Device Dependence By Age, December 2012 [CHART]

Chart - Device Dependence By Age

It’s been seen before that smart phone owners feel naked without their devices, but a pair of new studies, from Cisco and Performics, show just how tethered they – in particular younger owners – are to their mobile phones. Survey results from Performics find that 78% of 18-29-year-old social media users are very or extremely dependent on their mobile phones, and that 20% of the total sample check their phones within 5 minutes of waking up. Not to be outdone, the Cisco study reveals that 40% of 18-30-year-olds in the US check their smartphones at least once every 10 minutes.

Turning first to the Performics study, the results show that a greater proportion of the 18-29-year-old respondents feel dependent on their mobile phones than feel the same away about their desktops, laptops, or tablets. The same holds true for the 30-49 age group. Among younger smartphone owners, the inability to text is the primary separation anxiety, while for older smartphone owners, the inability to call is the bigger source of tension. Read the rest at MarketingCharts.