The UKs leading independent mobile phone comparison site, www.compareandrecycle.co.uk, reveals its five scariest facts about smartphone use ahead of Halloween (31st October) and they may just be as frightening as the paranormal!
We are completely spellbound by our smartphones and you probably haven’t noticed what they are capable of, or how they make us think and behave. Compare and Recycle has unleashed five spooky facts about your smartphone use and signs to look out for in case you have become digitally possessed!
The average smartphone user touches their smartphone around 2,617 times a day! 1 in 10 people check their phones[ as soon as they wake up and have short usage sessions for around 1 minute when combined with longer sessions, this adds up to an average of 3 hours and 23 minutes on-screen-time a day!
Each year smartphones become smarter and more important to us, as we use them for every aspect of our lives, from shopping to banking and dating. This can lead to “smartphone separation anxiety”, the nightmare of losing your phone, which is one of the darker consequences of smartphone addiction.
We replace our phones every 27.7 months. The average human life expectancy in the UK is 81 years, which means that everyone in the UK will own roughly 30 phones in their lifetime[. That said, each abandoned smartphone joins the army of (un)dead devices, generating a monstrous pile of e-waste.
When disposed of irresponsibly, harmful components such as lead and mercury release toxins into the environment. This waste contributes to the contamination of large areas globally and is continuously poisoning the earth.
Flagship phone prices are increasing year on year and with newer models set to launch, prices are no doubt expected to increase throughout 2020. For example, The Samsung Galaxy S’s price tag has increased by 27% in just a year[!
Phone contract prices can be just as petrifying. The majority of us end up spending more than the phone is worth without realising. Merchants latch onto the latest phone launches and bump up contract prices, as they know consumers will pay to have the latest tech!
Resurrecting a phone and choosing a refurbished device with a sim only deal will reduce the overwhelming price tag of a brand new phone and can save hundreds of pounds!
Studies have found some serious pathogens on our smartphones, including Streptococcus, MRSA and E. coli. These can increase the risk of sickness, so pause and think about this next time you hold your phone close to your ear, or worse, your mouth!
Our phones are connected to the Internet, which means your mobile phone use is being tracked! In fact, some Android apps track your movements up to every three minutes[7]. If an app wants to know where you have been, it can simply ask for your location data. If the app wants to access your photos, it can also access your geolocation of where that picture was taken.
Most people are worried about their personal data getting shared with third parties, yet many of us accept terms and conditions without properly reading them. Giving permission to apps is like inviting a vampire into your home; once they are in they have access to everything!
Matthew Moreton, MD at Compare and Recycle comments, “Our cycle of upgrading is contributing to an army of undead phones but this Halloween we are waging war. We are urging everyone to dig up unused devices buried in drawers and unlock their value. By brushing off the cobwebs and using Compare and Recycle to find the best resale deal, you can prevent old tech from going to landfill. You can even use the reward to treat yourself to a new phone.”