Checking your phone dozens of times a day indicates unconscious behavior, which is "extremely repetitive," psychologists say. The new study is unique in that it is one of the few studies that has examined smartphone use based on what people do rather than what they can remember. Existing research has yet to conclude whether people are truly 'addicted' to their smartphones by relying too much on people's own estimates or beliefs.
But new research into smartphone behavior has found that while people underestimate the time spent on their smartphones, their behavior is remarkably consistent, enabling a more rigorous approach to studying smartphone behavior.
The researchers analyzed use over 13 days using a simple smartphone app that marked the time when use started and ended. Based on this data, they were able to calculate the number of total hours of use and the number of checks for each day, with a check defined as any use that lasted less than 15 seconds.
They found that:
* Smartphone use is repetitive and consistent for each person
* Future telephone check-up frequency can be predicted with very little data
* A standard survey was unable to measure this behavior predict
For example, the researchers found that if you check your phone 80 times today, you are likely to repeat this behavior every day.
