Women wait twice as long to touch their phones than men: Kaspersky Lab

The research suggests the compulsion to constantly check phones could be a result of fear of missing out (FOMO) on something when not online.

A Kaspersky Lab experiment reveals women wait twice as long to touch their phones than men. The study says that none last for more than a minute without phones. The research suggests the compulsion to constantly check phones could be a result of fear of missing out (FOMO) on something when not online.

The experiment was conducted by the Universities of Würzburg and Nottingham – Trent, which revealed participants left in a waiting room on their own lasted an average of just 44 seconds before touching their smartphones. Men couldn’t even manage half of this time, waiting an average of only 21 seconds compared to women at 57 seconds.

After ten minutes, participants were asked how long they thought it had been before they reached for their phone and most said two and three minutes. According to the study, the behavior highlights a significant disconnect between perception and actual behaviour.

Jens Binder from the University of Nottingham Trent said, “The experiment suggests that people are far more attached to these devices than they realise and it has become second nature to turn to our smartphones when left alone with them. We do not just wait anymore.”