From toilet selfies to intoxicated calls to an ex and an obsession with food photography, Circles Life, reveals the latest in mobile phone behaviour of Australians
Circles Life, one of Australia’s fastest growing digital telcos, surveyed Australians aged 18-35 to understand today’s mobile phone behaviours and attitudes. In true Aussie spirit, questions around toilet selfies, intoxicated phone calls and risqué texts were met with startling honesty, as well as some more topical subjects around the cost of living, with half of the respondents considering switching carriers in search of cheaper phone plans.
More than half of Australian adults could not go a day without their mobile phone. In fact, one in three Australian adults would go without sex for a week rather than their phone for a day, and one-quarter would go without a car for a week.
Women were more likely to sacrifice sex for a week rather than their phone for a day (37% compared to 27% men), while men were willing to forego brushing their teeth (15% compared to 8% women) or showering (12% compared to 7% women) rather than sacrificing sex for a week, for their phone.
When it came to cringeworthy phone faux pas, Circles Life research also revealed that, 61% of Australians admitted to taking a call or selfie on the toilet; 41% have accidentally screenshotted a conversation and sent it back to the same person; 37% have called or texted an ex while intoxicated and 26% have texted or sent a risqué picture to the wrong person.
Commenting on the findings, Genevieve Brock, Head of Marketing at Circles Life, said: “The mobile phone has become an extension of Australians’ own self, so it was important for us to jump in and understand what is shaping phone usage and behaviour to help us design better mobile plans for our customers and Australians more broadly. We found that almost nothing is off-limits regarding mobile phone usage for younger generations”
Other shockingly common mobile phone behaviour from the research findings included:
- 73% of Australians have had to wait before eating until a photo of the food has been taken, and close to half (49%) have asked someone to wait before eating so they could snap a photo.
- Around one in five think they’re known for sharing private messages or inappropriate content.
- More than half of Australian adults play video games at least weekly, with a quarter playing daily. Half believe that playing video games has improved their problem solving and technical skills.
- On average, Australians spend 3.6 hours a day on their phone; more than a third spend over 4 hours each day on their phone; and almost a quarter are spending more than 5 hours a day on their phone.
While the findings have brought to life the fun and quirky facts and behaviours of Australians, it has also brought to light the cost of living pressures for people.
Australians pay an average of $63 a month for their mobile phone/data plan, and when asked about phone bills, more than a third feel their phone bill is too high. Half (50%) of those surveyed have considered switching carriers because of cost of living pressures, and 68% are tired of phone plans getting more expensive each year.