Swiss spend too much "dead time" on smart phones: survey

GENEVA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- A latest survey on Wednesday has found that only about one third of the Swiss people manage to take a conscious break from media consumption at least once a day, and that one in four Swiss never actively disconnects at all.

According to comparis.ch, a leading Swiss Internet comparison service, the results, which apply to people in all linguistic areas in Switzerland, revealed that those who do take occasional breaks said they still spent too much "dead time" consuming all kinds of online media.

The survey questioned 1,049 people about their media consumption in all areas of Switzerland. In addition to younger people who treat their smartphone as a constant companion, some 36 percent of those who never take an active break from media consumption are over 56, and the same proportion covers those users aged 18 to 35.

"The smartphone has replaced the television and the radio, which means that people have constant access to all kinds of media at their fingertips," said Jean-Claude Frick, digital expert at comparis.ch, adding that messages from friends and colleagues on social media increase the pressure to constantly check our phone.

Push notifications, including "the junk emails of the smartphone generation", are another reason for people's inability to reduce their consumption, Frick said. He recommends turning them off as a "first step to a breaking the smartphone addiction."

The survey also shows that smartphone has in some cases already replaced the stationary devices. For example, 11 percent of respondents say they watch TV programs most often on their mobile phones. In the age group of 18- to 35-year-olds, there are even 22 percent. The phone is also popular for radio consumption: 18 percent use the phone to listen to the radio. Again, the age group of 18 to 35-year-olds with a share of 29 percent in the lead.

According to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, as many as 73 percent of users use the Internet on the road. "If you want peace, you must consciously switch on a shower break," the survey suggested. Enditem