Youngsters have been branded as gizmophiles, attached to their phones and their many uses. But a new survey from the University of New Hampshire suggests that students use their phones in limited ways — mainly for talking, texting, keeping track of time, and a handful of other basic functions.
Students in a market-research class taught by Chuck Martin, an adjunct professor in the university’s Whittemore School of Business and Economics, asked 707 students from the college of engineering (the geeks, that is) which functions they use on their cell phones. Talking, texting, and the alarm clock were used by 80 to 90 percent of those who responded. The calculator, camera, and “backlight as flashlight” were used by around 50 percent. Far less important were the Internet browser, the music player, the e-mail reader, and GPS, at around 3 percent.