Teenagers prefer mobiles to sex

But what if there wasn't a vibrate function?

Posted in Mobile, 21st June 2007 14:18 GMT

Tune into our application security webcast, click here

One in three people would want £1m to give up their mobile, and those aged between 16 and 24 would prefer to give up sex for a month than do without their handset, according to Carphone Warehouse's Mobile Life survey.

Mobile Life, a six monthly survey, this time also convinced 24 people to give up their mobile phones for a month. Unsurprisingly, most of them found life more relaxing, they got more done, but they also had to be more organised about it.

Most of the participants seemed surprised how little difference not having a phone made to them, and some liked the way others were forced to be more organised too: "It stops people ringing when they have arranged to meet to say they are going to be late – they feel much more duty bound...to actually bother their backside to get there on time," one said.

But among the 1,256 people in the main survey, most still think a mobile is a social requirement - particularly women (81 per cent, compared with 71 per cent of men).

In the teenage demographic it's not just sex which comes second to the mobile. Given the choice, most would be willing to give up alcohol, chocolate, tea, and coffee rather than their beloved phone - though notably it seems that women are happier to give up the beast with two backs than men.

You can get more details, and video interviews with the 24 mobile-deprived participants here, once Mobile Life's website is back in action (later this afternoon, we're promised). ®

Join our expert panel in discussing application security