Survey: Two-thirds of Hongkongers admit smartphone addiction

Nearly two-thirds (63.4%) of Hongkongers admit smartphone addiction, with Gen Z and millennials spending the most time watching videos and streaming content, according to a Preply survey. 

The report, titled "Hong Kong residents recognise smartphone addiction and consider cutting back", recently surveyed 1,000 Hongkongers about their smartphone habits. 

The survey found that that 63.4% of Hong Kong residents acknowledge smartphone addiction and 76.5% have taken steps or are considering reducing their phone use.

There's also a strong preference for entertainment when it comes to using smartphones, with more than 25% of Hongkongers spending over three hours daily playing games, watching videos and streaming content on Netflix, YouTube and social media platforms.

Listening to music and podcasts (22.7%) and communicating via calls or messages (20.4%) are the next on the list of the most frequent activities.

Furthermore, 59.3% of males admit to being dependent on their phones, compared to 68.8% of females, highlighting that women are more likely to struggle with this issue.

The survey also indicated that women are more likely to spend over three hours on social media (35.9%), video streaming (34.3%), and playing online games (30.6%), surpassing their male counterparts in these activities, who reported 21.0%, 23.3%, and 28.9% respectively.

Most generations admit to being addicted to entertainment and smartphone use

Across all generations, the younger generations are also more aware of their addiction, with two-thirds of Gen Z and Millennials admitting their dependence on phones.

In contrast, only about one in five Baby Boomers recognise their phone addiction. These findings stress the need for solutions to manage and reduce compulsive phone use.

Meanwhile, Gen Z and Millennials spend the most time watching videos and streaming content, while Gen X and Baby Boomers focus on browsing social media. Gen Z and Millennials share the same favourite activities, but Gen Z tends to spend more time on average engaging in them. In contrast, Gen X and Boomers spend significantly less time on these activities.

For instance, 75.2% of Gen Z and 63.7% of Millennials spend at least one hour on social media, whereas only 38.1% of Boomers do the same. Additionally, 29.4% of Hongkongers do not spend any time on educational activities, and 16.3% of Gen Z, 7.6% of Millennials, and 8.8% of Gen X do not read the news at all, the survey revealed.

On the other hand, Gen Z spends the least time on online shopping, Millennials on educational activities, Gen X on photo-taking and editing, and Baby Boomers on listening to music and podcasts.

The survey also found that almost 50% of Millennials and Gen Z rely heavily on emojis, memes, and stickers to express emotions, while only 17.4% of Baby boomers do the same. Overall, one-third of Hongkongers use their phones to stay connected with distant friends and family, with Gen X showing more reliance.

Alternatives to smartphone use reported by survey takers

Work productivity is also impacted by phone addiction, with 72.5% spending 1-4 hours daily on personal activities during work hours. Teenagers, or Gen Z, are the most distracted, with nearly 50% spending more than three hours per day on personal affairs, significantly higher than other generations.

Overwhelmingly, a significant 76.5% of Hongkongers considered reducing their smartphone use. The survey showed that 37% of Hongkongers would choose to spend more time with their family and friends, with another 37% wanting to enjoy outdoor activities. Meanwhile, 36.1% of respondents wanted to focus on other hobbies such as painting, cooking, or gardening.

To take steps to reduce their smartphone use, a majority of users considered consulting psychologists and using screen time management tools to curb their addiction. However, 73.9% of Baby Boomers did not think there was a need to take any steps to curb their usage, with only 4.4% of respondents acknowledging steps should be taken to reduce smartphone dependence. This indicates that the perceived harms of phone addiction may not have been fully realised by their generation yet.

The survey also revealed that 95.8% of parents used their smartphones to occupy their children's attention in order to get some "me time," which might cause children to rely on smartphones for entertainment at an early age.

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