MANHATTAN, Kan., June 28 (UPI) -- People who become attached to their cellphones find them more fun than functional, more about entertainment than about communication, a U.S. researcher says.
"The cellphone's no longer just a cellphone; it's become the way we communicate and a part of our life," said Esther Swilley, a Kansas State University researcher in technology and marketing.
To gather data, Swilley observed how Kansas State students use and respond to their phones and surveyed students in her marketing course.
She measured people's level of attachment to their cellphones, something she calls mobile affinity.
Her survey of participants between ages 19 and 24 found that 99 percent owned a mobile phone.
"Honestly I'm surprised this wasn't 100 percent," Swilley said. "People share other devices like computers, but cellphones are an interesting thing because we each have our own. That individual ownership is a really big deal for people."
With the adoption of more smartphones and the introduction of apps, Swilley says for many owners their phone's entertainment factor has become a source of pride and joy -- similar to that of a lovable new pet.
"It's sort of similar to when people had those Tamagotchi pets as children; cellphones are just the adult version of that," Swilley said. "People don't turn them off, are constantly playing with them, and want to show off the neat things the phone can do."
