It’s sad but true: since the advent of smartphones barely 10 years ago we’ve forgotten how to live without them. While the impact of our usage in the long term is unknown, the numbers on our addiction are in. According to mobile analytics company Flurry, 176 million people worldwide check their phones more than 60 times a day. MH goes under the screen cover to find out just how clever a smart habit is for your body’s own battery life.
Service With a Smiley
You phone has the power to make you happy – and not just because The Rock favourited one of your gym pics. People who regularly tweet, send or receive 25 emails a day and share at least two pictures daily suffer 21 per cent less stress. And hang on to Evernote – a University of Toronto study found that list-making really does help us achieve goals.
Install Antivirus
While you’re scrolling through your Instagram feed on the toilet (you’re not alone, 59 per cent of us do it) take note: the throne is actually 10 times cleaner than your phone, which can harbour 80 per cent of common bacteria. Try AM Mist: a cleaning spray and microfibre wipe in one ($19.95; harveynorman.com.au). Beats running your phone under the tap.
85% use more than two screens at once
Swipe Left at radiation
While 88 per cent of us use our pockets as storage, it’s not an ideal scenario for male fertility, according to the University of Exeter. The exposure to radiation affects sperm quality considerably. Keeping your device wrapped up helps – WaveWall cases (mwave.com.au) reduce radiation, and their padding will reduce cracks.
Spy-Cloud Storage
If you’ve invested in health-tracking apps, seemingly harmless requirements such as logging personal details or enabling geotagging could be creating a goldmine for cyber criminals. Tom Chen, professor of cyber security at London’s City Uni, says using a mobile VPN (virtual private network) will keep sensitive data for your eyes only.
80% play on their smartphone in bed
