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College students aren’t just concerned with getting good grades and finding the best parties. More than ever, they’re using their smartphones to navigate life on campus.
On the bus, waiting in line, in bed, on the treadmill and even while driving, college students can’t seem to put their phones down. Fifty-two percent say they often check their phones before getting out of bed in the morning, according to one study. Nearly half do so while in bed at night before they fall asleep.
Thirty-five percent say they sometimes use their phones while driving but stopped at a red light, and nearly 20% say they sometimes use them while the wheels are even moving. But it’s not all addiction and danger. Forty-five percent of college students say smartphones frequently help with school assignments, and 46% say they’re often helpful for work-related tasks.
The Internet education portal OnlineColleges pulled this data and more from sources including the Pew Internet & American Life Project, University of Colorado and Nielsen to produce the infographic below.
Among other notable findings: More colleges students use iPhones than any other device, email has nearly caught text messaging as the most popular use for smartphones among college students and nearly half of students use their phones to check the weather.
Check out the full infographic below for more information and let us know in the comments — do you think smartphones are doing more to distract or help college students?
Thumbnail photo courtesy of iStockphoto, deepblue4you
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I’m surprised by the percentage of students that never use their smartphones to stream media. Great infographic!
It is a generation of technology
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I’m a little surprised about the media streaming. But then again, should I be? The only time I watch a movie on my iPhone is when I’m traveling. I’m starting to realize how tiny the iPhone’s screen is, and that’s it’s not all that suitable for viewing content. And since most users are running iOS, we can identify the relationship between the iPhone and percentage of users who seldom watch videos on their phones. If rumors are true, the next iPhone could change that.
this is interesting info. I would’ve thought use during exercise would’ve been MUCH higher… perhaps they’re using ipods or mp3s there instead? Overall, I think smartphones both help AND distract, but if one had to make a judgment call, I’d say there’s way more positives than negatives. Phones in general are great tools for personal safety as well…esp for females walking around on campus by themselves or at late hours. And we’re on a mission to contribute to college student safety by providing resources to help coeds have a handy way to WEAR that phone, no matter what their outfit. Fits iphone, blackberry, droid and more. See what I mean at http://www.portapocket.com :)