Americans Check Their Phones 8 Billion Times a Day

Are you one of those people who can’t go more than five minutes without checking your phone? As it turns out, most of us are exactly the same way.

A study recently released by Deloitte found that Americans collectively check their smartphones upwards of 8 billion times per day. That’s an aggregate number that refers to the number of times all Americans throughout the country look at their mobile devices on a daily basis.

On average, people in the United States across all age groups check their phones 46 times per day, according to Deloitte. That’s up from 33 looks per day in 2014. To arrive at that 8 billion number, Deloitte multiplied the average number of looks per day by the number of smartphone users in the United States, which the firm says is 185 million.

Although 46 checks per day is the average, that number varies depending on users’ age group. Those between the ages of 18 and 24 look at their phones most often, with an average of 74 checks per day. Americans in the 25-34 age bracket look at their devices 50 times per day, and those between 35 and 44 do so 35 times each day.

Unsurprisingly, the survey found that most people check their phones while shopping, watching television, and during leisure time. However, Deloitte also found that 81% of Americans spend time looking at their phones while dining out in restaurants. “Some of this is going to require new etiquettes emerging,” says Craig Wigginton, Vice Chairman and U.S. Telecommunications Leader for Deloitte.

Generally, most respondents across all age groups said they look at their phones within five minutes of waking up. But 26% of those in the 18-24 age range said they look at their phones immediately upon waking up. The first thing most people do on their phones in the morning is now text messaging, not checking email, which was the most popular answer in 2014.

One reason Wigginton believes Americans are checking their phones more often now than ever before is because more people are using their phones for financial transactions. Mobile payment apps have been around for years, but companies like Apple, Google, and Samsung have all launched new tap-to-pay services in the 2014-2015 timeframe. “We’re seeing a perfect storm of technology in the device, technology in the store, and security being put into the retail environment,” says Wigginton.

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