Smartphones eating up time spent with loved ones in India, reveals a study

Time is not far when smartphones are going to be the most favourite in Indian life, overtaking even their loved ones. A study conducted by Ericsson in India shows that smartphones are considerably eating up the time their Indian users otherwise spent with their loved ones.

Analysing the mobile broadband usage among the Indian public, the handset maker has conducted a survey among some 5000 respondents all over India, to find that 34 percent of them felt smartphones are eating up the time they used to spend with spouse or loved ones. 

Eventually, the study also shows that the gadget is turning dearest to average Indian user. 45 percent of the respondents showed nomophobic (fear of parting with their mobile phone) tendencies which make them to go to sleep with their smartphones. 

Interestingly, at least 28 percent of the people in the study opined that they forgot people in the vicinity while chatting or texting on the small screen device.

Indicating increasing popularity of mobile broadband usage in India, the study revealed that 69 percent of all first time smartphone users spend more than 50 percent of their internet hours on their smartphone. 

Among this, men often check with the Google Maps, while women text and talk more.

However, 3G networks in India are yet to make the most, according to the study. Though the number of mobile phone users crosses an 850 million mark in India, barely five percent among them have access to 3G services. However among this five percent, one in three depends on 3G broadband as the sole source of internet.

The study also found that ignorance about data plans and absence of easy ways to check the usage deter public from hoping on a 3G network.