Using smartphones
Q. Thinking about how you use your smartphone (or IPhone), do you agree or disagree with the following statements? (Based on the 936 respondents who own smartphones)
Total agree | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Don’t know | Agree Jan 2016 | |||
I check my phone while driving | 20% | 3% | 17% | 25% | 53% | 2% | 20% | ||
I am anxious when I can’t check messages | 22% | 4% | 18% | 36% | 40% | 2% | 28% | ||
I sometimes send messages/emails before thinking them through | 30% | 5% | 25% | 37% | 31% | 2% | 28% | ||
I ignore actual conversations to check my phone | 20% | 4% | 16% | 38% | 40% | 2% | 18% | ||
I check my phone before I get out of bed | 46% | 11% | 35% | 21% | 30% | 2% | 45% |
Total agree | Men | Women | Aged
18-34 |
Aged
35-54 |
Aged 55+ | ||
I check my phone while driving | 20% | 22% | 18% | 34% | 18% | 5% | |
I am anxious when I can’t check messages | 22% | 25% | 20% | 32% | 11% | 9% | |
I sometimes send messages/emails before thinking them through | 30% | 32% | 28% | 48% | 28% | 8% | |
I ignore actual conversations to check my phone | 20% | 22% | 16% | 34% | 16% | 4% | |
I check my phone before I get out of bed | 46% | 45% | 48% | 75% | 42% | 16% |
46% check their smartphone before they get out of bed, 22% say they are anxious when they can’t check messages and 30% sometimes send messages/emails before thinking.
Younger people are much more likely to do these things than older people. 75% of those aged 18-34 check their phone before they get out of bed and 48% send messages/emails without thinking.
There has been little change since this question was asked in 2015, apart from a drop in the proportion who say they are anxious when they can’t check messages (down 6% to 22%).

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