New research shows that we are now more likely to communicate with our loved ones using smartphones than we are to talk to them in-person - that includes our romantic partners.
The research showed that we communicate with parents, partners, friends, relatives and colleagues using a smartphone e.g. through text or voice call, more than in person. So while 67% of us tend to text our friends and 53% tend to call, only 49% tend to speak in-person.
On average, we’re making 42 digital communications every day, whether that be by voice call, video call, texting or picture messaging.
It appears that digitally-savvy 18-24 year olds are the most smartphone-focused, making a staggering 81 smartphone communications every day - that’s one every 11 waking minutes.
There is a steady decline in this number by age group. Those aged 25-34 engage in 74 smartphone communications per day, reducing to 55 for those aged 35-44, 26 for those aged 45-54 and 21 for those aged 55-64. Those aged over 65 engage in just 14 smartphone communications per day.
Although millennials are increasingly preferring to use text messaging and voice calls, the research, conducted by Better Buy Insurance, shows that young people especially are bridging the gap between meeting people in-person and communicating via their smartphones, by using features like video calling and picture messaging. These communication methods were used more by 18-24s than by any other age group.
Gary Beeston, Sales and Marketing Director from Better Buy Insurance, who conducted the research, said: “It’s a great thing that people are able to use the wonders of technology to stay connected to each other. The features of today's smartphones make it really easy to maintain relationships and video calling features enable us to have that personalised conversation that’s not always possible with such busy lives, especially if our families are geographically spread. Smartphone messaging allows us to stay in contact throughout the day too.”
