Seven in 10 can’t stand to be without their phone, poll claims

On average, respondents spent almost three-and-a-half hours on their mobile every day

People are going on social media more and spending less time in their communities (Getty)

Seven in 10 people “can’t bear to be away” from their mobile phones, according to a new poll.

Two in five participants said they had risked injury by checking their phone while out walking or running.

The survey, which asked 2,000 smartphone owners about their habits, found almost 60 per cent said they felt “too reliant” on their mobile phones. Three in 10 said they routinely checked their mobile as soon as they wake up.

On average, respondents spent almost three-and-a-half hours on their phone every day, including 52 minutes checking social media.

The most popular use for modern mobiles was sending texts, followed by making calls and taking part in WhatsApp conversations, the poll found.

As a result, the average adult will burn through nine gigabytes of data each month.

“As their usage has become more widespread so has their functionality, and our hunger for more data to feed this functionality has only increased," said Richard Baxendale, managing director at AO-Mobile which commissioned the survey.

It also emerged one in eight avoid the risk of running out of data by opting for an unlimited allowance as part of their phone plan.

On average, respondents made an average of 10 calls on their mobile each week and sent 17 messages every day, while 47 per cent said they would rather send a text over having a call.

SWNS