Kelsey Stinnett would rather give up sex for a weekend than go without her smartphone.
Stinnett, a 21-year-old UF political science senior, isn’t alone. According to a study released Monday, 15 percent of iPhone users would choose a sex-free weekend over giving up their phone for the same amount of time.
Gazelle.com surveyed 1,000 iPhone users in honor of the iPhone’s fifth birthday, which is June 29.
Stinnett said one of the main reasons she’d choose a smartphone over sex is because she doesn’t feel safe without it.
She’d also be wary of giving up the phone’s convenience.
“Everything’s here — the phone calls, the texts and the Internet — all in one spot,” she said.
Sophia Acord, a professor in UF’s department of sociology, criminology and law who has conducted research at Rutgers University’s Center for Mobile Communication Studies, said there is evidence dating back to the 1990s showing mobile devices have caused a decrease in the quality of face-to-face interaction.
She said people can feel the need to connect with others who aren’t with them, even if they’re with a group of friends.
“You buy it for one thing, and it begins to nudge its way into every aspect of your life,” she said.
Daniel Siefman, a 21-year-old nuclear engineering senior, was surprised by the study’s results.
Although he once walked into a pole while staring at his iPhone, he said he can go without it.
“For some people it’s like their life anchor,” he said. “It keeps them connected to the world, and they can’t live without it.”
