As cell phone use has become more widespread, there have been several different studies dealing with cell phone users. The following are some of the statistics that have resulted from these studies.
A growing concern about cell phone use is the fact that many people accept calls while driving. According to various studies, 73% of all mobile phone users talk while driving. This statistic means that at any given time on the highways of the United States, 10% of all drivers are using these devices.
One study examined how well these people handle when distracted by a cell phone call. These drivers were found to be 21% less likely to change lanes in medium traffic. In heavy traffic, the percentage was 19%. A cell phone user was also more likely to stay behind a slower-moving vehicle. In light traffic, these people spent 31% more time behind a slower car than a typical driver. In average traffic, the rate was 16%. In traffic, the driver spent 12% more time behind the other driver. These drivers also drove 2 mph slower than a normal driver.
Another area of cell phone use that has been studied has to do with children and cell phone use. The number of children who have cell phones is staggering. In the United States, about two-thirds of all children have cell phones. In Japan, 80% of high school students and 25% of high school students wear these devices. Great Britain and Scandinavia also have high percentages of children with cell phones.
The issue of child safety is also an issue that has been addressed. According to a study, 37% of Japanese teenage boys and 30% of Japanese teenage girls have used their mobile phones to access dating sites, leading some of these boys to engage in unwanted sexual intercourse.
In addition to becoming prey to sexual predators, unwanted cell phone messages from other children are also a problem. In a British study, 16% of young mobile phone users have received threatening text messages from their peers, while another 7% have admitted to being harassed in chat rooms. 4% of these young people have been “bullyed” through their cell phone. All these studies point to the problems that can arise when children have mobile phones.
Another study that has been done among cell phone users has to do with cell phone addiction. Cell phone addiction is defined as a person’s inability to live without their cell phone. While some people argue that this is not true addiction, some of these studies show otherwise. For example, in Japan, kids who had cell phones didn’t make friends with their peers who didn’t. In Hungary, three quarters of all children have these devices. Teenagers in Italy have multiple cell phones while in Britain 36% of all university students admitted they couldn’t live without these devices. 7% of British students also said they had lost jobs or relationships due to their cell phone use.
The only thing that can be concluded from all these studies is the fact that mobile phones are becoming an important part of almost everyone’s life. Whether this phenomenon is for better or for worse remains to be seen.
