People love technology, but this love may be getting out of hand. A new survey reveals that travelers would rather lose their wedding ring than their cell phone on a trip.
Travelers have become so attached to their electronic devices, that the attachment has become emotional. In a new survey by Intel Corp, researchers found that people are more calm and less stressed when they are able to use their mobile devices while traveling. The survey showed that almost half of U.S. travelers experience anxiety when they don't have their cell phones on vacation, ABC reports.
The data was based on a survey of 2,500 people that represent the population of U.S. travelers. A majority, (87%) of young adults revealed that they experience happiness when they're connected to their cell phone on trips, an emotion that friends and pets usually bring about.
The survey revealed how stressful it is to lose a cell phone by comparing it to other precious items. Results showed that 77 percent of people find losing a cellphone to be stressful while less people, 55 percent, think that losing a wedding ring causes stress, putting more value on technology than precious personal treasures.
Only one thing could be more stressful than losing a mobile computing device; losing a wallet. Those who have lost one know how inconvenient it is to lose money and have to replace identification and credit cards when a wallet goes missing. Losing a wallet on vacation can be especially hard, as money and identification is very important while traveling abroad.
The cell-phone loving stats get even crazier. When asked about the importance of personal appearances versus having the entertainment of an electronic device, the survey found that 64 percent of travelers would rather look like bums than be without their electronics. People would rather leave behind hairdryers and other styling tools, toiletries, sunscreen, workout clothes and even shoes, just to make room for their devices in their luggage, ABC reports.
Just like purses and watches, 60 percent of responders said they think of their cellphone as a personal style accessory. Twenty percent admitted to even being jealous when people had better devices than them.
Intel Corp ambassador Mike Fard noticed that people also go crazy over trying to find places to plug their devices in, ABC reports. He has seen people unplug other's devices so they could charge their own and it isn't a rare sight when someone is sitting in a bathroom, charging their device in an outlet. People look for certain locations that have many outlets, something that airports are noticing and trying to fix.
The survey also revealed that traveling techies like to be nosy, as half admitted to checking out other people's screens. However they're a bit hypocritical because they also said one of their biggest pet peeves is when someone else looks at their screen. About 30 percent said they've caught someone in the act of tech-peeping.
Even though people are aware of over-the-shoulder screen audiences, a quarter of respondents said they don't practice safe habits when it comes to their device. Many connect to unsecured networks, use credit card information and view sensitive documents. This behavior is very dangerous while traveling abroad as hackers target travelers specifically.
