Pinoys spend more time on mobile phones vs Asian neighbors — study

Filipinos spend most of their day on their mobile phones compared to their peers in Asia, according to a study released by telecommunications firm Telenor Asia Pte. Ltd.

In its study “Digital Lives Decoded 2023,” Telenor surveyed 8,000 mobile users across Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines —which accounted for over 1,000 respondents— to understand how people use mobile devices to improve their daily life, social interactions, and careers.

Digital dependency is highest in the Philippines, the study found.

“Filipinos are most likely to have their mobile on them at all times, with 24% saying they are never without it, compared to the regional average of 14%,” according to the report.

Thailand followed with 20% digital dependency, while Malaysia came in third with a 19% rate.

Telenor also found that 86% of Filipinos spend at least half their day using mobile devices against the 73% regional average.

“Filipinos feel that mobile use positivity impacts their personal lives, with 49% saying they felt it had improved their relationship with family members, compared to the regional average of 39%,” it said.

Despite spending most of their time on mobile devices, the study revealed that 83% of Filipinos believe they have achieved a healthy balance with their mobile use, higher than the regional average of 77%.

“When it comes to using mobile devices to acquire new skills, most Filipinos hope to gain skills related to communication, such as learning a new language, at 65%, followed by photography skills at 59%, and video skills at 57%. 75% of Filipinos would use these skills to pursue an additional income stream,” Telenor said.

Moreover, the study found that 39% of Filipinos feel that using mobile devices for work has significantly improved their productivity over the last five years, higher than the regional average of 27%.

While Filipinos are heavily-dependent on mobile devices, 69% have expressed concern about mobile privacy and security with phishing (73%) and data leakage (71%) emerging as the most prominent areas of concern.

“Filipinos are particularly worried about the impact of mobile privacy and security on vulnerable family members. 89% are concerned over the online safety of elderly family members, compared to an average of 77%, [while] 94% are concerned about the safety of younger family members compared to 80% overall,” Telenor said.

Across the region, the telco’s digital lives study revealed that “mobiles are being widely used as a tool to manage rising costs of living,” describing it as a “stand-out finding this year” against a backdrop of a challenging economy and high inflationary environment.

“People are turning to their mobile devices to compare prices (70%) or find the best deal (65%), accessing the numerous financial management and budgeting tools, calculators, or apps that can help manage their finances during difficult times,” Telenor said. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News