Smartphone users work 10 extra days, sleep less and screw up relationships!

Smartphone or a mobile phone is almost like a prosthetic limb for the new age. Many people fiddle with their phones and these people will be literally out of action if we take away their phones. That’s is only one piece of the problem. There is bigger problem at hand with the mankind’s obsession with mobile phones. It’s impacting sleep cycles, relationships and down time. A new report from iPass reveals some interesting tidbits. 3500 people were surveyed from 1100 corporations about their mobile working habits. The results are anything but startling.

Mobile workers tend to work 240 more hours than the non-mobile workers.

While the term mobile worker isn’t defined anywhere but from what I guess, it is someone who has access to a smartphone to make work possible. A person who has access to company’s email and few other things on an iPhone or Blackberry is working 10 extra days spread across the year. Most of it, I am sure, is unpaid. So if your company is giving you a laptop with data card or a blackberry, it is not time to rejoice. But time to contemplate. Your days of independence are numbered.

The report also found that mobile workers, who sleep with their smartphone within arm’s reach, are 65 percent more likely to obsessively check it during downtime, and 10 percent more likely to report that their smartphone causes friction in their personal relationships.

Just curious. What can be termed as downtime when you are in bed?

61% of mobile workers sleep with their mobile phone. 43 percent within arm’s reach. This intimate relationship with the smartphone has led to 38 percent of mobile workers waking up to check their smartphone during the night and 35 percent checking email first thing in the morning

 

Oh boy! This is as if they know about my habits without including me in the survey. I will be in the 61%, 43%, 38% and 35%. Sometime this week, I changed my habits. Ironically, I have just changed the settings on my phone. I no longer get push notifications but it is rather pull and whenever I need. This will reduce the urge to keep fiddling with the phone. I still keep the phone within arm’s distance and use the phone as an alarm. May be I should get a standalone alarm and keep the phone away altogether.

Those living in Asia Pacific are the least rested with 55 percent of mobile workers waking at least occasionally to check their smartphone or tablet, and 19 percent wake every night. Europeans are the most rested with only 27 percent waking at least occasionally, and 4 percent waking every night.

It gets worse.

29 percent of mobile workers report that their mobile technology usage causes friction in their personal relationships — typically with a spouse or partner.  The report also found that mobile workers, who sleep with their smartphone within arm’s reach, are 65 percent more likely to obsessively check it during downtime, and 10 percent more likely to report that their smartphone causes friction in their personal relationships.

Friction could mean anything. 1 in 3 mobile workers have friction in their relationships. Sometimes it could mean downtime.

And there’s more. Here’s an infographic :

This might not be everyone. There could some really smart smartphone users out there.

Source : iPass, Via GigaOM