On your phone right now? A 2024 report shows that Americans check their phones 205 times a day

If you’re looking for an easy New Year’s resolution, maybe lessening your cellphone usage is a good place to start.

The Pew Research Center reports that 98% of Americans own a cellphone of some kind. That translates to about 331 million people.

A study from Reviews.org shows that on average, Americans check their phones 205 times a day and spend five or more hours on screens as of December 2024.

Checking your phone 205 times a day is nearly once every five minutes while awake.

With this continued reliance and use of cellphones, projections from Consumer Affairs show that by 2040, the number of US smartphone users could exceed 364 million.

Despite this surge in frequency, fewer people are self-reporting addiction, signaling a potential shift in how we view our relationship with technology.

Some of the key insights about cellphone usage in 2024

– 80.6% of Americans check their phones within 10 minutes of waking up, and over half keep their devices within arm’s reach at night.

– 78% of Americans can’t leave the house without a phone.

– 76% of people respond to notifications within five minutes.

– Anxiety over phone use is common, with nearly 40% of people panicking when their battery dips below 20%.

– 27% of people use or look at their phone while driving.

On average, people now spend four hours and 30 minutes on their mobile phones each day.

This constant connection has led to a rise in what many consider “mobile phone addiction” but only 43.2% of Americans say they feel addicted to their phones. This shift may reflect a growing awareness of overuse, or perhaps, a diminishing sense of urgency around screen time, even though Americans are using their phones more than ever.

In a notable positive change, phone use during meals and work has decreased.

The number of people checking their phones during meals dropped by 41.5% and phone use during work hours fell by 31.9%.

However, not all trends are positive, phone use during movies has surged by 52.4%, with 88.8% of Americans now admitting to checking their phones while watching films at theaters.

Generational differences in cellphone use

Generational differences in phone use are striking. Gen Z and Millennials are the heaviest users, with these generations spending an average of six hours on their phones daily.

Meanwhile, Boomers and the Silent Generation are far less engaged, spending roughly two hours a day on their devices.

Millennials lead in phone anxiety, with 80.8% of them feeling stressed after losing their phone.

This generational divide is also reflected in phone addiction rates, with 55.8% of Gen Z and 54.6% of Millennials reporting addiction.

Only 16.7% of the Silent Generation reports feeling addicted to their phones.

A staggering 95% of US teens aged 13-17 now own a smartphone, a number that has steadily risen over the past decade.

Despite the heavy use, Americans seem to be growing less concerned with having the latest technology.

The percentage of people upgrading their phones has dropped by 35.5% from last year, and fewer people feel the need to splurge on the newest model. Additionally, fewer Americans are prioritizing saving their phones during emergencies, a number that plummeted by 42.2% from 2023.

The rise of mobile shopping

Mobile phones have increasingly become central to how Americans shop.

In 2022, mobile retail sales (known as m-commerce) totaled a massive US$387 billion, and by 2025, this figure is expected to double to US$710 billion.

Currently, 76% of Americans have made at least one purchase using their mobile phone, and those aged 30-49 are the most active mobile shoppers, with 92% of this demographic engaging in m-commerce.

For many, smartphones have replaced traditional computers for online shopping, with Amazon maintaining its dominance as the top downloaded shopping app in the US.

What does this all mean?

While the data suggests that Americans are more reliant on their phones than ever, it also points to a growing awareness of the need to balance screen time with real-world engagement.

What is the rule in Beaufort County Schools?

In Beaufort County Schools, a ban on most cellphone use was issued this past summer ahead of the decision by the state’s Board of Education to employ the device restriction for all South Carolina schools.

Dr. Lindsey Ott wrote an opinion piece for The Island Packet September summarizing Gov. Henry McMaster’s position as he “has been a strong advocate of prohibiting cellphones in the classroom, citing studies linking increased anxiety and stress in students connected to social media. The South Carolina Board of Education positively responded to these growing concerns by banning access to cellphones during the school day.”

According to a July article in The Island Packet: “Following a growing national academic trend, time is up for cellphones in classrooms in Beaufort County schools. As students return to class this semester, they will be greeted by a new decision prohibiting student use of cellphones during school hours. Teachers will start enforcing the policy on the first day of school.

The only exception to the rule allows high school students to use their phones during their lunch period. When phones aren’t being used they must be “turned off and stored in a locker, pocket, purse, backpack, or other non-visible location”, according to the policy. – The Island Packet (Hilton Head, S.C.)/Tribune News Service