Nomophobia Why have we become so dependent? Social media has certainly been a powerful driver in smartphone addiction, giving people a means of sharing what they love via platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Some studies have shown that up to 53% of smartphone owners check social networks via their mobile devices hourly.

What about losing your phone? A Lookout study last year showed 73% of people panicked when they misplaced their phone, 14% felt desperate, and 7% physically sick!

Smartphones are not just secondary devices anymore either. 68% of people in Australia are using mobile as their primary technology device. The evolution of devices like the Microsoft Surface will only fuel this trend as the line between the power of laptops and tablets become more and more blurred.

We also have seen an amazing growth in mobile app development. Apple recently hit the 40 billion app download mark, and mobile app usage continues to rise. Not unlike the website boom, people expect a company to provide a mobile app experience. Without it, a business risks losing customers.

What about our addiction to those apps? Mashable just released an Apigee survey finding 85% of smartphone users in Spain would rather give up water than mobile apps. 36% of those in the United States think it would be easier to give up coffee than delete all apps on their phone forever.

There is a misconception that smartphones are a young person’s game. Yes, you will see the Millennial generation texting away at the speed of light, but the Boomers are just as connected. A recent Citrix survey showed that 70% of Boomers admitted it had been a day, or less, since they ate a meal without checking their mobile device. It is their mealtime reading material today, not unlike the newspaper of yesterday. Millennials come in at 65%.

Is nomophobia real? Is this truly an addiction of epic proportions, or simply a complete lifestyle shift? Either way, we can answer with certainty that people can't live without their smartphones - and a company’s mobile strategy is crucial to success.

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