One third would go hungry rather than give up their device.
People are more addicted to their smartphones than ever before. In a recent survey(1), more than 60 percent of smartphone owners said they couldn’t make it longer than a few hours without checking their phone. More than two-thirds of respondents check their phones at least every hour.
This trend is increasing, with smartphone owners becoming more attached to their phones. In 2015, 65 percent of smartphone owners said they would never leave their phone at home compared to 48 percent in 2013, with the most important reason being text messaging.
“We asked smartphone owners what they would rather give up than their device and the results were fascinating,” said Erryn Anderson, director of sales. “Smartphones have quickly become the easiest way for people to stay connected with their community while enhancing and simplifying their daily lives. It’s no wonder people wouldn’t want to part ways with their device.”
Here are five surprising things mobile users would rather give up than their smartphone:
–Chocolate (72 percent)Americans love their candy bars, consuming nearly 10 pounds of chocolate each year(2). But more than seven out of 10people would choose to forgo chocolate instead of giving up their smartphone.
–TV (65 percent)People in the U.S. spend almost three hours a day watching television, according to the Washington Post (3). However, 65 percent of respondents would abandon their favorite shows in order to stay connected to their smartphone.
–Caffeine (63 percent) What if six out of 10 coworkers went through the day without their first cup of coffee? That would be the situation if they had to choose between caffeine and their device.
–Pets (50 percent)People don’t have to choose between their phone and their pet, which is a good thing for half of the nation’s fuzzy friends. According to respondents, 50 percent of pet owners would give up their animals before parting ways with their smartphone.
–Food (33 percent) Final meal or one phone call? One third of smartphone owners would go hungry rather than give up their device.
¹ Between Nov. 12-21, 2015, a total of 735 online interviews were conducted among a nationally representative sample by Consumer Insights, in partnership with Maritz CX.
2 McCarthy, Niall. “The World’s Biggest Chocolate Consumers.” Forbes, July 22, 2015.
3 Ingraham, Christopher. “Americans Are Watching More TV and Working Less, New Federal Data Show.” The Washington Post, June 28, 2016.
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About U.S. Cellular
U.S. Cellular is the fifth-largest full-service wireless carrier in the United States, providing national network coverage and industry-leading innovations designed to elevate the customer experience. The Chicago-based carrier offers coverage where the other carriers don’t and a wide range of communication services that enhance consumers’ lives, increase the competitiveness of local businesses and improve the efficiency of government operations. U.S. Cellular has the Highest Wireless Network Quality Performance in the North Central Region, according to the J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Wireless Network Quality Performance Study, and 99 percent of customers have access to 4G LTE speeds. To learn more about U.S. Cellular, visit one of its retail stores or uscellular.com. To get the latest news, promos and videos, connect with U.S. Cellular on Facebook.com/uscellular, Twitter.com/uscellular and YouTube.com/uscellularcorp.
