The results found that social media has cultivated a new breed of social media addict, between the ages of 16-25. Like drugs and alcohol this addiction can actually contradict the social objectives it was originally designed to enhance.
Almost half of the survey group admitted to being addicted to social media. This admittance was most prominent amongst females, with 60% ‘addicted’ respondents being female.
68% of those surveyed confessed to checking their social media feeds up to a staggering 10 times a day.
“This was a really incredible finding and just shows the reliance youth now have on social media. They wouldn’t email or call their friends ten times a day, but they’re happy to check their Facebook or Twitter this number of times to ensure they keep up with their friend’s posts, the latest news, celebrity headlines, or information about their favourite brand," said Paul O’Neile, CEO, Boost Mobile.
The Mobile Youth Report for 2012 also found that 15-19 year olds spend three hours a day on social media while 20-29 year olds spend two full hours interacting socially.
There were a number of places respondents were happy to say they checked their social media.
In bed, was the most popular place people chose to check their social media feeds. 66% of respondents admitted to clicking into their Facebook page while under the covers!
31% of young adults also freely admitted to reading , writing and feeding their social media addiction, while on the toilet. 45% said eating was one of their most popular times to look at their timelines and in a shocking admission to school teachers and uni lecturers, 37% admitted to finding their social networking updates more important and interesting than listening in the class room.
Other popular places for social addicts to look at their phone, was while they were working out at the gym, driving their car and at social events such as cafes or parties.
It was no surprise that Facebook is the most used form of social media, with 90% of people surveyed actively using their account and just 20% of the 500 people surveyed not having access to a smart phone. Most people who didn’t own a smart phone were from regional areas.
55% of youths check their social media feeds on mobile devices rather than traditional laptops or desktops. This is up 15% from the last two years (Mobile Youth Report, 2012).
