Okay, I admit it didn’t say that exactly. But a recent report from Careerbuilder does reveal that more than half of today’s mobile workforce use their smartphones during meals, while driving and in the bathroom.
The survey group consisted of 5,200 people who were polled last November. It reported a breakdown of smartphone usage during various other activities, including:
• 62 percent, during a meal
• 60 percent, on vacation
• 57 percent, in the restroom
• 54 percent, while driving
• 50 percent, in bed at night
• 25 percent, at a movie, play or musical
• 18 percent, on a date
• 17 percent, while working out at a gym
• 17 percent, during their kids' events
• And if confession is good for the soul, then 11 percent are on safe ground: They admit to checking their phones while at church.
I’ve had so many conversations with girlfriends who complain about their bf/husbands’ relentless attachment to their Droids, Palms, BlackBerries and iPhones. (The situation kind of reminds me of the Babelgum original series, “Mr. Wrong.” If you haven’t seen it, it’s hilarious — especially Mr. Cell Phone Guy.)
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Speaking of inappropriate places to use a smartphone, a gal pal of mine in New York once told me about an old boyfriend who had a habit of checking his mobile email whenever he heard the little “ding” — even when they were… uh… well, intimate. Suffice it to say, they aren’t going out anymore.
Now before you go thinking this is a gender-based proclivity, in my home, my husband is the one who complains about me! Sure, it’s a pitfall of my work, but I’ve always been like this with my handheld “toys,” long before PhoneDog came into my life. Back in the day, I’d eat and sleep with my Palm LifeDrive at my side. I'd fall asleep playing Bejeweled, and wake up regularly with an impression of it indented on my cheek and the device clutched in my hand. (Of course, I repeat this behavior now with my iPhone.)
But back to the the statistics: I guess they aren’t really all that shocking, given the rise in smartphone usage. They are, however, noteworthy as a sign of the times. It’s also worth noting that, since the report comes from Careerbuilder, there’s a work/life angle to these findings. Seems the career site considers these results more an indication of our workaholic tendencies, than a plain and simple device addiction.
According to CareerBuilder’s Rosemary Haefner: “The lines between work and [home] life can be very blurry these days — 17 percent of workers said they feel like their work day never ends because of technology connecting them to the office. To reduce burnout and avoid potentially risky behavior, workers should allot technology-free time when away from work.”
Are you feeling this? Do you feel burned out from an always-on connection to your job? Or is your phone obsession more of a personal passion? And is the significant other in your life understanding of the other “significant other”? Discuss.
Via: IntoMobile, InfoWeek, Careerbuilder
(P.S. By the way, as for the bathroom statistic — all I can say is, “Ick.” I’ll probably think twice before I go borrowing someone else’s handset again.)
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