One In 10 Millennials Would Rather Lose A Finger Than Give Up Their Smartphone: Survey

Smartphones seem to be very important for many millennials.

A new survey suggests that nearly 10% of millennials would rather sacrifice their pinky finger than give up their smartphone.

Many also would give up other things as well, according to the survey of 500 U.K. males and females 18 to 34 years old conducted by Tappable, a mobile app development agency.

“And that’s not all,” said Sam Furr, Tappable founder. “Almost a quarter (23%) would even sacrifice one of their five senses – touch, smell, hearing, sight and taste.”

Of the senses that would be sacrificed, smell was the most common (64%), followed by sight (12%), touch (12%), taste (10%) and hearing (3%).

“We were always curious to know what millennials would give up with the threat of losing their mobile phone, which is their connected world,” Furr told the AI & IoT Daily. “They've largely never known a life to exist pre-smartphones, so exactly how deep is it entwined into their very existence?  The survey gave us the answer.”  

Activities millennials said they would sacrifice to keep their smartphone were drinking (38%), traveling (16%), sex (15%) and lose a little finger (9%).

Other things millennials would give up to keep their phones include shoes (26%), their car (20%), favorite food (19%), central heating in winter (12%), stop going on holiday (16%) and seeing family and friends in person (6%).

Survey respondents were asked 10 questions around their lifestyle preferences and were asked to decide whether their phones were more important, said Furr.

7 comments about "One In 10 Millennials Would Rather Lose A Finger Than Give Up Their Smartphone: Survey".
Check to receive email when comments are posted.
  1. Len Stein from Visibility Public Relations, July 26, 2018 at 9:39 a.m.

    which finger would that be....this is what market research has come to... hope the reportage reflects the 'dog days of summer' syndrome.

  2. Chuck Martin from Chuck Martin replied, July 26, 2018 at 10:10 a.m.

    The firm told me they were curious, Len.

  3. Ed Papazian from Media Dynamics Inc, July 26, 2018 at 2:02 p.m.

    While I agree about getting more info about the methodology is desirable, sample size is the least of our concerns. Say, it's 1000 respondents---that doesn't mean that the information is right or that it's questionable. Far more important in evaluating such frothy research is how the questions were posed and, as a rule, this info is not routinely disclosed by researchers---unless asked for.

  4. Chuck Martin from Chuck Martin replied, July 26, 2018 at 2:08 p.m.

    We have all the detailed questions as well as the detailed spreadsheets of the answers and tabulations, just not space/time to include all of that, Ed.

  5. John Grono from GAP Research, July 26, 2018 at 6:54 p.m.

    But don't they realise that losing a finger will slow down their texting!   What a dilemma!

  6. Chuck Martin from Chuck Martin replied, July 26, 2018 at 7:01 p.m.

    Maybe that's why "thumb" was not inlcuded in the questions, John.

  7. John Grono from GAP Research replied, July 26, 2018 at 7:51 p.m.

    The thumb, Chuck?

    You're supposed to use the thumb?!   That wasn't in the manual that came with the 'phone.   No wonder I'm so crap at texting.

    I'll search the bin and see and see if I can get the doctor to re-attach it.

Next story loading loading..