A long time ago, there were different ways of communication, like cave painting, smoke signals, and pigeons were also used as a popular way of sending messages.
Nowadays, smartphones are the most common and convenient way of communication used by 85% of Americans, according to phone usage statistics.
Cell phones have made communication very easy, and now you can access your bank accounts, search for anything, watch tutorials and read news alerts at any time with the power of the internet.
Approximately 97% of Americans own a cell phone of some kind. Up to 47% of Americans said they are addicted to their cell phones which is also evident from the dazzling array of smartphones and unlimited mobile data plans launched every year.
The arrival of 5G and the introduction of advanced mobile features have also been expected to continue adding minutes to the time spent on mobile phones.
We have surveyed Americans 18 years and older about their phone habits and behaviors and how they spend their time on their cell phones and come up with the most up-to-date phone usage statistics in 2022. Let’s have a at 20 mind-blowing phone usage statistics
Phone Usage Statistics: Editor’s Pick
- As of August 2022, 6.64 billion people own smartphones in the World.
- The U.S. has been ranked as the 4th highest country for smartphone to-population penetration at 79.10%, with approximately 280.54 million users.
- An average American spends approximately 4 hours and 23 minutes on the cell phone daily.
- 74% of Americans feel uneasy without their phone, while 47% feel they can’t live without their phones.
- On average, the Americans population check their phones 344 times daily, once every 4-minutes.
- 64% of Americans use their phones in the toilet, while 35% use their phones during driving.
- 48% of the people admit to feeling anxiety if their battery percentage goes below 20%.
- 71% of people check their phone within the first 10-minutes of waking up.
- 96% of adults between the ages of 18-29 own a smartphone.
- More than 69% of kids get a cell phone before turning 12.
- 45% of Americans consider their cell phones a valuable possession.
- By 2023, mobile phone usage will account for 35% of total media time.
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General Phone Usage Statistics
Here are 20 Mind-blowing Phone Usage Statistics:
1. 81% of Americans own a smartphone
According to data from Pew Research Center, 81% of people in America own a smartphone.
The number of smartphone users has increased to 200 million in the past decades, and by 2023, more than 284 million people will have a smartphone.
The United States has been ranked as the 4th highest country for smartphone to population penetration at 79.10%, with approximately 280.54 million users.
2. 94% of Americans aged between 18-29 own a smartphone
According to data from Bank My Cell, 94% of smartphones are owned by people between the ages of 18-29, while the 65+ age group accounts for only 46% of smartphone users.
The remaining 6% population use regular cell phones. Gen-Z owns 98% of the cell phones.
3. Men account for 80% of Smartphone users compared to 75% Women
80% of the males use smartphones, while the percentage among females is 75%. Women are less likely to purchase a smartphone due to less autonomy and agency in smartphone acquisition.
Men tend to purchase smartphones and gadgets more than women. Other factors that explain why women’s smartphone ownership is lower than men’s include lack of money and the education need to get a mobile phone.
4. 91% of college graduates use smartphones in the U.S
Smartphone ownership exhibits considerable variation based on educational attainment.
According to Pew Research Center data, 91% of college graduates own a smartphone, followed by 85% of those with some college, 72% of high school graduates, and 66% of those with a high school degree.
5. 95% of teens have access to the smartphone
As per Pew Research Center Poll, around 95% of teens have access to a smartphone in 2022, which shows a 22% increase from the 73% between 2014-2015.
The statistics have also found that in the USA, 54% of teenagers spend too much of their precious time on their cellphone.
6. Kids get their first smartphone at the age of 12
Recent research disclosed that 60% of families provide a cell phone to their child at the age of 10.
Around 56% of children between the ages of 8 to 12 have smartphones, while 21% of children who are eight or younger use a smartphone.
Further statistics on cell phone usage by age reveal that dads are the ones who are more likely to be willing to give their children smartphones compared to moms.
7. 45% of Americans Consider their phone as the most valuable possession
During a survey, 45% of Americans said that their door is their most valuable passion, and 47% even said that they can’t live without their cellphones.
53% of respondents said that in case of a house fire or any other disaster, their cell phone would be the first thing they would try to save.
8. 66% of Users Consider themselves addicted to their phones
According to a TechJury report, 66% of smartphone users said that they are addicted to their phones more than anything.
Smartphone addiction is known as nomophobia, and two out of every three Americans are addicted to their phones.
Using a smartphone for a long hour changes the chemistry of the brain and can have a massive impact on our daily life habits and behaviors.
9. 71% of Americans Check their phones within 10-15 minutes of waking up
71% of Americans admitted to checking their phones within 10 minutes after waking up to see if they got any important messages or schedules for the day.
Most interestingly, 70% of Americans check their phones after 5 minutes of notification received.
10. 74% of Americans reported feeling anxious without their phone
74% of the respondents surveyed said that they feel uneasy leaving their phones at home, while 48% accepted that they feel a little bit of anxiety when their cell phone’s battery goes below 20%.
Around 20% of the people said that they would rather go without shoes for a week than their smartphones.
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11. More than half of Americans have never spent more than 24 hours without their cell phones
In the same survey, 53% of Americans said that they have never gone longer than 24 hours using their cell phones.
People are so addicted to their phones that 35% of Americans admitted said to use a phone during driving, while 64% use their phones in the toilet.
Interestingly, 43% of people on romantic dates are more engaged with their phones than their partners.
12. An average smartphone user checks his/her phone 63 times a day
According to a recent report, an average person usually checks his phone about 63 times a day, especially Millennials and Gen X. Phone usage statistics show that a staggering 65% of Americans check their phone up to 160 times daily.
Further, statistics about smartphone users say that 86% of people continuously check their phones during calls with friends. This shows that smartphones have become an integral part of our lives.
13. 57% of smartphone users claim to have increased their screen time during lockdown
According to smartphone addiction statistics 2022, 57% of the smartphone users in America have increased their smartphone screen time by one hour during the lockdown, which is completely understandable as many people have little or nothing to do during the lockdown.
14. 31% of Americans never turn off their cell phones
According to Pew Research Center cell phone statistics, 31% of adult smartphone users never turn off their phones, and 45% rarely turn them off.
One of the main reasons why users don’t turn off their smartphones is the fear of missing out.
They want to say connected with their friends and family and keep an eye on what is happening around them.
15. 56% of American teenagers experience negative emotions in the absence of a smartphone
Pew Research Center conducted a survey to compare smartphone addiction and emotional factors and found that more than half of American teenagers feel alone or uneasy when they don’t have their smartphones with them.
16. Smartphones take up to 70% of all media time
Whether you are watching YouTube or browsing through social networking sites, the internet is leaving all other forms of media in the dust.
On average, Americans spend 70% of their media time scrolling through their smartphones. Millennials spend more time on their phones (5.7 hours) than baby boomers (5 hours).
17. Over 70% of YouTube traffic generates through smartphones
YouTube is one of the most used video streaming platforms, with over 2 billion users worldwide.
In 2020, the daily active visits on YouTube were over 30 million, with each viewing session averaging 40 minutes.
Most people prefer using YouTube on their cell phones than on any other device, and a reasonable chunk of YouTube traffic comes from smartphones.
18. The risk of obesity increases up to 43% due to excess use of smartphone
Recent studies about health have disclosed that the risk of obesity increases up to 43% due to constant cell phone use.
Those who spend five or more hours on a smartphone are twice as likely to put on some extra pounds due to limited physical activity.
19. Excess usage of a smartphone can diminish our ability to absorb information
A study published in the Journal of Applied Cognitive Psychology has revealed that excessive use of a smartphone can diminish our capacity to understand the deeper meaning of the things we study.
Luckily, this effect is not permanent and can be cured by reducing smartphone usage.
20. Mobile owners will grow up to 7.33 billion in 2023 around the globe
As predicted by Statista that in the next four years, cell phone users will increase globally. Recently, the number stands at 6.8 billion users, and a speedy increase is anticipated.
Statistics also predict that we might already expect to break the 7 billion mark a year from now.
Shefali Jain is a Content Editor & Writer at National Planning Cycles.
After completing her graduation in hospitality, Shefali decided to follow her passion and started writing. Shefali has been writing for two years now and contributes to our website as a skilled editor and content writer with strong research skills. Writing product and service reviews, biographies, and book reviews are some of her key areas, among many others in which she specializes.