MOBILE PHONE ADDICTION UNDERMINES WELLBEING ON FAMILY HOLIDAYS
AS 98% OF BRITS CAN’T BREAK THE PHONE HABIT ABROAD
Despite the desire to unwind, a staggering 98% of Brits find themselves glued to their phones while on holiday – many juggling time on the sun-lounger with the constant urge to check everything on their phones from social media gossip to their bank accounts and sports results.
While 96% of people say they consider health and wellbeing to be a key factor when booking a holiday abroad, the InsureandGo research highlights a growing challenge for holidaymakers who, despite being eager to disconnect, struggle to fully switch off and unwind.
With more than 51.9million people in the UK owning a smartphone[1], phone addiction has become an increasing concern, with excessive use linked to poor sleep, heightened stress and anxiety[2]. Despite the growing awareness of these potentially harmful effects, the research suggests that many struggle to break the habit. One in four people (25%) can’t go more than two hours on holiday without checking their phones and 5% can’t even last 30 minutes. Only 18% of people said they could last a whole day without their phones.
Smartphones have become the constant companion for many people – even on holiday. With this in mind, InsureandGo asked a representative sample of 2,000 UK adults how long they could stay off their phones when on holiday – and what they used their phones for when abroad.
The Top 10 things people check on their phone when on holiday:
- Messages from friends (47%)
- Social media feeds from home (38%)
- Local weather at resort (36%)
- Travel maps for excursions (30%)
- Checking bank account (28%)
- Check in on parents/ kids (26%)
- Music (26%)
- National news (22%)
- Football results/ sports news (21%)
- Work emails (15%)
Regional Trends: Who’s the best and worst at unplugging?
- Londoners and the Welsh have the toughest time switching off, with 8% from both regions admitting they can’t last more than 30 minutes abroad without checking their phone. When it comes to what people check, the Welsh are most likely to be addicted to social media chatter from friends (55%) social media feeds (47%) and music (32%).
- People living in the South-East emerged as the least addicted to their phones, with almost one in two (49%) saying that they can last the whole holiday without checking their mobile phone. Further, people from Yorkshire, Humberside and East Anglia can stretch their ‘no-phone’ time to a couple of days.
- Meanwhile, people in the South West are most Iikely to use their phones for practical holiday-related reasons, like checking weather reports at the resort (44%) or looking up travel maps for excursions (38%).
Garry Nelson, Head of Corporate Affairs at InsureandGo commented: “While we are all prone to ‘checking in’ with our smartphones while on holiday, the importance of a total ‘switch off’ on holiday can’t be under-estimated.
“At InsureandGo, we recognise that holidays are more than just a break from the daily routine – they should be an opportunity to reset and reconnect. Whether it’s stepping into a remote location with no Wi-Fi or simply trying a ‘phone-free day’ on holiday, our research highlights how essential it is to make conscious choices to disconnect as part of enjoying a truly restful and stress-free holiday. And part of stress-free holidaying is having comprehensive travel cover in place. At InsureandGo our aim is to make this easy, so you can relax knowing that nothing gets in the way of a much-needed mental switch-off on holiday.”
To discover more about InsureandGo visit: InsureandGo.com
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[1] https://www.finder.com/uk/banking/mobile-internet-statistics?
[2] https://therapybrands.com/blog/what-is-the-impact-of-smartphone-addiction-on-mental-health/