New Study Examines How Americans Use Their Cellphones
Date: Jul 23, 2007
By Allan Pulga
Last August, we ran a story about how pervasive the cellular phone has become in contemporary society. Referring to the ‘Largest Ever Social Study of Mobile Phone Usage,’ we listed a number of findings from a British study conducted jointly by The Carphone Warehouse and The London School of Economics.Now, a similar study has been released by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, which examines how Americans use their cellphones – what kind of impact these devices have had on everyday behaviour in the U.S.Some highlights:- In case of emergency: Nearly three quarters of U.S. cellphone users (74 per cent) say they have used their cellphone in an emergency and gained help.
- Killing time: Interestingly, 41 per cent of cellphone users say they fill in free time when they are travelling or waiting for someone by making phone calls. And 44 per cent say they wait for certain hours – that do not count against the “anytime minutes” of their calling plans – before making cellular calls.
- Dangerous driving: More than a quarter (28 per cent) of cellphone users admit they sometimes drive less safely while they use their mobile devices. Among users, men (32 per cent) are more likely than women (25 per cent) to admit they sometimes drive less safely.
- Noise pollution: Most Americans (82 per cent) and cellphone users (86 per cent) say they are irritated at least occasionally by loud and annoying cellphone users who conduct their calls in public places. Indeed, nearly one in ten users (8 per cent) admit they themselves have drawn criticism or glares from others while using their cellphones in public.
- Big spenders: Some cellphone users are so dependent on their cellular service that they lose track of the charges they accumulate – 36 per cent of users say they are occasionally shocked by the size of their monthly bills.