I chose “Other”: if I were allowed to have it at work I’d have chosen “24/7.” When I’m in the office it’s in the car, but otherwise it’s on me at all times (and turned on).
I haven’t had a landline in years, and I keep my phone near me/in a pocket when I’m in the house. Like many others, though, I mostly use it for non-phone functions: to check email and Facebook, to look up random facts, etc. I hardly ever get or make actual phonecalls, but it works pretty well as a phone when it has to. I keep it on the nightstand within arm’s reach when I’m sleeping, just in case of an emergency call (I have sick/elderly family members).
I’m far from a slave to my phone, though: I don’t feel compelled to answer every call, and I usually let calls from unfamiliar numbers go to voicemail. And when I’m doing something and don’t want to be interrupted – having lunch with a friend, watching a movie, out hearing live music, etc. – I’m perfectly happy to silence all of the sounds and ignore it for a while. It’s with me all of the time because I want it to be, not because I feel like it needs to be.
It usually stays at home, and I will bring it with me if I’m expecting a call or feel I might need to use it while I’m out. I rarely pick up calls (and I get called pretty rarely anyway). I don’t send text messages.
I’m 25, my approach seems to be uncommon in anyone under 50.
Always when I leave the house. I get slightly panicky if I realize I don’t have it. In the house, though, I don’t carry it around with me, I just leave it in one place and go check it if I hear it going off. I also don’t have it on all the time.
I have one just for if I break down in my car. I didn’t even give out the number. I only turn it on when I load it every 90 days, or if I need to make a call when I’m out. You don’t see pay phones anymore, even in stores. So reluctantly, I got cell phone. I’ve only charged it about 3 times in 2 years.
It’s part of my job requirements to be (reasonably) reachable 24/7, so yeah, I pretty much always have it on me or within earshot. However, I use my iPhone far more for at-will Internet access (email, Wikipedia, Facebook, sports scores and live game action feeds, the weather forecast, traffic conditions of nearby roads, GPS or map finder, scanning the SDMB and other message boards), calendar appointments and text messages (not to mention as a music player, TV episode player for Simpsons, South Park and Futurama, YouTube browser and game app player) than I do as a phone. In fact using it to send and receive voice calls is probably the least useful thing about it, and I probably make more calls than I receive.
My cell is my alarm, and my boss requires that I be reachable at all times (he goes nuts if we don’t answer our phones) so mine is always on and always nearby.
In case you’re wondering…why no, I’m not a medical professional who saves lives. I’m just a bartender. But he’s that kinda guy.
I keep mine in the car. I turn it on when I go to run errands but most of the time I leave it in the car while I’m in any store. Only two people ever call me on it anyway, and those won’t be important calls. As mentioned in the OP, it would have been interesting to see if there is a correlation with age and cell phone usage.
I said “other” because I have my cell phone everywhere. But, being older and one who longs for time alone, I usually don’t have it on. When I go out, it’s in my purse for an emergency. Lately though, I put it on during the day so I can get calls related to my job-hunting. I have to remind myself to turn it on during the day… Not like I’m getting that many calls anyway…
I have no landline, so my personal cell is my phone. It goes with me pretty much everywhere. I have to leave it in the car or my locker at work, as personal cell phones aren’t allowed past security, but then, I have a company phone on me.
I voted “other”. I tend to have my phone with me almost all the time, in that it’s in my bag somewhere. Often it’s switched off unless I think I need it or am expecting a call. I will have it with me if I’m in the car in case of breakdown or emergency, but other than that I am not hugely bothered whether it’s about my person or not.
However, my phone is just that. It does calls and texts, none of that fancy schmancy interweb stuff.
I keep it on the nightstand within arm’s reach when I’m sleeping, just in case of an emergency call (I have sick/elderly family members).