Survey Says People in BC are Addicted to Smartphones Like Everyone Else

According to the latest Smartphone Insights Report by Insights West and iamota (a mobile agency), British Columbians are addicted to their smartphones. It comes as no surprise since ‘disconnect anxiety’ is seen to be widespread and many feel the phantom ‘buzz’ at times.

Here are some highlights from the online survey from 849 BC adults, taken June 1-4, 2013:

• 64% of BC adults own a smartphone; the number jumps to 86% for those between ages of 18-34
• Ownership has surpassed PVRs (52%) and MP3 players (55%), and is nearly as high as landline telephones (71%)
• 1 in 5 (18%) admit to being addicted to their smartphones; 35% say it is important for them to have the latest smartphone
• 76% of smartphone owners would return home if they left home without it; 31% would travel 10 or more minutes to get it

The following image shows the Top 10 Weekly Activities, with making and taking calls taking the crown followed closely by texting and sending/reading email:

I would say in my case, texting and email would be the most used activities on my iPhone at this point in time, easily surpassing phone calls. Only call me if you’re on fire, otherwise a text will do just fine.

Are you ‘addicted’ to your iPhone? What’s your most frequently used activity during the week?