them properly because they're constantly picking up emails, calls or texts on their mobiles.

7. The amount of screen time young children have daily is correlated with increased body-mass index (BMI), fewer minutes of sleep per night, and delays in cognition, language, and social-emotional development.

Continuous Partial Attention:

It is becoming increasingly difficult for people to pay attention to things like reading a book without having constant interruptions.

1. The mere presence of one's own smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity.

- Brain Drain

2. Americans are viewing their smartphones more often than ever before, on average 52 times per day. That's up from 47 times a day, last year.

- Deloitte Global Mobile Consumer Survey

3. Test subjects who received their notifications in batches three times a day reported they felt significantly happier, more focused, and less stressed than those who received notifications as usual, or not at all.

- American Psychology Association

4. 62% of polled UK adults say they 'hate' how much time they spend on their phone.

5. A UCLA study found that pre-teens who were deprived of screens for five days through a digital detox were much better at reading people's emotions (non-verbal skills) than children who continued using screens.

Fun Facts About Smartphones:

Some more eye-opening facts about smartphones.

1. Smartphones have 18 times more bacteria than toilet handles.

- The Daily Mail

2. More people in the world have smartphones than toilets.

- World Toilet Day

3. The technology in your smartphone relies on up to 250,000 separate patents.

4. More people died by taking selfies in 2015 than by shark attacks.

- Telegraph

How To Break Free From Smartphone Addiction

Here are 3 recommendations to break free from smartphone addiction:

1. My #1 recommendation is starting dedicating at least 1-2 hours a day to work on your computer with your smartphone in another room and work up from there.

Keep in mind that you actually need about a month to rewire your brain to not see your smartphone as a constant source of dopamine and stimulation so start small and work your way up.

2. Get a time locking container like the Kitchen Safe and place your phone in it when you want to fully unplug and bring your full attention to your activities.

This is a handy trick to break free from smartphone addiction. It may seem extreme but it works.

3. Dedicate 1 day a week on the weekend for a digital sabbath where you can stay unplugged from your smartphone from dawn to dusk.

Try it for a month and you'll surprised by how much more refreshed you on Monday morning.

Want to get back 10-15 hours a week from your smartphone? Watch the free Flow Masterclass.

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100 Mind Blowing Smartphone Addiction Statistics [2021 Update]

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Smartphones have taken over our lives. If current trends continue, we will soon be wearing them on our faces for convenience and eventually may even merge with the digital machines that captivate our attention for so much of our days.

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https://techjury.net/blog/smartphone-addiction-statistics/

Gen Z 1997 – 2012

Gen Y/ Millennials 1981 – 1996

Gen X 1965 – 1980

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The average smartphone owner unlocks their phone 150 times a day

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66% of the population shows signs of nomophobia

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