We’re all addicted to our smartphones to some extent, but being stuck indoors for over a year may have affected our perception of our tech usage.
Last year, a survey conducted by Reviews.org showed that 75% of respondents considered themselves addicted to their phone. You would expect that percentage to go up while we’ve been in quarantine, right? Well, the 2021 version says that now only 48% believe themselves addicted.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t cured everyone’s reliance on their mobile devices; it’s just changed how, when, and how often we use them. Americans aren’t using their devices in the car as much because they are driving less. They don’t feel as much unease about leaving their phone behind because they just aren’t going out as often.
The raw stats still show how addicted people are, though. In 2021, Americans check their phone 262 times per day, on average. This is a huge leap from last year’s survey, which stated that 65% of respondents checked their device 160 times per day.
Despite the feeling that we are less addicted, 80% of respondents still check their phones immediately when they wake up, 62% still sleep with their phones, 54% panic when their battery falls below 20%, and 52% have never gone 24 hours without their phone.
