Four hours a day

Austrians spend too much time on their smartphones

(Bild: thinkstockphotos.de)

The majority of Austrians say they spend too much time on their cell phones. In a survey, almost a third stated that they spend at least four hours a day on their phones. However, everyday life seems increasingly difficult to manage without a smartphone.

As the survey of 500 users conducted by the consulting firm Deloitte shows, the average smartphone is used 36 times a day. It is particularly popular among 14 to 29-year-olds and is used for more than five hours a day.

"At the same time, many people are increasingly critical of consumption, with almost two thirds wanting to limit it in future. Although it is unlikely that this will have an impact on sales figures in the foreseeable future, network operators and hardware manufacturers should nevertheless take the changing consumer perspective seriously," explained Florian Brence from Deloitte Austria.

Negative effects noticeable
The reasons for the increasing skepticism towards digital companions are manifold. A third frequently lose themselves in smartphone use and feel they are wasting valuable time. Almost a quarter also feel uncomfortable being out and about without a cell phone or having no reception and 21% even feel compelled to constantly look at their device.

"Overstimulation, exhaustion or sleep disorders - many Austrians suffer from excessive smartphone use. So it's no wonder that six out of ten respondents have already taken concrete measures to reduce this," said Brence.

Everyday life without a smartphone is becoming increasingly difficult
Although there is certainly a desire for a digital detox among the population, everyday life without a smartphone seems to be becoming increasingly difficult to manage. In addition to daily communication through messaging (85%) and making phone calls (81%), it is primarily used for surfing the internet (80%), checking traffic and weather information (61%) and the latest news (45%) or as an alarm clock (60%).

The small devices are also frequently used for navigation and contactless payment. "Despite numerous concerns, the general public will not radically abandon the smartphone in the future," emphasized Brence.