Average Indian spends 1.8K hrs/year on phone

An average Indian is spending one-third of his or her waking hours on phone – nearly 1,800 hours a year – and three out of four respondent said if smartphone usage continues at this rate, it is likely to impact their mental or physical health, a survey revealed.

More than half of the respondents have never tried to switch off from their social handles and confessed to not being able to live without their phones while almost all respondents prefered having virtual conversations with friends and relatives, said the survey.

The result of smartphone addiction is such that 30 per cent fewer people meet family and loved ones multiple times a month.

One in three people felt that they can't even have a five-minute conversation with friends and family without checking their phones while three out of five respondents said that it's important to have a life separate from mobile phone and that could help them lead to happier lives, the findings showed.

"As the 'born in the net' generation grows up as digital natives, there is a fundamental change underway within society – redefining relationships, interactions and the very fabric of human emotions and exchanges.