UK mobile company O2: Smartphone usage survey: calling is only the fifth most commonly used function

The survey found that people spend much more time surfing the Internet, checking social networks and playing games on their smartphones than on their phone calls

Mobile phones were originally created as mobile communication devices. With the increasing popularity of smart phones, mobile phones are no longer just phones, but also Internet devices, game consoles and music players. A British survey shows that people use their mobile phones to surf the Internet, play games, listen to music, etc. for about two hours a day, and only spend about 12 minutes on making and receiving calls.

Most online

O2, a British mobile company, surveyed 2,000 smartphone users on their mobile phone usage. The results showed that the most commonly used mobile phone function is web browsing, with the respondents using their mobile phones to surf the Internet for an average of 24.49 minutes a day; the second most commonly used function is logging into social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, with an average of 17.29 minutes a day; gaming is the third most commonly used function, with 14.26 minutes a day; and listening to music is the fourth most commonly used function, with 15.38 minutes a day.

Talking is the fifth most frequently used function on mobile phones, taking 12.08 minutes a day. The sixth is sending and receiving emails, taking 11.06 minutes. Short messages were once the reason why people became addicted to mobile phones, and many people became "thumb tribes". Now this function is ranked seventh in frequency of use, and the respondents spend an average of 10.12 minutes a day sending and receiving text messages. Next are watching movies and TV shows, taking 9.23 minutes, reading books, taking 9.18 minutes, and taking photos, taking 3.25 minutes.

The Swiss Army Knife

The researchers also found that for many respondents, when they need to set alarms, check the time, take photos, or take notes, the first thing they think of is their mobile phone, rather than alarm clocks, watches, cameras, or diaries. Even when surfing the Internet or watching TV, many people use their mobile phones more often than laptops and TVs. Among the respondents, more than half, or 54%, use their mobile phones to set alarms instead of alarm clocks; 46% do not wear watches, but look at their mobile phones when they want to know the time; 39% use their mobile phones instead of cameras to take photos; and more than a quarter use their mobile phones instead of laptops. One in ten respondents use their mobile phones to replace game consoles, 6% use their mobile phones as TVs, and another 6% no longer read paper books and periodicals, but instead use their mobile phones to read e-books.

David Johnson, device director of O2, told the Daily Mail that smartphones have more and more functions and can be called digital Swiss Army knives, playing the role of watches, cameras, books and even laptops in our lives. "We have seen no decrease in the number of calls or the length of time that mobile phone users make," Johnson said, "which shows that mobile phones are playing an increasingly important role in all aspects of people's lives."

Don't be addicted

Johnson said that with the rapid development of smart technology, mobile phone software such as camera, memo, email, social media are rich and diverse, easy to use, "no wonder consumers are addicted to these functions". The Chartered Association of Physiotherapy in the UK published an online survey in June, which showed that many office workers use smartphones and other devices for more than two hours outside of work hours, which is why the cases of "text neck" and "text thumb disease" have been increasing in recent years.

Not only adults are obsessed with smartphones, another survey shows that British children also like to play with smartphones after school. Education experts are worried that long-term use of smartphones and other devices may damage children's reading and communication skills.

A Swedish study showed that addiction to smartphones and the Internet can cause sleep disorders, leading to symptoms of depression.