Better living with smartphones

Usage of smartphones while doing other activities

Smartphones are personal, but their usage impacts on those around them. As with most emerging technologies, consumers will need to learn how best to run their lives with smartphones, as opposed to having their lives run by their devices.

Humans repeat actions that make them happy. Contentment can be derived from positive reactions to a post on social media or a message from a friend thousands of miles away. For that reason, people who get enjoyment this way will likely increase their propensity to engage with their smartphone.

Question. How often, if at all, do you use your mobile phone while doing the following?

Note: The 'Intensity of usage' axis and size of the bubbles represent a weighted average for the indexed frequency with those that ‘always’ do that activity rated 1 and those that ‘never’ do the activity rated 0. The ‘Intrusiveness’ axis shows how intrusive the phone is for each activity weighted base: Respondents who own or have access to a smartphone (3,251) Source: UK edition, Deloitte Global Mobile Consumer Survey, May-Jun 2016

Smartphones can enhance social lives, but overuse can be perceived as anti-social, and cause arguments. During the day, 18-24 year olds are among the most enthusiastic of smartphone users. A third use their devices ‘always’ or ‘very often’ when meeting friends, shopping or watching television. Over a tenth use their phones ‘always’ or ‘very often’ when eating at home, or eating out.

A day in the life of a smartphone...

Note: Respondents for which a particular activity does not apply have been excluded from this analysis (e.g. respondents who do not work have not been asked if they use their phone at work)
Weighted base: Respondents who own or have access to a smartphone (3,251)
Source: UK edition, Deloitte Global Mobile Consumer Survey, May-Jun 2016