Do you think you’re a smartphone addict? Can’t let go of that smartphone? You’re not alone and smartphone addiction is widespread, a new study reveals.

According to the results of the 2012 Mobile Mindset Study sponsored by Lookout, Americans are fixated and emotionally connected to their mobile devices.

The numbers from the study are revealing and they tell us that we are growing more and more attached to our phones each day. With the rise of advanced smartphones, almost everything can be done on them. It’s no wonder why smartphone addiction is so rampant.

The study which infers its result to be effectively applicable to the whole of the U.S. found out that 94% are concerned about losing their phone, 73% felt panicked when they actually lost their phones and 38% are most concerned about the cost and hassle of replacing a phone that’s gone.

When asked how they felt when they are unable to find their phones, 14% said they were desperate and 7% felt sick. Surprisingly, 6% said they were relieved. According to the study, this asserts that we have smartphone addiction as those are emotional reactions to not having our nifty little gadgets around.

Another interesting data from the study is the biggest concern of people about misplacing their phones. Thirty-eight percent said their concern is the cost and hassle, 24% said inconvenience, 20% said the compromise of their personal information, 6% said their account information and 3% said that they were concerned about inappropriate photos and texts being compromised with a lost phone.

In connection to this, 26% of Americans said they take and/or receive explicit photos with their phones while 18% used their phones for “sexting”. Maybe that’s one big reason for having a smartphone addiction.

Americans also can’t seem to keep their eyes of their phones. During meals with other people, 30% check their phones. Meanwhile, 24% check their phones during driving – an act which has long been the target of safety campaigns – while 9% said they also check their phones during religious services at a place of worship.

Fifty-four percent also said that they check their phones in bed, before going to sleep, after waking up and even in the middle of the night. Interestingly, 40%also couldn’t let go of their phones even when they go to the toilet as this many admitted to checking their phones while on the potty.

Because of our smartphone addiction, we now take our phones almost everywhere. This is a particularly concerning trend as smartphones are, even if we like to think otherwise, fragile devices.

As for taking phones everywhere, we do this to check it every now and then. About 60% revealed in the study that they do not go for an hour without checking their phones. Of the members of the 18-34 age group, 73% of men and 63% of women said they do not go an hour without checking their phones.

“The results of the Mobile Mindset Study sketch out the contours of a new set of behaviors and emotional attachments driven by smartphones. The data surfaced the new place phones have in our values and social norms and showed that a trauma such as losing a phone can trigger strong emotional reactions. The study unveiled a new mobile mindset in our society: social behavior shifts and an emerging school-of-thought in what’s now consider appropriate phone etiquette – such as checking a phone while eating,” the study concluded.

Because of our smartphone addiction, the study advises people to not lose their phones and keeping it safe – obviously – and not run out of battery by ensuring phones are fully-charged before going out.

Image from THEMACGIRL* on Flickr (CC)

About Solon Harmony Dolor

A passion for technology and journalism makes this upcoming writer very interested in social media and technology news. Fresh from finishing an English and Journalism degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman, he aims to bring interesting news to our readers .