It doesn’t come as a surprise to hear that people are addicted to the cell phones; however, the extent of their obsession is far more shocking.
A recent report issued by BC Hydro finds that British Columbians’ addiction to personal electronics has resulted in a 150 per cent increase in electricity use from small electronics since 1990.
What’s more, the report indicates that people are willing up to give a great deal in order to keep their smartphones with them at all times.
In fact, over a quarter of BC residents ages 25 to 54 report that they would rather give up seeing their spouse or partner for a day than give up their smartphone or tablet for 24 hours. And, for ages 55 t0 64, the figure jumps to one-third.
In addition, almost one-third of young adults, ages 18 to 24, would choose to forgo heating their home on a cold winter day before parting ways with their device.
Two-thirds of the general population even stated that they would be willing to forgo their morning coffee for two full days in favour of keeping their smartphone. Perhaps even more shocking, a quarter of residents ages 18 and 34 would give up their salary for a full day to keep their device for 24 hours.
People aren’t just adamant about keeping their smartphones with them during the day, either. The survey found that one-fifth of residents actually keep their devices with them while they snooze.
“Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic shift in how people use power in their homes. The popularity of small personal electronics – like smartphones, laptops and tablets – is driving this trend,” said Chris O’Riley, BC Hydro’s President and Chief Operating Officer.
“While none of these devices use a lot a power individually, taken together, household electricity use from these devices has increased from 7 percent to 17 per cent since the early 1990s.”
The survey found that over three-quarters of residents own a smartphone, and that the number of households with tablets has increased by over 200 per cent since 2010.
As for the amount of time individuals spend on their device per day?
The survey found that people spend a whopping 4.7 hours daily on their smartphones.
— Elana Shepert, Vancouver Is Awesome
