Millennials are so in love with their mobile phones, they can’t imagine spending a day without checking it at least once. At least that holds true for some, or, perhaps, the majority.
Some even say the “relationship” they have with their phones is the longest they’ve ever had. For these people, it is the first thing they reach for when they wake up, the last thing they check before they sleep, and the one thing that never leaves their side throughout the day—some of them hold on to it even while having sex, mind you.
A 2014 study by research firm Zogby Analytics revealed that 90 percent of its 1,019 Generation Y survey respondents said their phones never leave their sides. Meanwhile, a YouGov Omnibus survey in the same year found that individuals 18 to 34 years old literally can’t put their phones down as over 50 percent said they carry it in their hand throughout the day.
And it’s not simply that they can’t let go of their phones. Cisco’s third annual global connected World Technology Report stated two out of five millennials “would feel anxious, like a part of me is missing,” if they couldn’t use their smartphones to stay connected.
The separation anxiety towards our nifty gadget even extends to the bedroom and bathroom: The 2013 Mobile Consumer Habits study found that 12 percent of millennial smartphone users admitted to using their device in the shower and nine percent of those surveyed had used it during sex.
In light of this information, we asked a couple of millennials whether they are willing to give up their phone for a week and, and if not, how long they could go without checking it. Find out their answers below:
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“No [I’m not willing to give up my phone for a week] because I need it for business purposes. One day is the longest I can go without checking it.” –Kathrine Joy Cortez, 28
“No. I use my cell phone to log into my social media accounts, as well as to contact my friends and keep in touch with my boss. I can last two to four hours without checking my phone.” –John Francis Ducusin, 20
“No. Phone is life; with it you can easily access anything and, most importantly, with it I can communicate with anyone, everywhere. Twenty minutes [would be the longest I can last without checking my phone].” –Mary Anne Guevarra, 27
“If the people before mobile phones [were invented] made it, I think I can survive it, too. So, yes, I think I’ll be okay [without my phone for a week]. I honestly don’t know [if how much longer I can go without checking it].” –Sittie Ayeesha Macabato, 20
“Living alone gets boring because you don’t have interaction with anyone; talking or chatting with people online is my only means of communication. So, no, I can’t give it up for a week. The longest I can go without checking it is only an hour.” –Thalia Mae Zamora, 20
“No. Chatting, playing mobile games, surfing the net are just some of the things I do with my phone. It helps me unwind after long hours of stress at work. The only time I don’t check my phone is when I’m asleep.” –Anne De Leon, 19
“I use my phone to communicate with everyone—my parents, friends and loved ones. It is also a source of entertainment, so [my answer is] no. The longest time [I can last without checking it] could be a day.” –Christine Nitura, 20
“Yes. For leisure, I absolutely can last a week or more without it. But of course, I must attend to it if it’s regarding my personal responsibilities.” –Kevin Mendoza, 19
“I can’t give up my phone for a week because there might be some emergencies. Four hours [would be the longest I can go without checking it].” –Alexis Francisco, 18
“I can’t give it up [for a week] because all my books are stored on my phone. I need to read, and not reading will trigger my anxiety and depression. I’m not sure [how long I can go without checking it] since I use my phone as a book. Maybe it depends on the book or if I get bored, which could normally last about an hour or two.” –Mary Julie Christine Vitales, 32
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This kind of attachment is rooted deeply, so to speak. We don’t just like having our mobile phones with us practically all the time because they’re cute to have; they serve several purposes in various aspects of our lives that they have become an extension of our bodies.
We use our mobile phones to make phone calls, send text messages, check and stay connected on social media, take photos, listen to music, watch videos, pay bills and shop online, among many other tasks. The aforementioned Zogby study further found that 60 percent of millennials thought that in the next five years “everything will be done on mobile devices,” and they might very well be right. Survey by John Ray Villanueva
*Answers have been edited and condensed for cohesion.