Cell Phone Usage Statistics 2022: How Obsessed Are We?

In the US, up to 47% of us would say we’re “addicted” to our cell phones—it’s no wonder with a dazzling array of unlimited data plans and new smartphones every year.

We surveyed Americans 18 and older about their phone habits and behaviors. And like Narcissus staring into an endless pool of reflection, most of us can’t live without our cellphones in sight for very long—if at all.

• Americans spend 4 hours, 25 minutes each day on their cell phones.
• Overall, the average American will spend over two months (65 days) on their phones in 2023.

Our cell phones are our constant companions. As many as 71% of us check our phones within 10 minutes of waking up. And 74% of us can’t leave our cell phones at home without feeling uneasy. Nor can we imagine our little companions dying—48% of people say they feel a sense of panic or anxiety when their cell phone battery goes below 20%.

Even while driving, 35% of Americans use or look at their cell phones. On romantic dates, 43% of us are more wrapped up in our phones than our partner’s company.

And when we say “I couldn’t be without our cell phones for five minutes,” most of us mean it—70% of Americans check their phones within five minutes of receiving a notification.

On average, we check our phones every four minutes.

Over half of Americans have never gone longer than 24 hours without their cell phones.

We’re so reliant on our phones that 61% of us have texted someone in the same room as us. And, lest we sit enthroned without our cell phone scepters, 64% of us use our phones on the toilet too.

It’s no surprise that 45% of Americans say that their phone is the most valuable possession. What is surprising is how far our obsessions with cell phones go:

• Over one-third of Americans (36%) say they’d give up their pets to keep their cell phone.
• 53% say that in a house fire or other disaster, their cell phone would be the number one possession they’d try to save
• 26% say they’ve endangered themselves to avoid losing or damaging their cell phone

Now, we’re not saying you should stop endlessly scrolling, but we’d like you to keep yourself (and your animal friends) safe—you can always replace your cell phone!

How much time will Americans spend on their phones in 2022?

All those quick little social media check-ins, along with the rabbit holes of funny memes and videos, mean Americans spend an average of 2 hours and 54 minutes on their phones each day. The average American will spend nearly a month and a half (44 days) on their phones in 2022!

• On average, Americans spend 2 hours, 54 minutes on their phones each day.
• The average American will spend nearly a month and a half (44 days) on their phones in 2022.

Conclusion

On average, Americans spend nearly three hours of every day on their phones, but some of us have taken our cell phone love too far. While some of us are a little distracted, others are willing to risk life and limb to keep up with our texting and scrolling lifestyles.

We’re not here to judge (some of us are right there with you)—but still, it might be a good time to make sure if you’re going to use your phone, you like using it.

Check out our mobile reviews to get what you need:

• Best Cell Phone Plans
• Best Cell Phone Coverage
• Fastest Wireless Speeds 2022
• Why Is My Phone So Slow on the Internet? How to Speed Things Up
• How Much Cell Phone Data Do I Need? The Ultimate Guide
• How to Reduce Data Usage

Methodology

Reviews.org surveyed 1,000 Americans 18 years and older with a +/- 4% margin of error and a confidence level of 95%. The survey results were weighted to reflect characteristics of the United States population using available data from the US census.

Respondents were asked to refer to their phone’s screen time report to determine the average number of times per day they check their phones, in addition to how much time in total they spend on their phones per day.

Source:
Reviews.org Proprietary Survey conducted December 2021.