Smartphone Survey: The fascinating differences in the way we use our phones
/ By Kylie AndrewsThe results of the ABC's Science Week Smartphone Survey are in! And how we use our phones and how we feel about them depends on how old you are, but not necessarily in the way you might expect.
More than 14,000 people filled in the survey, which ran during National Science Week in August 2017. Dr Lynette Vernon and Ms Bep Uink from Murdoch University, and Dr Kathy Modecki from Griffith University have crunched the data and have started looking at the results.
But here's what we know so far:
We all love our phones
While almost all of us are walking around with a smartphone in the pocket or bag, the way we use them and how we feel about them is completely different.
"What's clear from these data is that generations are using the device really differently, Dr Kathryn Modecki from Griffith University said.
"So it's actually a different relationship with your smartphone — different uses and expectations for its use depending on your generation."
But one thing that was consistent across all ages was that we love our phones.
This is what some of our survey participants said:
For me it is my social connection and work facilitator.
I need my phone so that I know my ageing dad, single parent brother, Aspergers brother, teenage children and cycling husband can contact me.
My partner and I often use our smartphones together. We lie in bed and scroll through his Facebook feed, or watch YouTube clips on his phone. So our phones don't always isolate us from each other but become points of connection in real life.
Many of us spend more than three hours a day on our phones
Almost 40 per cent of survey respondents said they use their smartphone for three hours or more each day.
Another 47 per cent (almost half of 14,000 respondents) indicated they spent one to two hours on the phone daily.
And about one tenth of all respondents said they were on their phones for more than five hours every day.
As expected, the time spent on the phone varied by age.
The younger you are, the more likely you are to spend more time on your phone. Over half of young people (those under the age of 36) say they use their phones for more than three hours each day.
Because the time spent on our smartphones was estimated by the people who participated — as opposed to a direct figure from an app that monitors smartphone usage — it's likely that the true figure might actually be much larger. People taking part in the Digital Detox run by Life Matters on ABC RN were shocked to find out they dramatically underestimated their daily phone usage.
We're also checking our smartphones a lot. And again, no surprises that if you're younger, you're more likely to check your phone more frequently. Over half of our survey participants under 35 agreed that they constantly check their phone — this figure dropped down to not quite 10 per cent for people over 75.
Younger people use their phones as a mini-computer
The younger you are the more likely you are to use your smartphone like the mini-computer that it is, said Dr Modecki. And the older you get the more likely you are to use it as a mobile phone, for phone calls or texting.
"Using a smartphone for phone calls was more popular as age increased. Whereas newer types of uses for phones, in terms of using it more in terms of a mini-computer, for streaming videos, listening to music was more popular among the younger age groups," she said.
What this means is that generations are using the smartphones completely differently.
"I'm really excited about a number of questions generated from these data, but what really stands out is thinking about these generational questions," Dr Modecki said.
"The survey results make it clear that the way individuals are interacting with their smartphones across the day, and in their lives and relationships, is very, very different by age cohort."
Sometimes our phones feel like a burden
Younger people are more likely to say they couldn't live without their smartphones than older people. But they're also more likely to find them distracting, annoying and describe them as 'a leash'.
"For younger generations, smartphones are more distracting, whereas for older individuals they're much more likely to say that smartphones are connecting," said Dr Modecki.
The older generation report a more balanced relationship with their smartphones.
"Older individuals are saying its freedom, where younger individuals are more evenly split between whether it's a leash or freedom."
This is what you told us:
It feels like an addiction that I am constantly fighting against.
I never thought I would use my smartphone to connect with other people through games in the way I have — such as Pokemon Go.
They impact our lives in surprising ways
Younger people aged between 19-25 were more likely to report that they felt safer because they have a smartphone.
"This was another finding that really struck me," said Dr Modecki.
"I was thinking that endorsement about safety was coming from the older age groups, but it's coming from the younger groups.
"Having a phone with you means you feel safer. Whether that is actually true or not needs to examined
But younger people also reported that they read less books.
"Almost 60 per cent of 19-25 year olds said "I read fewer books because I spend time on my smartphone"; but then less than 10 per cent of 70-plus said that," said Dr Modecki.
Bucking the generational trend is the impact of smartphones on stress, which peaks dramatically at 36-45, with 47 per cent of people in that age group reporting that they felt more stressed now that they have a smartphone.
There are different rules for when and where it's okay to use them
Younger people are more likely to push the boundaries on where phones are used, they were more likely to report that they used them while on the road or the toilet!
Overall, however, most of us don't like other people looking at their screens when we're talking to them, and we don't think children should use screens in restaurants.
They're good for busy parents but relationships can suffer
There was little evidence from the survey results to suggest that smartphones are negatively impacting our relationships, or our parenting, said Dr Modecki.
"I thought we'd get lots of negativity from parents, about the guilt and how it's affecting their parenting, their attention and time with their children."
"But from what I can see the parents are endorsing their phones, saying, 'Yes I'm on the playground using my phone, but at least I'm on the playground instead of the office. And if I didn't have my smartphone I wouldn't even get to be spending time with my child on the playground'."
However, many people commented that the smartphone had become a wedge in their relationships:
I feel my marriage has suffered due to the smartphone and my partner's constant use of it — she uses it in front of the TV, immediately gets up to check a text when the ding goes, even if we are sitting down as a family and having a meal.
My 30-year-old children and their partners are too distracted by their phones and often are not listening to conversations.
My husband is always on his phone. Drives the family crazy.
Hate jumping in the car for a long drive and my wife instantly pulls out her phone, rather than talk to me.
Now when they reject me for their phones, by pretending interest in my own, I can better hide my sadness and maintain my dignity. I was happier and more fulfilled before they were invented.
Tips on getting the best out of your phone
Many people shared their tips on how to get the best out of your smartphone. Here's a few of them:
I think you need to set rules and expectations that suit your family. Make social phone-free time the norm. Role model phone-free time in front of kids. Set the tone for your family. The strictest we are with phone use is at meal times — nothing gets answered or checked during dinner — NO excuses including nuclear attack ha ha!
Love turning off notifications and controlling privacy settings on phones. Love sharing my location with my wife and son, and knowing their locations in return. Love audiobooks while driving, turn-by-turn navigation in unknown cities, discovering new ways between A and B in known cities.
Rather than listening to radio, subscribe to podcasts, Spotify for all my music needs. Living alone, it provides security. I love the torch — often use it when out at night. It's a great tool and adds value to my life!
The best thing I did when I got my new smartphone was not having my work email connected.
I actually carry two smartphones, one work and one personal. When I'm away from work and I'm not on-call, I put the work phone down and don't ever check it.
The best use is for internet banking and paying bills. Very quick — you don't have to start up a computer to do it.
Thanks again to everyone who took part in the Smartphone Survey.
Thanks also to Dr Lynette Vernon and Ms Bep Uink from Murdoch University, and Dr Kathy Modecki from Griffith University for designing the Smartphone Survey and analysing the results. More results are available from Murdoch University's Modern Life Study.