There are more than 6.925 billion smartphone users across the world.
When it comes to cell phone addiction statistics, some of the data we are sharing may shock you, but our resources are viable and credible.
Troublesome cell phone use can cause users to also develop an addiction to social media, which presents adverse effects like interpersonal conflict, and damage to one’s work performance and self-esteem.
The following statistics are intended to further the awareness of the problem and inform readers and marketers about it.
Let’s look at some mobile phone addiction facts and data.
Key Statistics
- Almost half of people spend an average of five to six hours per day on their cell phones.
- 150 times per day is how many times the average smartphone user unlocks their phone.
- Mobile phone users are clicking, swiping, and tapping their phone screens an average of 2,617 daily.
- There are 6.64 billion smartphone users on the planet today.
- Smartphones (cell phones, mobile phones) were designed to be addictive.
- Research reveals that 71% of smartphone users actually sleep with their device.
- About one-third of smartphone users never turn their phones off.
- 40% of mobile phone users check their phones during the night.
- 83% of Americans are uncomfortable with leaving their phone behind at home.
- 63% of parents with teens believe they are addicted to their devices.
Cell Phone Addiction Statistics in 2025
1. According to A 2021 Survey, Almost Half of The Respondents Claimed to Spend an Average of Five to Six Hours per Day on Their Cell Phones.
This data doesn’t include any work-related purposes. This data is related to recreational use. 22% of these same survey participants said they spent an average of three to four hours per day on their phones.
Only 5% of the survey respondents said that they use their cell phone for under one hour per day.
These stats come from data gathered between the last quarter of 2020 and into the first quarter of 2021.
2. 150 Times per Day Is how Many Times the Average Smartphone User Unlocks Their Phone.
This is a one of the most sobering cellphone addiction statistics that is beyond our imagination, but it’s true. Next time you’re unlocking your phone, keep count of how many times you do so per day.
Consider the fact that we laugh around 15 times per day, the average mobile phone user unlocks their phone 150 times per day, which is 10 times more than they laugh.
Do you think that at least one of the times they unlock their cell phones per day that they also laugh?
3. Mobile Phone Users Are Clicking, Swiping, and Tapping Their Phone Screens an Average of 2,617 Daily.
Think about how often you swipe, tap, or click on your own smartphone. Do you think you are doing it over 2,000 times per day?
Research shows that 2,617 is the average number of times users are tapping, clicking, and/or swiping their phone screens.
If you divide 2,617 by the average number of times one unlocks their phone, you get 17.45 (rounded up), which would account for how many times someone would presumably swipe, tap, and click their phone screens.
That is, in a world of averages.
4. There Are 6.64 Billion Smartphone Users on The Planet Today.
This figure represents 83.72% of the global population. In 2016, that percentage was 49.40%.
When you use these numbers, it can really put these cell phone stats into perspective. Perhaps the number of times the average phone user unlocks their phone is more conceivable. Or is it?
In 2022, there are a total of 7.26 billion mobile phone users, which covers smart technology and feature phones only. The percentage of mobile phone users in totality accounts for 91.54% of the world’s population of mobile phone owners.
Remember, feature phones are like smartphones in terms of apps and sophisticated operating systems. Feature phones are found more in developing countries right now.
5. Smartphones (Cell Phones, Mobile Phones) Were Designed to Be Addictive.
According to the Addition Center website, smartphones (cell phones, mobile phones) were designed to be addictive. How can that be?
Consider how much easier your life is with your smartphone at hand. Information is easier to access and the very nature of its convenience makes smartphones difficult to put down for very long.
Getting directions, finding restaurants, looking for hotels and destinations, notifications, vibrations, sounds, colors, and all the technology that goes into smartphones were inspired by casino gaming and slots.
At least that’s what Tristan Harris, the former Google design ethicist. Think about that “pull to refresh” feature and compare that to a slot machine action. For some, this may be scary, but for others, it’s interesting.
Vital Cell Phone Addiction Statistics
We wanted to put some perspective on the smartphone addiction statistics by introducing some general cell phone statistics.
6. Research Reveals that 71% of Smartphone Users Actually Sleep with Their Device.
In the general cell phone stats above, we noticed that some fit right into the realm of addiction, but we want to get into this more deeply to raise awareness of its seriousness.
Sleeping with a mobile phone is one of the signs of addiction, though not all people who sleep with their phones may be addicted.
Another 3% of those who sleep with their mobile phones do so with it in their hand. What can we say about that?
7. About One-Third of Smartphone Users Never Turn Their Phones Off.
Some statistics from studies have shown that 31% of users never turn their phones off. That means that their phones are on 24/7, which isn’t a good thing. It’s not good for the user, the mobile phone, or the environment.
In terms of cell phone addiction and the added stress that places on smartphone users, mobile phones need to be turned off at least by the end of the day. The general idea of going offline overnight is healthier and less stressful.
Turning off your smartphone at night restricts radiation exposure, is better for the environment, reduces stress and anxiety, and it also helps the phone keep its charge better. Also, updates require a restart in most instances, so it’s recommended to restart your phone at least once per week.
If you suffer from insomnia, you may want to strongly consider turning it off at night.
8. 48% of Mobile Phone Users Check Their Phones During the Night.
Among mobile users that wake during the night, 48% say they check their phone before they go to the restroom or go back to sleep. That’s nearly half of cell phone users.
This shows that you don’t have to sleep with your cell phone or sleep with it in your hand to check it at night when you should be sleeping.
Do cell phones play such a major role in our lives that we can’t even resist checking for messages and notifications in the middle of the night?
This data proves people are overusing their mobile phones, whether they are addicted or not.
This also means that people are sleeping with their cell phones within their reach.
9. 83% of Americans Are Uncomfortable with Leaving Their Phone Behind at Home.
The feeling of panic or uneasiness when one leaves their cell phone at home is a sign of addiction.
People feel uneasy with leaving their mobile phones at home whether it’s willingly or accidentally. Have we really become this dependent upon mobile devices and technology?
How did Baby Boomers, the Silent Generation, and the previous generations ever get along without a cell phone at hand?
10. 63% of Parents with Teens Believe They Are Addicted to Their Devices.
With nearly 80% of teens checking their mobile devices at least once per hour, it stands to reason that their parents would feel like their teens are addicted to their mobile devices.
This problem is most worrisome amongst parents in the United Kingdom (63%) with the United States and Japan following closely behind.
In America, it seems that 59% of parents see this as a problem, while 61% of parents in Japan feel the same.
11. 75% of Mobile Phone Users Admit Texting at Least Once when Driving.
While you see statistics related to mobile phone usage in general, you don’t often see the dangerous side of this problem.
It’s already been proven that addiction to smartphones increases levels of irritability and anxiety, which can lead to some harmful behavior.
This kind of addiction can result in texting or checking one’s phone while driving, which is widely advertised to cause non-fatal and fatal car crashes.
12. 2014 Statistics Show that 26% of Car Crashes Were Caused by Using a Cell Phone While Driving.
Speaking of how smartphone usage is dangerous, a 2014 National Safety Council injury and fatality report stated that smartphone usage was responsible for 26% of all car crashes in America. In 5% of these car crashes, texting is the activity responsible.
The NSC (National Safety Council) considers using a mobile phone a distraction when driving, as it has been proven. Car accident statistics show that 660,000 drivers use their phones when operating an automobile at any time during the day.
Texting and driving increases the risk of car crashes by 20 times over not using a cell phone. It’s been known for several years that driving and texting has an adverse impact on your reaction time, and reports say that it’s the same as if you had four beers in an hour.
Work-Related Cell Phone Addiction Statistics
How does cell phone addiction connect to work-related smartphone usage?
Let’s find out in the following statistics.
13. 84% of American Employed Adults Have Used Their Personal Smartphones at Work.
The other 16% may not have had mobile phones, or wouldn’t admit to using them during work since most people we have been across use their phones even during working hours for personal calls and texts.
Not only do they use their phone for personal texts and calls, but some probably use it for playing games, checking social media, and watching videos. After all, it’s easier to hide a cell phone than it is to hide what you’re doing on your work computer, right?
For many workers who use their personal phones during working hours, it’s likely to take a break from their work for a few minutes.
Naturally, it could also be associated with cell phone addiction.
14. Over 30% of Women Check Their Social Media Accounts at Work.
Now that we know most people use their personal mobile phones during working hours, it’s important to realize that 33% of women in the workplace check their social media accounts.
It’s just a fact of life that women are more interested in what’s going on, so they naturally check their social media accounts more than men.
Much of this has to do with the fact that women are more interested in fashion trends, beauty trends, and other such content. So much so, they are basically besieged by it.
Another study showed that 32% of men are more apt to check non-work related emails on their cell phones than women.
Somehow, it all seems to balance out, doesn’t it.
15. It’s Common for Millennials to Spend Two Hours or More During Their Workday on Personal Activities.
Statistics show that companies are losing money due to a distracted workforce.
Employee monitoring could become a bigger thing in the coming years to help improve productivity in the workplace.
Millennials admittedly spend over two hours on their personal phones dealing with personal activities at work.
16. Boosting Concentration and Creativity at Work Does Not Happen by Using Your Personal Smartphone.
While taking breaks at work helps to improve your performance, productivity, focus, and creativity, using your phone as a break is mostly a distraction.
Statistics from studies like those performed by Harvard show that your smartphone is not going to improve your productivity at work.
The notifications are distracting, procrastination ensues, and your cell phone can result in eliminating your focus and creativity when you need it the most at work.
What you really need is to take breaks from your smartphone to rejuvenate your mind and improve your productivity. The data proves that taking regular breaks every hour and a half restores focus and creativity. Just leave your smartphone out of it.
17. In The United Kingdom, 75% of Workers Admit to Checking Their Phones During Their Working Hours.
The problem of using personal mobile phones at work impacts workers across the globe. This statistic proves it.
It seems that three quarters of British workers check their mobile phones during the work day.
Additionally, this report states that 86% of them are watching television on their phones.
We have to face the fact that this is a global problem, and not just exclusive to America or a few countries. .
18. It’s Reported that Employees Are Likely to Make Mistakes at Work After Taking a Phone Call and After Texting.
In a shocking study of errors related to cell phone use in the workplace, 28% of people made an error after getting a phone call, and another 23% after receiving a text.
Aren’t there enough distractions in the workplace without more from smartphones?
Even more, statistics from Singapore reveal that many workers are experiencing mobile phone addiction.
It’s a fact that smartphone addiction is harmful to work productivity and furthers other issues with workplace distractions.
19. Blocked Websites in The Workplace Are Accessed by 58% of Workers via Personal Smartphones.
Yet another surprising statistic related to the workplace shows that 58% of workers use their own smartphones to view websites blocked by their workplace.
We all know that companies block certain websites to prevent distractions in the workplace, but people still have their smartphones. They will use them at work to access company blocked sites.
Teenage Cell Phone Addiction Statistics
Most of today’s teens have grown up with technology and mobile devices, so it’s no surprise that they may have some signs of addiction to it.
Let’s look at what the statistics reveal about teens and mobile phones.
20. Research Shows that 95% of American Teenagers Either Have a Smartphone, or Have Access to One.
Among the 95% of teens with smartphone access, 45% claim they are nearly always online. The amount of time that teens are spending online and on their smartphones has resulted in alarm among parents, teachers, and authorities all over the nation.
Statistics in 2018 showed that among teens aged 13 to 17, they were mostly on their smartphones just to pass the time (57%). Another 37% of the time, they were connecting with others.
A pretty impressive 30% of the time, they claimed to be learning something new. Then sadly, 11% said they used smartphones to avoid in-person interactions with others.
21. 45% of American Preteens Between 10 and 12 Years Old Have Smartphones.
Children that fall just under the teenage years, between 10 and 12 years old, also have smartphones. Let’s face it, adults and teenagers aren’t the only age groups at risk for cell phone addiction.
Preteens between 10 and 12 years old have not only grown up with technology, but are also becoming addicted, or at least very obsessed with smartphones.
The most current studies are showing that it’s more and more common for children below the teen years to have or at least use smartphones.
22. A Startling 60% of Teenagers Prefer to Spend Time Online with Friends than To Interact with Them in Person.
Growing up in the digital age may seem pretty cool, but it comes with its challenges. One of those challenges is being able to connect with others online instead of in real life.
In 2019, it was reported that 60% of teenagers wanted to be online with friends instead of with them in real life.
This could explain the issue of teens and the increase in social anxiety among them. They have not engaged enough in person to learn how to make friends in real life. Instead, they have online friends.
It would help if parents, teachers, and local communities encouraged more real life interactions.
23. in The United States, 56% of Teens Feel Negative Emotions when They Are without Their Smartphones.
Sad and sobering statistics like this one give us pause to think about teens and cell phone usage. Not only in America, but all over the world.
It’s been shown that smartphones are connected to emotional and mental issues at some level. In this case, teenagers feel alone, anxious and depressed without their smartphones nearby.
Teenage girls are more likely to experience these emotions over their male counterparts, but this data relates to all teens.
24. 57% of Parents in The United States Try to Restrict Their Teens’ Screen Time.
There is no lack of desire in parents who want to restrict smartphone usage among their teens.
The problem isn’t that more than half of American parents don’t restrict teen’s screen time. It’s about how teens react to the restrictions.
As we mentioned, they start to experience feelings of loneliness and anxiety, making it difficult to restrict their screen time.
Restricting screen time also plays a major role in creating family conflict.
25. 52% of American Teens Claim that They Would Like to Try to Cut Down on Their Use of Smartphones.
American teens seem to be aware that they are having problems with being obsessed with their phones and want to cut back on usage.
More than half of them desire to cut back on phone usage, according to statistics.
How are they cutting back? They are limiting their time on social media on their own, which is a great step toward combating the issue.
Cutting back on Instagram represents 57%, while video game play on smartphones by teens are cutting back by 58%.
26. 45% of Teenagers Feel They Are Addicted to Their Phones.
Statistics are starting to show how teens are aware of smartphone addiction and how much they desire to resolve the problem.
Research shows that about 45% of teens are always checking their smartphones for notifications, messages, etc. They are also admitting that they are feeling addicted to their phones.
Not only is this an issue for teens, but also their parents.
27. 60% of Teenagers Are Aware that Cell Phone Addiction Is a Genuine and Major Issue.
When teenagers are admitting to addiction, you know it’s a serious problem. While 60% of teenagers admit that device addiction is a problem, another 40% don’t see it that way.
It’s promising that more than half of teenagers do recognize the problem, but sad that 40% are still struggling with it.
Do you have a teenager who is aware of cell phone addiction?
28. Between 2010 and 2015, There Has Been a Substantial Increase of 65% in Suicide Rates Among Teenage Females Affiliated with The Rise in Cell Phone Usage.
In late 2017, Florida State University released data about the connection between the rising amount of screen time and teen suicide risk.
One of the issues they reported had to do with the unrealistic beauty standards shown on social media by celebrities.
For instance, the Kardashian family and their cosmetic surgeries and their creation of socially acceptable beauty standards have caused depression among more than 500,000 teenagers.
This connection between teen depression and their screen time has resulted in higher teen suicides. Female teenagers are the demographic at highest risk for experiencing suicidal thoughts over their male teen counterparts.
Since society seems to set these beauty standards, don’t we need to support our teenagers that feel they are missing out on something because they don’t look like their favorite celebs?
Adult Cell Phone Addiction Statistics
We have discussed general cell phone statistics, cell phone addiction statistics, and statistics related to preteen and teenage smartphone addiction.
Now we will look at how smartphone addiction impacts adults.
29. a Gallup Poll Showed that 41% of Adult Mobile Phone Users Check Their Devices at Least a Few Times per Hour.
Just in case you haven’t realized it yet, this stat makes it clear how this issue works.
About 20% of American adults say they check their phones once per hour, while 28% claim to check their cell phones less often.
Another 11% claim that they check their phones every few minutes, so this is a significant problem across age demographics.
Adults check their phones as much, if not more, than teens and preteens.
30. Survey Participants Claim that 85% of Smartphone Users Check Their Phones During Family and Friend Visits.
It’s difficult enough to watch kids and teens stare at their smartphones during in-person family and friend interactions, but for 85% of adults to do the same is simply shocking.
Are we so distracted by just having our smartphones so easily accessible that we cannot handle human interactions?
Would you rather spend face-to-face time with family and friends, or would you rather be on your smartphone playing a game or checking your texts or social media.
This statistic shows that there is a real disconnect in personal relationships nowadays, primarily due to cell phone usage.
It’s kind of sad that people prefer to take a selfie instead of engaging with family and friends.
31. Smartphone Users Reportedly Check Their Phones 58 Times per Day in 2021.
When looking at statistics, we found out that users looked at their smartphones 58 times a day in 2021. Additionally, about 50% of that time was during working hours.
It’s been revealed that 70% of these sessions lasted under two minutes. Only one quarter lasted at least 10 minutes.
Remember that these distractions cause problems with productivity in the workplace. It’s not the screen time that’s affecting your efficiency, it’s the number of times you’re grabbing your phone to check it, which becomes a distraction.
32. Statistics Show that Adult Smartphone Users Are Spending an Average of 58 Minutes Each Day Just on Facebook.
Social media apps are as popular as smartphones, aren’t they? Why else would adults be spending so much time on Facebook from their cell phones every day? Consequently, Instagram ranks second at 53 minutes per day.
Facebook Messenger plays a big role in this statistic. By the end of 2022, it’s predicted that 138.1 million people will be using Messenger. Will the minutes per day get a boost from that?
33. Statistics from 2017 Reported that Cell Phone Addiction Has Resulted in Spending an Average of Five Years and Four Months of Our Lives on Social Networks.
When someone asks you where you think you will be in five years, would you say on my smartphone on Facebook? People who are addicted to smartphones spend a lot of time on social channels like YouTube watching videos, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
YouTube is ranked number one with smartphone users spending about a year and ten months of their lives there. Facebook is ranked number two at one year and seven months. This just goes to show you where society’s priorities are now.
Did you know that people spend an average of six months of their lifetime doing laundry? What a huge difference.
34. Almost 20% of Young Adults Claim to Use Their Smartphones While Engaging in Sex.
A scary statistic like this one should tell you how disconnected young adults have become due to technology and smartphone addiction, or at least obsession.
If you can’t spend intimate time with someone without checking your cell phone, you are detached and disconnected to life.
This is one way that statistics help us realize the severity of this problem.
35. 39% of Young Adults with Smartphones Reported Cell Phone Addiction.
The signs of cell phone addiction tips adult smartphone users off about this issue. Cell phone addiction is connected to poor sleep habits, which we discussed somewhat in the previous statistics.
Smartphone addiction has been reported across the globe, and is not exclusive to any region. Naturally, it would be higher in regions where smartphone use is dominant.
FAQs
Is Cell Phone Addiction Real?
According to the research, obsessive and addictive smartphone use has created new terms in the psychology realm such as nomophobia, textaphrenia, and phantom vibrations.
After reading the statistics in this article, there should be no doubt that extraneous mobile phone use has become a problem for some users.
What Are the Symptoms of Smartphone Addiction?
The most common signs of cell phone addiction include the following:
• Randomly grabbing your phone if you are bored or alone.
• Waking up several times overnight to check your smartphone.
• You tend to spend more and more time on your device.
• If you can’t get to your phone, you feel irritable, upset, or anxious.
• When you try to restrict your usage, you quickly fall into relapse.
• Your smartphone adversely affects your relationships, work life, or your grades at school.
• Your loved ones are worried about your smartphone usage habits.
What Are Some Consequences of Mobile Phone Addiction?
According to reliable research, individuals who are overusing their smartphones may experience depression, anxiety, relationship conflict(s), insomnia, sleep problems, and reduced work performance or academic performance.
These issues are just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. Overusing your cell also leads to other compulsions, distractions, and disruptions at home, work, and school.
Can You Combat Cell Phone Addiction?
Any addiction can be treated, including smartphone (cell phone) addiction. You can start by finding out if you have some underlying concerns causing you to overuse your phone.
One therapeutic method using CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), which seems to help balance the brain thereby reducing obsessive behavior.
You can also do things like deleting time-consuming phone apps, keep your phone out of reach (make it less accessible), develop some new hobbies, change your notification settings and other distracting alerts, and set your phone to the grayscale setting to prevent waking at night.
Conclusion
These statistics should raise your awareness of the problem and then you can share it with friends and family to spread the awareness.
Remember, if you feel you are addicted to your cell phone, it’s perfectly fine to seek help for it. You are better off getting help than ignoring it, especially if it’s creating problems in your life.
Are you concerned about someone in your life that may have cell phone addiction?
We hope these cell phone addiction statistics have enlightened you and helped you in some way.
