By: Natasha Archary
South African youth would rather skip a meal than go without their cellphones for a day. This according to recent data by a South African technology start-up company.
Adoozy Power, the country’s first power bank rental network for mobile devices said youth between 18 and 26-years check their cellphones almost 30 times an hour.
The information puts cellphone addiction amongst the younger generation in the spotlight, as almost 30% of youth say they can’t live without their devices.
Kegan Peffer, CEO of Adoozy Power said smartphones have become a way of life for the youth, with many now dependent on access to the internet and social media platforms.
“A smartphone is more than a must-have, it’s an inseparable extension of their being. Anyone who wants to interact successfully with this audience for any purpose whatsoever – business, leisure, education or on social issues – needs to understand that and embrace the mobile-first culture.”
CEO of Adoozy Power, Kegan Peffer
According to the data, 25% of youth who were questioned said they checked their cellphones at least 10 times an hour. This equates to 5-minutes every hour or 80-90 minutes a day.
The study points to cellphone addiction becoming a huge problem with many young people reporting some form of separation anxiety or withdrawal symptoms if they go without their cellphones.
What’s more is that almost 40% of those involved in the study said they would rather skip meals for a day than to not have access to their cellphones.
Approximately 30% said they fall asleep with their phones and 85% said they use their phones whilst on the toilet.
Another shocking factor of the report is that 40% of those questioned said they would rather skip meals for a day than run out of phone power. Around 30% stated that they fall asleep with their phone, daily.
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