We're stuck inside our phones

Do you get nervous when your cellphone isn't close?

Don't worry. You are not alone. A study by Nielsen, published last month, found that 53% of users feel the same way.

Mobile devices might not be critical to survival but most people around the world (56%) can't imagine life without them and 53% say they feel anxious when their devices aren't within reach.

For many, mobile devices are a constant companion with powerful benefits, the Nielsen mobile shopping, banking and payment survey found.

And business consultancy Deloitte said this year that cellphones are so rooted in South African lives that 62% of us use our phones while watching TV.

We are so hooked on our devices that 61% of us check them within five minutes of waking and 53% within five minutes of going to bed

Deloitte's mobile consumer survey, called Game of Phones, found: "The mobile phone is becoming integrated with our lives. Most consumers tend to use their mobile devices while engaged in other activities. These include commuting, watching TV, at work or spending time with friends.

"These trends are prevalent in all markets but are strongest in South Africa."

Dean Tustin, a professor in Unisa's Bureau of Market Research, found similar patterns among teens when he surveyed 1648 pupils at 11 Gauteng high schools in 2014.

Eight of 10 participants said they became nervous when they misplaced their phone; four in 10 felt uncomfortable and distracted when they could not hold their phone; 80% said they always had their phone with them; and 20% said they would rather miss a meal than lose cellphone time.

The Nielsen study said the desire to have a cellphone in hand had broader implications. Businesses could use this because mobile connectivity had implications for the way people bought products, banked and made payments.

"Among global respondents, 74% say they appreciate the freedom of being connected anywhere, at any time, and 70% strongly or somewhat agree that their mobile device has made their life better. This constant connectivity has changed the nature of connections.

"Fully two-thirds of global respondents strongly or somewhat agree that electronic interactions are replacing face-to-face ones, and almost half (47%) say they'd rather text than talk.

South Africans beat the global averages in mobile money transfers . About 49% of respondents said they were likely to transfer money by a mobile in the next six months, compared with 36% globally.