How Americans Value Their Phones Compared To Sex, Chocolate, And Shoes

Are you master of your domain? Could going without your mobile phone for a week make you one?

A new survey conducted by mobile GPS company TeleNav suggests that, for a week at a time at least, many Americans are willing to give up some of life's, er, baser pleasures, if it means keeping their cell phones instead. The survey of just over 500 American adults sought to track how attached they were to their smartphones, according to a company spokesperson. When asked if they would rather give up their mobile phones for a week versus a series of other things, many Americans were resistant to give up their handsets, as:

• 74 percent would give up alcohol for a week rather than their smartphones.
• 55 percent would rather forgo caffeine.
• 33 percent would rather give up sex.
• 22 percent would rather not use a toothbrush.
• 21 percent would rather go without shoes.

Here is a full and illustrated version of the findings, via TeleNav's press release:

I can see going without caffeine or alcohol for a week (with or without my phone), but a toothbrush? Come on, people. Brush your teeth.

Perhaps more interestingly than the 'Would You Rather' portion of the left side of the graph is the comparison across iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry users on the right. Standout statistics:

• 50 percent of Android owners "believe their phone reflects their sense of style," compared to 43 percent for BlackBerry and 35 percent for iPhone.
• Only 45 percent of iPhone users have never paid more than a dollar for an app, compared to 62 percent on Android and 63 percent on BlackBerry.
• 34 percent of iPhone users check their phones at the dinner table, compared to around 20 percent for both Android and BlackBerry users.

This is a pretty small sample size for a survey, so the results shouldn't be taken as definite truth. Also, TeleNav is, according to its site, "a leading provider of consumer location-based services"--in other words, it's not a company that specializes in surveys.

Consumers switching between phones should also be taken into account here, as another recent survey shows that about half of all BlackBerry and Android users had little brand allegiance and were planning on switching to iPhones when they got a chance, so characterizations based on brand identity are risky. The findings and survey questions of this particular survey, however, were intriguing and bizarre enough to share.

Moreover, other studies have found that some users have indeed become "addicted" to their gadgets. Data from the Pew Internet and American Life Project showed that two-thirds of Americans sleep with their phones next to their beds, while an Intersperience study found that the "challenge of 24 hours without digital devices [was] described as [a] ‘nightmare,'" by respondents.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go take a nap with my smartphone.

--

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated that the brands in the survey were iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone. They are in fact iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry.

Quick Poll

What would you rather give up for a week: caffeine or your cell phone?

Caffeine.

Cell phone.

Share your vote on Facebook so your friends can take this poll

Comments

[thebigapp]

08:18 AM on 08/05/2011

Smartphones are definitely the new addiction. I made a game with my friends once of naming all the things we would give up before we give up our smartphones. We found that many prized possessions have now taken a back seat to our new ‘connection to the world’. The phone was on the top of the list of things to grab when running from a burning building - sad, but true.

I think we’ve reached the point of no return. Many people, even those who would never admit addiction, feel a loss and disconnect when we misplace our phones. When spotting a phone accidentally left in a rest room or restaurant, we give a collective groan. Smartphones have become family members. :-)

Thebigapp.tumblr.com

[Morgantheaxe]

01:45 AM on 08/05/2011

I wonder how chocolate sex shoes rate?

[Dahveed1]

01:37 AM on 08/05/2011

100% of people said they'd give up reading stupid polls on the internet for their smart phone.

[Dahveed1]

01:36 AM on 08/05/2011

Yeah, but notice, nobody is giving up their meth for their smart phones? Those people must be exceptionally loyal users...

[David305]

10:50 PM on 08/04/2011

You can use a smartphone to get shoes, chocolate and sex. You can't use shoes, chocolate and sex to get a smartphone.

[Morgantheaxe]

01:46 AM on 08/05/2011

Im betting there are hookers that would argue with you.

[DegenerationX316]

08:45 PM on 08/04/2011

That 33% that would give up sex over their smartphone are the same 33% that can't get sex because they are always on the phone and they have no communication skills. I'll take a women over a phone any day. A phone can never satisfy me like a women!

[CarrieAnn612]

06:26 PM on 08/04/2011

I am actually surprised more people wouldn't give up a computer for a week. Barring having to write lengthy documents, you can do almost everything on a smartphone you can do on a computer. I went 10 without real internet after moving into my apartment so the computer never left the computer bag, I did everything on my phone. I couldn't do it forever, it does get irritating replying to emails, but I can definitely do a week.

[ZeroCoke]

06:02 PM on 08/04/2011

i have 3 pairs of shoes. work.casual.dancing
i will walk bare-feet on glass while checking emails on my droid.

[TheSardonicAtheist]

04:22 PM on 08/04/2011

People wouldn't give up there phone for sex? Gosh, what's happened to our species?

[kerry1962]

01:52 PM on 08/04/2011

Sex
Shoes
Chocolate
Phone

[Tanker10a]

01:22 PM on 08/04/2011

Oh Dear God! A week without brushing your teeth in trade for a smartphone? Or giving up sex? The feel of
clean teeth before the start of anyone's day is paramount and to sex at best...
I Love my iPhone! But, I've got to draw the line somewhere!

[Dede Eagleburger]

09:33 AM on 08/04/2011

I have one phone and over 100 pairs of shoes. :) I can live without my phone...

[RemoveTheGreedyOnes]

07:13 AM on 08/04/2011

Phone loses every time hands down for me...

[Jerry Johnpaul Robinson]

07:06 AM on 08/04/2011

I feel naked without my cell phone but I tell you, I'd never give up my shoes for it. I'm a mans man but I got a shoe thing. I own about 30 pairs of dress shoes. I'll send up smoke signals before I let go of my shoes.

[eric14]

07:51 AM on 08/04/2011

That's the one that got me! My shoes!

[ubersnoofer]

05:56 AM on 08/04/2011

For a week? the phone loses, hands down. Any longer? chocolate caffeine and computer just bit the dust. It's just not OK to- introduce someone to a world where they can watch porn, shop for cars, and work on an important report for the office on monday all while drinking a poached beer on the roof of a squatted building (squatted for said drinking's purpose, of course) at 2am on sunday morning with a device that will also come back on 4 days later to remind them that their annivesary is coming up in a week and it's crunch time- and then ask them not to use it. Its the cloud brain we always wanted and never had, it even affects how our brain wave patterns respond to queries we don't know the answer to. The smartphone has changed the world, in extremely positive ways that outway it's negatives.