30 Worrying Tech Addiction Statistics You Need to Know in 2022

We are all aware that technology is an important aspect of our lives. But is it crossing the line from being useful to being something we can’t live without? Well, you can make your own conclusions after you’ve read our list of tech addiction statistics below.

If you can’t control how much you use something, you can consider yourself addicted. So, if you cannot stop scrolling through social media or you obsessively look at your phone 50 times a day, you might have a problem!

Editor’s Picks:

• Over 48% of the world’s population owns a smartphone.
• 47.1% of households worldwide have at least one computer.
• More than 30% of people in the US almost never unplug from their devices.
• 29% of people in the UK consider themselves TV addicts.
• We check our phones 63 times a day.
• 22% of people consider themselves TV addicts.
• One in four kids globally uses their phone in an unhealthy manner.
• Two out of three UK teens feel that spending time online affects them negatively.

Stats that Show Our Digital Dependence

1. 4.88 billion people globally own a mobile phone.

That is approximately 63% of the global population. Of that number, 3.8 billion own smartphones. It’s really hard not to be an electronics addict when everyone around you has a cell phone. Even those that weren’t fans now need it if they want to stay in touch with their loved ones. 

2. Over 48% of the world’s population owns a smartphone.

Here’s a related tidbit of cell phone addiction statistics: the number of users worldwide that have a smartphone. That’s because these phones have complex systems with so many apps and options that can make us look at our screens for hours without even noticing. Technology use statistics show that the number of smartphone owners accelerated over the years. Back in 2016, we still had 4.30 million mobile phones globally, but only 2.5m were smartphones.

3. 47.1% of households worldwide have at least one computer.

It is no surprise that many people claim they are addicted to technology when so many electronic devices surround them. According to the latest available data, the number of households worldwide with a computer at home has increased by nearly 20% between 2005 and 2019. Seeing how more and more people are switching over to remote work these past few years, the numbers will probably keep going up.

4. 74% of people in the US have a laptop or a desktop.

Speaking about the overuse of technology, statistics in the United States are particularly alarming. Even though the data from 2019 shows a pretty high percentage, you will be surprised to find that in 2008, Americans had the same number of computers in their possession. The highest percentages were recorded in 2010, 2012, and 2016: 78%.

5. More than 30% of people in the US almost never unplug from their devices.

The statistics by eMarketer show our addiction to electronics. In a survey done between January and September of 2020, the percentage of people who never leave their tech gadgets behind was a staggering 36%. Around 25% do it monthly, and over 30% unplug from their devices every day. “Unplugging” is a term that, in this case, means not using a mobile device or desktop for over two hours, not including sleep. 

6. 31% of people in Britain have to check their phones every day.

These technology addiction facts would certainly scare even the most skeptical person! People in the 25-39 age bracket tend to use their phones the most - a staggering 39% check them every day. On the other hand, 58% of those aged 55 or over are certain that they don’t need their phones every day.  Women of all ages are more likely to be phone addicts (59%) compared to men (41%).

8. 67% of mobile users in the US think phone addiction is a problem.

Among the most interesting cell phone addiction facts is that people still believe that phone addiction is not a big deal, and the number is getting higher each year. In a recent study, only 67% of participants from the U.S. believed this addiction is an actual problem. On the other hand, in 2018, 81% of people said that people addicted to technology, specifically phones, are in big trouble.

9. 69% of people worldwide check their phone within five minutes of waking up.

While almost 70% of people check their phone as soon as they wake up, 87% of us do that within an hour or less of going to sleep.

10. We check our phones 63 times a day.

Among older facts about technology addiction (2018 and 2019, for example), you will find that the average person used to check their phone around 47 times a day. It’s gotten a lot worse since then. Around 58% of phone users attempted to limit their device usage, and 41% of those who did managed to do so.

11. Americans spend over four hours a day on their phones using the internet.

The internet is probably the biggest factor in our cell phone use statistics. About 88% of internet usage in the United States involves using mobile apps.

12. 29% of people in the UK consider themselves TV addicts.

About one in five people from Great Britain (22%) think they are addicted to TV. In addition, while around 7% are 100% certain that they are television addicts. 

13. 53% of people in the US need technology to stay in touch with their friends.

According to Statista, 53% of Americans heavily rely on technology to stay in touch with their friends. Our growing reliance on technology heavily influences today’s tech addiction statistics. It has penetrated our everyday lives. Consider this: 46% of people in the US cannot even pay their bills without heavily relying on technology, and for 35%, it helps them pursue personal interests and hobbies.

14. 50% of internet users are 18 to 34 years old.

Unfortunately, we don’t have specific technology usage statistics by age, but internet usage worldwide by age is close enough. In 2019, around 32% of internet users were 25 to 34 years old, while 18% are aged 18 to 24. Another big age group for internet usage is adults aged from 35 to 44 – 19%.

15. 51% of US adults are using social media more during the pandemic.

It is safe to assume that the pandemic affected social media addiction stats. In fact, about 51% of adults in the US claim they have started using social media more during the lockdown. However, only 21% believe they will do it less after the pandemic is over. So, technology dependence statistics will most likely change as a direct result of the current situation in the world. Once we make a habit of checking our social media more often, it’s much harder to go back to our healthier daily routines. 

16. 68% of US parents get distracted by their phones while spending time with their children.

While 17% of parents in the United States feel that this happens often, 52% believe the distractions are not that common.

Tech Addiction Statistics among Younger Generations

17. 46% of young people in the UK think they are addicted to their phones.

The survey had 40% of male and 51% of female teens claiming to be addicted to their phones. This one is probably one of the most vital smartphone addiction statistics for showing just how bad mobile phone addictions have gotten.

18. 71% of US parents are concerned their child spends too much time on mobiles.

31% of American parents that participated in a survey by the Pew Research Center are very concerned about their kids’ phone use and have even reached out to a doctor for a solution for the technology addiction of their child. Around 40% are somewhat concerned, while less than 30% don’t see a problem.

19. On average, kids in the US get phones or tablets when they are ten years old.

A survey by Google explored the use of technology in the United States among the youngest generations. The answers give us some pretty interesting facts about technology use. Almost 40% (39.1%) of children have seen inappropriate content online, and 23.8% believed they shared too much information on social media. That is why it’s alarming that, on average,  kids get their first gadget when they’re only ten.

20. 55% of kids in the US have their own tablet or phone.

More than half of the surveyed kids had their own mobile devices. There are many good reasons to buy your child their first tech gadget. For instance, you will be able to get in touch with them whenever you want and track their whereabouts more easily. Other than dependence on technology, statistics show that cyberbullying and hacking are also concerns for children using mobile phones to access the internet. 13.8% of children from this survey were victims of cyberbullying, while 13.6% had their accounts hacked.

21. 90% of US parents and teachers think digital literacy skills are necessary.

Almost all parents and teachers surveyed by Google agreed that having digital literacy skills is necessary for children. So yes, while there is a risk of electronic device addiction, a kid cannot get by in life without learning at least the basics of digital literacy. In addition, 95% of teachers and parents believe that kids must learn about online safety. 

22. 27% of teenagers in the United States check their social media every hour.

A big discussion in recent years is the use of social media among the younger population. The stat that 27% of teenagers in the United States check their social media every hour is one of the most alarming social media addiction facts. According to the latest available data, 30% of the participants in a survey claimed to visit their favorite social media networks every day, but not every hour. 19% do not use social media at all, while 16% use it almost constantly. 

23. One in four kids globally uses their phone in an unhealthy manner.

Research by King’s College in London in 2019 showed that 10- 30% of kids and young people use their phones in a way that is detrimental to their health. Researchers investigating a correlation between technology and addiction found that moods associated with cell phone usage are typically negative ones, such as anxiety, stress, low quality of sleep, and depression. 

24. 25% of US teens feel less lonely when using social media.

Is every teenager addicted to social media? We often wonder how the overuse of social platforms affects kids that age. Well, research in 2018 dealt with the most common emotions that teenagers in the US feel when using social media. About 21% feel more popular, while 20% felt more confident. The positive feelings associated with social media use would certainly prompt children to reach for their phones more often and influence the teenage cell phone use statistics. 

On the other hand, the same study showed some darker aspects of using social networks as a teenager. 16% of teens felt more depressed when using social media, while 12% felt more anxious. With social media fuelling their tech addiction and causing many negative feelings, the negatives outweigh the positives in terms of the overall impact on teenagers’ mental and physical health.

25. During the COVID-19 lockdown, 28% of UK teenagers spent five to six hours online.

When looking at technology addiction statistics, we need to think about the number of hours teens spend on the internet. In a lot of cases, the internet is what keeps us looking at our screens for longer than we wanted. So, a recent survey among younger generations in the UK, which included teens from 12 to 16 years old, revealed that 28% of them spend five to six hours on the internet. When we consider that 20% spend 7-8 hours online and only 1% are not online at all, there is no doubting that teenage addiction to technology is real. 

It’s worth noting that these statistics are hugely influenced by the outbreak of COVID-19 and the total lockdown that people in the survey were subjected to. Looking at the pre-lockdown stats, 78% of teens used the internet between one and four hours.

26. Two out of three UK teens feel that spending time online affects them negatively.

You’re probably reading these addiction facts to see if technology and everything that comes with it has a negative impact on people’s lives. Well, teens in this survey claimed it did! While only 9% of teenagers from the UK said the impact was huge, 51% of participants still recognized that they are at least somewhat negatively affected by spending so much time online. They also claimed that their technological addiction affected their exercise, diet, and concentration while studying. 

27. 42% of kids in the UK think their parents are addicted to their phones.

Does this stat surprise you? If you’re reading our tech addiction facts thinking you need to confiscate your kids’ phones, you might want to start with yourself. Nearly half of the kids in the abovementioned survey believe that their parents are addicted to their phones! Still, only 9% of the kids felt that the addiction has a negative effect on the parenting skills of their moms and dads.

Game Addiction Statistics

28. There are 3.24 billion gamers in the world.

You should take our video game addiction stats with a grain of salt. Not every gamer in the world is addicted to playing games, though many are. However, the World Health Organization labeled the issue gaming disorder and warned us about the severity of the problem. 

Figures show that billions of people enjoy playing games either as a career or in their free time. You can consider this a video game addiction statistic or a simple fact of life: games are overtaking many other forms of entertainment these days. Either way, you should think about the amount of time you or your kid has dedicated to playing, which brings us to our next stat.

29. 54.5% of gamers have missed sleep because of gaming.

This is one of our most worrying gaming addiction stats. More than half of survey participants have missed sleep because of gaming. Moreover, over 31.7% claimed they had skipped a meal, while 26.5% reported missing out on socializing with their friends. Nearly 12% missed work, too.

30. 43% of UK gamers are playing more games during the lockdown.

A study by YouGov revealed that many video game lovers in the UK played more games during the pandemic. 42% spent the same amount of time, while only 8% have started gaming less frequently since the start of the pandemic. The global health crisis has also helped Twitch, a popular streaming platform for gamers, experience unprecedented growth.

Final Thoughts on Our Tech Addiction Facts

Hopefully, this article opened your eyes to how much we actually need technology in our everyday lives. We went over some basic stats, facts about mobile usage and gaming, and, most importantly, tech and social media addiction statistics for teenagers and kids. 

Do you feel like you can control your tech usage? Does excessive phone usage hurt your other activities or relationships? If you’ve ever wondered, “What is technology addiction?” just find someone who will answer affirmatively to any of the questions we’ve posed above.