WASHINGTON — In a sign of just how addicted Americans are to their smartphones, a new consumer survey finds that we collectively check our phones more than 9 billion times a day.
That’s a billion times per day more than just a year ago.
The Deloitte Mobile Consumer Survey also found that nearly half of those surveyed check their phones in the middle of the night. That is roughly 100 million Americans waking up to check their phone every night. Nearly half of those nocturnal checks are for social media updates.
“Among the very interesting findings is how our reliance on mobile devices has changed the very nature of person to person communications,” said Deloitte’s Craig Wigginton. “Texting and other short forms of communications are beginning to dominate, enabling us to communicate more frequently and effectively.”
The 25- to 34-year-old age group purchased more smartphones in 2016 than any other age group, and more than 75 percent of that age group report checking their phone in the middle of the night.
Americans don’t wait long after starting the day to connect either.
Deloitte’s survey found that two-thirds of all consumers check their phone with 15 minutes of walking up. And checking or sending texts is generally the first thing smartphone users do.
