Over half of Gen-Z respondents in the study referred to their phone as “a best friend.”
Smartphones are great. They connect us with friends and family members, allow us to capture memories through pictures and video, and can even be home to some truly excellent gaming experiences. It’s almost necessary for most people to own a phone these days, but as we all know, there’s a point where phones can become a problem.
Motorola recently partnered with Dr. Nancy Etcoff from Harvard University and the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Psychiatry to ask a series of questions to 4,418 smartphone users in the U.S., Brazil, France, and India between the ages of 16 to 65. The goal of the study was to get a better idea as to how the average person uses and interacts with their phone, and some of the results are, honestly, pretty depressing.
- 33% of respondents said they’d rather spend time on their phone than spend face-to-face time with friends
- 53% of Generation Z respondents consider their phone to be “a best friend”
- 44% said they feel compelled to constantly check their phone
- 29% are “thinking about using it or planning the next time I can use it” when they’re without their phone
Thankfully, most people appear to be aware of their addictions and want to change things. 60% of those surveyed agreed it’s important to have a life away from phones and 61% said that they want to get the most out of their phone while on it and the most out of life when they’re not.
60% of people want to better their phone-life balance.
Following these findings, Motorola created a simple 10-question quiz you can take to see whether or not you need to improve your phone-life balance. Motorola is also working with the team behind the SPACE Phone-Life Balance App, so there’s a chance future Moto phones could come with exclusive trials, discounts, or features for the service.
Phone addition isn’t a cheery topic to talk about, but it’s also incredibly important. My eyes are on a screen for 8+ hours each day between my phone and computer for work, and while I can’t really give these things up because of the nature of my job, I do my best to make conscious efforts to use them as little as possible when I don’t have to. I don’t always succeed at this, but it’s something worth working on each and every day.
If you’re comfortable opening up in the comments below, how’s your phone-life balance? Is it something you think you’ve mastered, or do you often find yourself struggling with it?
Phone addiction is making me sad and anxious, but so is the idea of quitting
