Texting, Gaming, Surfing The Web: Cellphone Users' Favorite Activities

Raise your phones in the air if you're an avid texter.

According to comScore's study of 30,000 U.S. mobile users between November 2010 and February 2011, texting is the top activity among users aged 13 and up.

The data, outlined in an April 1 press release, shows that the percentage of mobile users who sent text messages to another phone increased from 67.1 percent to 68.8 percent during the three-month study period.

Browsing the web was the second most common activity among users during this time. By February 2011, comScore found that 38.4 percent of users had accessed a mobile browser, up 3.1 percent from the previous study period that ended in November 2010.

Though nowhere near as popular as texting, apps and social networking were also among some of the most popular activities. 36.6 percent of users downloaded apps with their mobile phones, and 26.8 percent used their phones to access a social networking site or blog. Increasing by 3.2 percent and 3.3 percent respectively,these two activities enjoyed the most growth among users during the study period.

Also popular among mobile users were games and music. The study found that 24.6 percent used their phones to play games (a 2 percent increase), and 17.5 percent listened to music on a handset (a 2.5 percent increase).

These figures coincide with recent reports on the explosion of mobile data usage. By the end of 2010, data far exceeded voice usage on mobile networks, and experts predicted that the difference would continue to widen as demand for smartphones increased.

Comments

[noob1]

12:23 AM on 04/05/2011

Sometimes my telephone almost tries to get my attention with a question like this, while at full charge, if you can believe that, eh? What doesn't it do, eh?

[Mister Grumpy]

05:09 PM on 04/04/2011

The real question is..........How many of smart phone users would actually miss not being able to make a telephone call with their device?.......

[PenguinLinux]

12:56 PM on 04/04/2011

I can speak and listen faster than anyone can text. What would take a longer time to communicate via text, can be done in far less time by using voice. Yes, you are communicating with a single person vs just blathering to anyone and everyone via some Facebook "wall" post, but then the former is real communication and the latter is akin to graffiti.

I don't text or use "apps", or anything else except voice on my cell. I have plenty of dekstop and laptop PCs for everything else.

[JWerner]

02:06 PM on 04/04/2011

I do the same, pretty much. The only thing I really use my phone for is making phone calls. . .since it's a phone. I don't like texting, and I wouldn't do it even if the phone had a keyboard like the Sidekick does. I very rarely play games on my phone. . .that's what I have this laptop for. Same with internet, e-mail. . .why have a phone, when you can have a laptop that has an actual keyboard, and a screen that's easier to view (relatively)?

This is why I don't have a smartphone :P If I got one, I would barely use any features (probably the only one I can think of would possibly be the GPS. . .but I have a Tom Tom GPS, so it wouldn't be that crucial). I don't understand why people are so eager to buy little gadgets that compress more and more tasks into a smaller and smaller device, which automatically lowers the quality of results. Use a phone to make phone calls, use a computer to surf the web and play games, and so on.

[redmaple]

02:18 PM on 04/04/2011

I relate to your point of view but it just show are old we are. Today is about short term, low quality output. Kids don't care much about quality. Just listen to their music.

[HighDesertBob]

12:47 PM on 04/05/2011

Exactly. I use my phone for a phone, imagine that. If one looks at a person with one of the so-called smart phones, they have their faces in it all the time. When walking, sitting, with others, they are constantly looking at the thing, pushing on the screen. They carry it in their hand as if it were an appendage. It becomes the center of their lives.
Nope, my phone is a convenience not the center of my life.

[eAmondale]

12:40 PM on 04/04/2011

We really need to find a new name other than phone or smartphone since these devices do so much more.

It probably won't happen since we still call products by their medium, i.e. 'cable' and 'satellite' to name only two.

[Knowledgeseeker]

11:36 AM on 04/04/2011

its amazing to see how many things u can do with ur cellphone now a days.. how things has changed !

[Knowledgeseeker]

11:32 AM on 04/04/2011

What about using your phone as a GPS?

[JScott]

11:41 AM on 04/04/2011

That's what I find I use it for a lot.

[JWerner]

02:08 PM on 04/04/2011

Get a Tom Tom. I feel it's probably better for GPS :P Somewhat larger screen, as well. Probably more driver-friendly.

[netzwerg]

11:28 AM on 04/04/2011

"I just pay $70.00 per month to T-Mobile. I make one phone call per month, and receive, maybe five."

That's a lot of money for nothing. In Europe you could get that for like 50 Cents a month, depending on how long your one phone call per month is. Incoming is free of course.

Don't you have prepaid plans in the US for folks like you who don't use their cell phone a lot, like 9 Cents per Minute or text message or megabyte of data?

[JScott]

11:41 AM on 04/04/2011

Yup.

[notAMoron]

12:05 PM on 04/04/2011

Yeah he could get a t-mobile prepaid plan that would be $100 for 1000 minutes that last 1 year or do the "dollar a day" plans where you pay $1 for the days you use your phone.

[netzwerg]

12:14 PM on 04/04/2011

Still expensive, especially for prepaid, but already much better than his 70$ per month or 1680$ over 2 years for almost nothing.

[TheReturn]

11:26 AM on 04/04/2011

I use my "out dated" iPhones for coasters.

[FrankN]

10:45 AM on 04/04/2011

Article would be better if revised to include statistics on usage as a phone, for voice communication and business purposes.

[Rahm11219]

10:31 AM on 04/04/2011

It amazes me how few phone calls I actually make with my phone especially when I compare it with all the other fun, useless things I use it for.

[gemini68]

11:55 AM on 04/04/2011

Agreed. I just upgraded my plan to add my mother just so I can use up the rollover minutes I've accumulated. The sales woman actually laughed when she checked my account and saw how few I actually used.

[Aimee Bellefleur Hogan]

10:22 PM on 04/04/2011

That's funny! I have a ton of minutes on my account, too.

[JWerner]

02:10 PM on 04/04/2011

Indeed. Makes me wonder why we even call it a 'phone' anymore, when people are more likely to use 'smartphones' for e-mail or texting.

[AandPMech]

10:28 AM on 04/04/2011

Got rid of my landline here in the Netherlands about 5 years ago. Most people did.

My phone is crystal clear for all calls.

Called the USA the other day and put it on speakerphone and it sounded just like the other end was right in the room , You could hear a pin drop. My provider here is Vodafone.

[baomike]

10:12 AM on 04/04/2011

Target practice was always high on my list when I had one.

Got rid if my electronic leash years ago.

[born 2b different]

12:43 PM on 04/04/2011

it's only a leash if you let it. i control my devices, not the other way around.

[gemini68]

12:45 PM on 04/04/2011

Faved.

[Widespread Panic]

10:07 AM on 04/04/2011

I use my phone mainly to read blogs in google reader, GPS, and text. I hardly use it to talk cause I hate talking on the phone. Weird, I know.

[JWerner]

02:13 PM on 04/04/2011

I don't like talking on my phone, due to a hearing loss problem. I dislike texting and trying to surf the web with a phone even less. So. . .my cell phone is basically a cosmetic accessory that I rarely use. I might make/receive 1-5 calls a week. Sometimes I go for a week without a call or text. I either communicate verbally (where I can see the person's lips moving, and there's no phone distortion), with mIRC, or with the occasional e-mail.

[Widespread Panic]

02:43 PM on 04/04/2011

I'm sorry about your hearing loss problem, I can see why you don't use the phone that often. I have loss some hearing due to multiple ear infections as a kid, and talking on the phone can be tricky for me at times. Actually in person is sometimes difficult, but voices seem to be clearer and louder to me than over the phone.

After I read your reply, I realize that I only receive/make 1 or 2 non business related calls a week (besides my BF, who I talk to almost every day). But most of the time, I'm okay with that as text or e-mail is usually sufficient.

[sean0008]

09:54 AM on 04/04/2011

I HATE text messaging. Don't even have a plan for it because I use it so rarely. I mostly use apps and browse the Web. For me a smartphone is more like the palm devices I once used: mostly for productivity, information, and entertainment; but I can also call someone when I need to. I will send/receive email on my phone, but texting is annoying and intrusive. If you have something to tell me, put it into a single well crafted email and I will read it when I read it. If it's an emergency, just call me.

[gemini68]

12:46 PM on 04/04/2011

But the truth of the matter is that e-mail is becoming more and more obsolete. Now that we have texting and IM it doesn't really serve a purpose. There was actually an article about this a couple of months ago talking about how the next generation feels that e-mailing is passe.

[JWerner]

02:16 PM on 04/04/2011

Texting and IM causes people to lose touch with the idea of forming paragraphs when writing something, along with putting all your ideas into one 'group' or 'burst'. Instead, they become proficient in the art of writing clumsy one or two line 'texts' or 'IMs', and stretching the whole thing out over multiple texts and IMs. I do not believe this should be encouraged. . .

Hell, I do the same thing when I use mIRC, because it's a fluid chat client that enables real-time communcation (similar to an IM session). It's the nature of the medium, I suppose.

[sean0008]

06:23 PM on 04/04/2011

I've been in the IT industry for 15 years, so I've watched trends come and go. The rumors of email's death are widely exaggerated. It is true that younger generations prefer the immediacy of texting, but I've actually had a difficult time encouraging instant messaging in the workplace. We provide it to our staff. They can use company instant messaging on their computers and smartphones, but few do. The problem in business is that it's considered to be intrusive and distracting. Email provides more content and detail in a single package. Even our young people will realize that email is a better way of communicating when they get their first jobs and don't have time to text back and forth for hours on end. I actually use text messaging in the workplace more than in my personal life (which is why I don't have a texting plan on my personal iPhone), but I only text with some people and hide from others. If I was available to everyone at work for text messaging, I'd never get anything done since texters expect an immediate response.

[AandPMech]

09:44 AM on 04/04/2011

I have a Samsung Galaxy S and use for phone primarily for email. Push email is built in and everything syncs with my Gmail account. (YT etc) . I can take a photo or video and send it directly to my YT or Gmail account.

I have unlimited 3G and 4G here for 9 euros a month.

Also use the phone a lot for navigation with Route 66 navigation system built in.

The telephone part is crisp, clear and loud and also has automatic call record when making or receiving a call. Always handy as PROOF of what someone said.

Android is GREAT.

[FWorker]

11:23 AM on 04/04/2011

9 euros a month about $13.00 US. Crisp and clear, automatic call recording. When AT&T takes over T-Mobile we'll get less service and higher rates. But then again we have the best congress men/women that money can buy.