Comparis study Almost half of the Swiss are addicted to their cell phones

SDA

12.11.2024 - 00:30

Smartphone addiction or nomophobia refers to pathological symptoms and feelings of anxiety or changes in behavior when the smartphone is not available.
Smartphone addiction or nomophobia refers to pathological symptoms and feelings of anxiety or changes in behavior when the smartphone is not available.
Imago

A survey shows that smartphone addiction is widespread in Switzerland, especially among young people and in French-speaking Switzerland.

A recent survey by the comparison service Comparis reveals that almost half of the Swiss population shows signs of smartphone addiction. This so-called nomophobia, the fear of losing one's cell phone, mainly affects young people between the ages of 16 and 35.

The survey revealed that 40 percent of respondents scored at least 30 points on a scale of 0 to 50, which indicates a clear to pronounced addiction. Smartphone addiction is particularly widespread in French-speaking Switzerland than in German-speaking Switzerland, with 47% compared to 37%.

Differences between urban and rural areas

Another result of the survey is the urban-rural divide. While 28% of the rural population can easily do without their cell phone, this figure is only 19% in urban areas. At the same time, 43 percent of city dwellers are affected by nomophobia, compared to 34 percent of rural dwellers.

Influencing factors and demographic differences

Interestingly, gender, education level or income have no significant influence on smartphone addiction. Symptoms range from checking the device frequently so as not to miss any messages to feelings of stress when the cell phone is not available.

The survey was conducted in October 2024 by the market research institute Innofact on behalf of comparis.ch and included 1050 people from all regions of Switzerland.

SDA