# Poll: How much time per week do you spend on your cellphone? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 22, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127 "2009-09-22T19:51:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127/21 "2009-09-23T02:38:42Z")
> [@unclviny](#): > > I do NOT “do” text messages or IM, if you are too busy to call me then I guess we will not communicate that day and Twitter seems to be for folks with attention-span problems. > > Telephones are for transmittal of information, they are not! social lifelines. Most of my phone conversations are less than 2 minutes. > > Probably 20 - 30 minutes a week total time, I’m never without my phone (for work I must always be reachable). I am/was basically the same way, but I treat it as a substitute for a text pager. There are times I need to convey information _now_ (i.e., email too slow, or recipient has no email access for whatever reason), but yet I don’t want to interrupt the person if I know she’s in a class. So, “Lunch?” or whatnot doesn’t cause a disruption. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127/22 "2009-09-23T02:43:54Z")
I suppose I should note my cellphone usage habits. Let’s put it this way: I’m on the old Verizon pay-as-you go plan, and I have over 72 hours worth of credit accumulated. I just don’t spend that much time on the phone–land line, cell, or otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127/23 "2009-09-23T03:15:52Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > .., but yet I don’t want to interrupt the person if I know she’s in a class. So, “Lunch?” or whatnot doesn’t cause a disruption. I’m not singling you out, **Balthisar** , but I see this justification for constant texing all the time. How is texting someone any less disruptive than calling her? She’s still distracted from her class by knowing she’s received a text, finding her phone, checking the text, replying to it, and putting the phone away again. It has to be disruptive to those around her as well, at least the people sitting next to her. My son and I were at a movie Sunday, and the person in front of me and to the right was texting all through the movie. The bright glare from the phone and the constant buzzing of an incoming text, not to mention the clicky-clack of the keys was making me nuts. I guess I’ve officially reached Cranky Old Lady status. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127/24 "2009-09-23T08:06:21Z")
This is a trick question for me. For personal calls - easily under an hour, probably more like 20 minutes. But sometimes I have to be on conference calls for work and that can eat up minutes really fast - some weeks I might have 2 or more hours just on those calls. BTW, we no longer have a land line, so other than the cell phone, no other choice unless I drive to work and call there - and that is a choice of last resort. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127/25 "2009-09-23T09:02:45Z")
Close to zero. I have a cell phone for emergencies only. I’ve used it exactly twice: once when I locked myself out of the car, and once when my land line stopped working. I don’t even know my number. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127/26 "2009-09-23T15:58:20Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > I’m not singling you out, **Balthisar** , but I see this justification for constant texing all the time. > How is texting someone any less disruptive than calling her? She’s still distracted from her class by knowing she’s received a text, finding her phone, checking the text, replying to it, and putting the phone away again. > It has to be disruptive to those around her as well, at least the people sitting next to her. Ah, but that’s constant texting. That what all the kids do. I don’t text kids, but peers, and it’s a rare event. The way it _should_ work is this: she receives the text, which makes the phone vibrate. Then she should ignore it until either after the course, or read it during a lull. Texts (to me) are like emails; they don’t need an immediate response. There’s no way it should disrupt anyone else, especially when set to vibrate. Of course I’m describing a mature adult situation, which I know isn’t the standard for all of the kids (meaning anyone under, say, 32). ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127/27 "2009-09-23T16:36:07Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > For purposes of this poll, this includes texting/instant messaging/tweeting. If you meant “talk time”, it’s quite low. Even if you include IMs it’s pretty low. Less than 30 minutes a week. But assuming you’re also including web browsing and game playing (i.e., use of the mobile device beyond “as a phone”), then I’m way past the 3+ hour limit. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127/28 "2009-09-23T16:50:36Z")
Are we including playing games/farting around online? That would move me from the lowest category to the highest. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127/29 "2009-09-23T17:17:23Z")
I didn’t respond to the poll, because 30 minutes is as much as I use in a couple of months; I’m a different animal than someone that uses 29 minutes a month, even. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127/30 "2009-09-23T18:13:14Z")
I also use my phone very little for calls; less than half an hour per week on average. However my phone is my main music player and I use it frequently to surf the net as well stuff like gps,camera and games: a total of 15-20 hours per week everything included. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127/31 "2009-09-23T20:05:35Z")
I barely use it–mostly to check my work voicemail when I’m offsite and traffic conditions once in a while. Probably 30 minutes (max) each month. My plan is pay-as-you-go, and I go a long time between refills. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127/32 "2009-09-24T01:51:34Z")
No land-line, so I use mine a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Lunchy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Lunchy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunchy)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127/33 "2009-09-24T06:28:05Z")
Spend about 5 min. a week, or 20min a month, whatever comes first! 😉 I really HATE cellphones however! To be more specific, i hate texting! Short Story; during the summer my friend had a bon fire, there was about 15 people to showed up including myself! Out of the 15 people, 13 of them were texting other people about 80% of the time we were there! I mean come on, there are actual people to converse with! ---
**Author:** ![vandal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/858c86/32.png) [@vandal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vandal)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127/34 "2009-09-24T15:38:15Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > How is texting someone any less disruptive than calling her? She’s still distracted from her class by knowing she’s received a text, finding her phone, checking the text, replying to it, and putting the phone away again. It has to be disruptive to those around her as well, at least the people sitting next to her. It’s less disruptive because she doesn’t actually have to talk. Plus, most people in class keep their cell phones right on their desk, at least in a college setting, so that eliminates any need to find it and to put it away. She can set her phone to silent as well, which would eliminate any noise disruption. Also, just because she received a text doesn’t mean she has to immediately reply to it. I sure as hell don’t. I’ll reply to it at a time that’s convenient for me. That’s kind of the whole idea behind texting. You’ll get to it when you get to it. An actual conversation, on the other hand, assumes you’re available to talk at that very moment. And if you’re not available, it’s a lot more intrusive. Lastly, haven’t you ever sat through a boring-as-hell lecture and wish you could pass the time better? Have you ever passed notes in class? Texting, especially in class, is just the modern way of passing notes. To answer the OP, I’m in the 3 hour + group. I don’t have a landline, so I use my cell phone for pretty much everything. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127/35 "2009-09-24T16:18:20Z")
Less than 10 minutes/week ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127/36 "2009-09-24T23:22:56Z")
> [@vandal](#): > > It’s less disruptive because she doesn’t actually have to talk. Plus, most people in class keep their cell phones right on their desk, at least in a college setting, so that eliminates any need to find it and to put it away. If I were a college instructor, I wouldn’t want students keeping their phones on their desks. If you’re going to read and answer texts later, why does it need to be out? > [@](#): > > That’s kind of the whole idea behind texting. You’ll get to it when you get to it. An actual conversation, on the other hand, assumes you’re available to talk at that very moment. And if you’re not available, it’s a lot more intrusive. Why not keep your phone on silent and let calls go to voice mail? How is that any different from waiting to read a text? > [@](#): > > Lastly, haven’t you ever sat through a boring-as-hell lecture and wish you could pass the time better? Not in years and years. Now get off my lawn! 😉 ETA: My mistake. I have taken a couple of classes over the last few years, and the number one rule from the instructor every time was cell phones were to be kept in bags or pockets. You could use them on breaks. If he caught you texting or fiddling with it, he’d take it away. These were not traditional college classes, however. ---
**Author:** ![Fetchund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127/37 "2009-09-24T23:37:51Z")
I spend more time trying to find it and making sure it has power than ever talking on it. And mine doesn’t have any other bells and whistles. Maybe a 15 second phone call every few weeks? I call it my pocket watch. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127/38 "2009-09-25T00:10:57Z")
Like someone above, perhaps two hours a year at most. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127/39 "2009-09-25T14:58:23Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > Why not keep your phone on silent and let calls go to voice mail? How is that any different from waiting to read a text? Voicemail is too slow. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127/40 "2009-09-25T15:54:27Z")
120 seconds per year. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-much-time-per-week-do-you-spend-on-your-cellphone/511127.md?page=3)